The psycho-social wellbeing of early childhood development teachers

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dc.contributor.advisorMoen, Melanieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWessels-Maluleke, Mariaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-28T10:05:45Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-08T19:36:13Z
dc.date.available2023-11-28T10:05:45Z
dc.date.available2024-01-08T19:36:13Z
dc.date.issued2023-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: The psycho-social wellbeing of early childhood development (ECD) teachers has been a source of concern in both current research and national and international news because their wellbeing has been shown to impact the wellbeing of the whole school community. This thesis sought to explore ECD teachers’ conceptualisation of their psycho-social wellbeing through the lens of positive psychology, a theoretical framework that aims to help individuals flourish in everyday life. Within the theoretical framework of positive psychology, the circle of courage, which is a resilience model grounded in positive psychology, was used as a guide to explore these teachers’ conceptualisation of their wellbeing. The circle of courage is a native American model that has been adapted for use in therapeutic settings since its constructs has shown to increase the wellbeing of individuals. The rationale for this study was to contribute to educational stakeholders’ understanding of the subject with the aim to enhance the educational psychology support services that can be offered to ECD teachers. This study was positioned within the social constructivist paradigm as it sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the participants’ realities within their specific context. By emerging myself in the lives of the participants, I hoped to gain insight into their conceptualisation of their psycho-social wellbeing. Furthermore, the constructivist view allowed me to place the voices of the teachers at the forefront of the research. The study was qualitative in nature, and a case study research method was used that allowed an in-depth investigation of the psycho-social wellbeing of ECD teachers within their natural context. Through purposeful sampling, which allowed me to focus on information-rich cases, a sample of seven participants were obtained to take part in this study. Data were collected through four focus group discussions that included the construction of a visual artefact during each focus group. Each focus group explored one of the four constructs of the circle of courage, namely belonging, generosity, independence, and mastery. Through qualitative thematic analysis, themes and subthemes were revealed that made up the ECD teachers’ conceptualisation of their psycho-social wellbeing. The findings identified two themes. Theme 1 was aspects that aid in the psycho-social wellbeing of ECD teachers, and the five subthemes identified under Theme 1 were family as a support structure, a positive attitude, purpose in the workplace, positive relations with colleagues, and community involvement. Theme 2 was aspects that may detract from the psycho-social wellbeing of ECD teachers, and two subthemes, namely emotional exhaustion, and a lack of resources, were identified under Theme 2. An understanding of the aspects which aid in, and aspects which detract from the psycho-social wellbeing of ECD teachers may allow for targeted interventions by educational psychologists to promote their psycho-social wellbeing.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die psigososiale welstand van onderwysers in vroeë kinderontwikkeling (VKO) is 'n bron van kommer in beide huidige navorsing en nasionale en internasionale nuus. Dit is bewys dat onderwysers se welstand die toestand van die hele skoolgemeenskap beïnvloed. Hierdie tesis het gepoog om VKO-onderwysers se konseptualisering van hul psigososiale welstand te ondersoek deur die lens van positiewe sielkunde, 'n teoretiese raamwerk wat daarop gemik is om individue te help floreer in die alledaagse lewe. Binne die teoretiese raamwerk van positiewe sielkunde is die ‘circle of courage’, wat 'n veerkragtigheidsmodel is, gebruik as 'n riglyn om onderwysers se konseptualisering van hul welstand te ondersoek. Die ‘circle of courage’ is 'n inheemse Amerikaanse model wat aangepas is vir gebruik in terapeutiese omgewings aangesien die model se universele groeibehoeftes getoon het om die welstand van individue te verhoog. Die rasionaal vir hierdie studie was om by te dra tot opvoedkundige belanghebbendes se begrip van onderwysers se psigososiale welstand, met die doel om die opvoedkundige sielkunde-ondersteuningsdienste wat aan vroeë kinder-onderwysers aangebied kan word, te verbeter. Hierdie studie is binne die sosiaal-konstruktivistiese paradigma geposisioneer, aangesien dit poog om 'n diepgaande begrip van die deelnemers se realiteite binne hul spesifieke konteks te verkry. Deur myself in die lewens van die deelnemers te plaas, het ek gehoop om insig te kry in hul konseptualisering van hul psigososiale welstand. Verder het die konstruktivistiese siening my in staat gestel om die stemme van die onderwysers te laat hoor. Die studie was kwalitatief van aard, en 'n gevallestudie navorsingsmetode is gebruik wat 'n diepgaande ondersoek na die psigososiale welstand van VKO-onderwysers binne hul natuurlike konteks moontlik gemaak het. Deur doelgerigte steekproefneming, wat my in staat gestel het om op inligtingryke gevalle te fokus, is 'n steekproef van sewe deelnemers verkry om aan hierdie studie deel te neem. Data is ingesamel deur vier fokusgroepbesprekings, wat die ontwerp van 'n visuele uitbeelding tydens elke fokusgroep behels het. Elke fokusgroep het een van die vier hoekstene van die ‘circle of courage’ ondersoek. Hierdie vier hoekstene sluit in: ‘n gevoel van behoort, vrygewigheid, onafhanklikheid en bemeestering. Tydens kwalitatiewe tematiese ontleding het temas en subtemas aan die lig gekom wat die VKO-onderwysers se konseptualisering van hul psigososiale welstand uitgemaak het. Die bevindinge het twee temas geïdentifiseer. Tema 1 was aspekte wat bydra tot die psigososiale welstand van VKO-onderwysers. Die vyf subtemas wat onder Tema 1 geïdentifiseer is, sluit in familie as ondersteuningstruktuur, 'n positiewe gesindheid, doel in die werkplek, positiewe verhoudings met kollegas en gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid. Tema 2 was aspekte wat afbreuk kan doen aan die psigososiale welstand van VKO-onderwysers Twee subtemas, naamlik emosionele uitputting en 'n gebrek aan hulpbronne, is hier geïdentifiseer. 'n Begrip van die aspekte wat bydrae tot en aspekte wat afbreuk doen aan die psigo-sosiale welstand van VKO-onderwysers kan doelgerigte intervensies deur opvoedkundige sielkundiges moontlik maak om die psigososiale welstand van VKO-onderwysers te bevorder.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentxviii, 199 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/129023
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEducation, Primaryen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTeachers -- In-service trainingen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTeaching -- Psychological aspectsen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEducational psychologyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshPositive psychologyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshWell-beingen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshSocial learning -- Education (Primary)en_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleThe psycho-social wellbeing of early childhood development teachersen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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