Die aard van leerderafwesigheid in ʼn plattelandse skool

Date
2016-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Leerderafwesigheid, wat ‘n komplekse probleem is in plattelandse skole, was die fokus vir ‘n intensiewe ondersoek. Hierdie ondersoek na leerderafwesigheid is ’n volgehoue proses om die voorkoms, simptome en karaktertrekke van leerders te verstaan. Ten spyte van die Departement van Basiese Onderwys se duidlike riglyne oor die belangrikheid van gereelde skoolbywoning wat ook die ouers, skool en leerders se verantwoordelikheid insluit, bly leerders nog steeds afwesig vanaf die skool. Die klem van hierdie studie het ook spesifiek geval op die sosio-ekonomiese en kulturele karaktereienskappe van die plattelande skool en die gemeenskap waar leerderafwesigheid die wesenlike probleem is. Hierdie plattelandse leerders en gemeenskappe ervaar verskeie uitdagings, soos byvoorbeeld leerderafwesigheid, lae akademiese uitslae en dissiplinêre probleme. Die basiese interpretatiewe kwalitatiewe navorsingsparadigma is gebruik binne die die bio-ekologiese teoretiese raamwerk. Doelbewuste steekproewe is gedoen by die skool en die data is by wyse van agt semi-gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude, een fokusgroeponderhoud en visuele tekeninge ingesamel. Die versamelde data is geanaliseer volgens die inhoudsanalise. Na aanleiding van die data-analise en kodering het daar vier hoof kategorieë na vore gekom. Die vier hoof kategorieë is eerstens, omgewings faktore wat die kind se woonbuurt, skool se ligging en dwelmafhanklikheid insluit; tweedens, persoonlike faktore wat die kind se ouers en portuurgroep insluit; derdens die gesinsuitdagings wat die gesins-dinamika en ekonomiese faktore insluit en laastens die skoolaangeleenthede, naamlik boelie, kurrikulum en ouerbetrokkendheid. Die bevindinge was dat leerderafwesigheid deur verskillende sisteme soos die gesin, skool en gemeenskap beïnvloed word. Die fisiese, ekonomiese en sosiaal-maat-skaplike kwessies waarbinne die kind funksioneer, speel ‘n deurslaggewende rol in die leerders wat probleme ervaar met leerderafwesigheid. Die plattelandse konteks, waar gesinne in armoede leef en op plase werk as seisoenwerkers, het ‘n groot impak op die leerders se belewenis van skoolbywoning.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Learner absenteeism, which is a complex problem in rural schools, was the focus for this intensive study. The research about learner absenteeism is a continuous process to understand the appearance, symptoms and characteristics of learners. In spite of the Department of Basic Education’s clear guidelines about the importance of regular learner attendance, which include the responsibility of the parents, the school and the learner, learners are still absent from school. The focus of this study is the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the rural school and community where learner absenteeism is the actual problem. These learners from rural commu-nities experience many different challenges, for example learner absenteeism, low academic results and disciplinary problems. Basic interpretative qualitative research was used in the bio-ecological theoretical framework. Purposeful sampling was done at the school and the data was collected by means of eight semi-structured individual interviews, a focus group interview and visual drawings. The collected data was analysed using content analysis. Following the data analysis and coding four main categories emerged. The four main categories found in this study are firstly, environmental factors which include the child's neighborhood, location of the school and drug dependency; secondly. personal factors that include the child's parents and peers; thirdly, family challenges including the family dynamics and economic factors and finally there were school issues, namely bully curriculum and parent involvement. Clear findings emerged: learner absenteeism is influenced by various systems such as the family, school and community. The physical, economic and social issues, within which the child functions, figure prominently in the learners who experience problems with learner absenteeism. The rural context, where families live in poverty and on farms as seasonal workers, has a huge impact on the learners’ experience of school attendance.
Description
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2016
Keywords
UCTD, Rural schools -- South Africa -- Western Cape, Learner absenteeism --South Africa -- Western Cape, Bio-ecological theoretical framework, School attendance -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
Citation