Using participatory action research to strengthen the socio-emotional intelligence competencies of a group of foundation phase learners in an informal settlement

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the role socio-emotional intel-ligence plays in the psychosocial, behavioural, academic, and global well-being of chil-dren. While socio-emotional intelligence is a well-researched topic, there is a limited number of qualitative research studies that reflect on the more nuanced changes that may have occurred because of children’s exposure to socio-emotional learning inter-ventions. This thesis sought to explore whether using PAR research approach and an adaptation of an already established Circle of Friends intervention programme which is used in the United Kingdom can be implemented to enhance socio-emotional intel-ligence competencies of primary-school learners within an informal historically disad-vantaged settlement in Cape Town, South Africa. This study is aligned within the social constructivist paradigm as it sought to gain insight into how the participants create their own realities by engaging in a process of mean-ing-making based on their experiences within their specific context. By interacting, col-laborating, and actively listening to the child participants I hoped to gain better insight into as well as, foster a better understanding of their perceptions, experiences, emo-tions, and learning. Working from a social constructivist lens allowed me to forefront the voices and lived realities of the child participants. The study was qualitative in na-ture and used a Participator Action research methodology which created space for the use of creative exploration that allowed for more authentic, active, and collaborative participation of the children in the research process. In utilising a qualitative approach, participants were selected by means of purposeful sampling. Data were collected through focus group sessions, participant observations. participant generated artefacts and researcher fieldnotes (research journal). The data that was gathered, was analysed through a thematic analysis where six main themes emerged. These themes included self-awareness, social-awareness, self-manage-ment, relationship skills, contextual influences and lived experiences and the delivery of Participatory Action research to co-create a pathway to strengthen socio-emotional intelligence. The thematic analysis revealed that the socio-emotional intelligence development of foundation phase learners/middle childhood children are multifaceted. The findings in-dicated that the child-participants have to navigate many personal, contextual and so-cio-economic challenges, and that these often adversely affect the development of their socio-emotional intelligence and their abilities to exert and manage themselves in educational and social spaces. The impact that the participants’ engagement in the research project had on them in terms of strengthening their socio-emotional compe-tencies, however, built their self-awareness, social-awareness, emotional self-regula-tion, self-management coping skills and relationship skills. Integrating participatory ac-tion research and an adaptation of the “Circle of Friends” intervention enabled partici-pants to understand, recognise and communicate their own feelings; show awareness of others’ feelings, and to empathise with them. Collaboration in the joint research team enabled the members to exercise their agency, manage their emotions and be-come key role players in understanding through how Participatory Action research and a “Circle of Friends” approach can experience shared ownership in co-creating a path-way to strengthen socio-emotional intelligence in young children in South Africa.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In onlangse jare was daar 'n toenemende belangstelling in die rol wat sosio-emo-sionele intelligensie speel in die psigososiale, gedrags-, akademiese en globale welstand van kinders. Terwyl sosio-emosionele intelligensie 'n goed nagevorsde onderwerp is, is daar 'n beperkte aantal kwalitatiewe navorsingstudies wat reflekteer op die meer genuanseerde veranderinge wat moontlik plaasgevind het as gevolg van kinders se blootstelling aan sosio-emosionele leerintervensies. Hierdie tesis het ge-poog om te odersoek of 'n reeds gevestigde Vriendekring-intervensieprogram wat in die Verenigde Koninkryk gebruik word, aangepas kan word om sosio-emosionele in-telligensie-bevoegdhede van laerskoolleerders binne 'n informele histories-be-nadeelde nedersetting in Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika, te verbeter. Hierdie studie is belyn binne die sosiaal-konstruktivistiese paradigma aangesien dit gepoog het om insig te verkry in hoe die deelnemers hul eie realiteite skep deur be-trokke te raak by 'n proses van betekenisgewing gebaseer op hul ervarings binne hul spesifieke konteks. Deur interaksie, saam te werk en aktief na die kinderdeelnemers te luister, het ek gehoop om beter insig te kry in sowel as om 'n beter begrip van hul persepsies, ervarings, emosies en leer te bevorder. Deur vanuit 'n sosiaal-kon-struktivistiese lens te werk, kon ek die stemme en geleefde realiteite van die kinder-deelnemers voorop stel. Die studie was kwalitatief van aard en het 'n Deelnemeraksie-navorsingsmetodologie gebruik wat ruimte geskep het vir die gebruik van kreatiewe verkenning wat vir meer outentieke, aktiewe en samewerkende deelname van die kinders in die navorsingsproses moontlik gemaak het. In die gebruik van 'n kwalitatiewe benadering is deelnemers deur middel van doelge-rigte steekproefneming geselekteer. Data is ingesamel deur middel van fokusgroepsessies, deelnemerwaarnemings, deelnemer-gegenereerde artefakte en navorser-veldnotas (navorsingsjoernaal). Die data wat ingesamel is, is ontleed deur middel van 'n tematiese analise waar ses hooftemas na vore gekom het. Hierdie temas het selfbewustheid, sosiale bewustheid, selfbestuur, verhoudingsvaardighede, kontekstuele invloede en geleefde ervarings en die lewering van Deelnemende Aksie-navorsing om sosio-emosionele intelligensie te versterk ingesluit. Die tematiese analise het aan die lig gebring dat die sosio-emosionele intelligensie-ontwikkeling van grondslagfase-leerders/middelkinderjare-kinders veelvlakkig is. Die bevindinge het aangedui dat die kind-deelnemers baie persoonlike, kontekstuele en sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings moet navigeer, en dat dit dikwels die ontwikkeling van hul sosio-emosionele intelligensie en hul vermoëns om hulself in opvoedkundige en sosiale ruimtes in te span en te bestuur, nadelig beïnvloed. Die impak wat die deelnem-ers se betrokkenheid by die navorsingsprojek op hulle gehad het in terme van die ver-sterking van hul sosio-emosionele vaardighede, het egter hul selfbewustheid, sosiale bewustheid, emosionele selfregulering, selfbestuurshanteringsvaardighede en ver-houdingsvaardighede gebou. Die integrasie van deelnemende aksienavorsing en 'n aanpassing van die "Vriendekring"-intervensie het deelnemers in staat gestel om hul eie gevoelens te verstaan, te herken en te kommunikeer; bewustheid van ander se gevoelens te toon en empatie daarmee te hê. Samewerking in die gesamentlike navorsingspan het die lede in staat gestel om hul agentskap uit te oefen, hul emosies te bestuur en sleutelrolspelers te word en om te verstaan hoe hulle deur Deelnemende Aksie-navorsing en 'n "Vriendekring-benadering" gedeelde eienaarskap kan ervaar in die mede-skepping van 'n pad om sosio-emosionele intelligensie by jong kinders in Suid-Afrika te versterk.
Description
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Emotional intelligence -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa, Social interaction in children -- South Africa, Child development -- Evaluation -- South Africa, Social intelligence -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation