Factors which support school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community in the Western Cape : perspectives of educators and community workers

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dc.contributor.advisorDamons, Lynneen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorLe Fleur, Whitneyen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Educational Psychology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-22T19:11:06Z
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-29T09:38:15Z
dc.date.available2022-02-22T19:11:06Z
dc.date.available2022-04-29T09:38:15Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.descriptionThesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: School attendance has the potential to provide a pathway out of poverty for learners who live in and attend primary schools in low socio-economic communities. However, learners’ trajectories in education are often complex and multifaceted, encompassing aspects of resilience, and other contextual, personal, structural, socio-economic factors. This study aimed to explore factors that promote school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community. The study sought to explore factors pertaining to learner absenteeism in the community and which school and community initiatives were in place to address learner absenteeism. This aim was achieved by collaborating with community-based participants and by exploring their experiences and perceptions of school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community. A social constructivist research paradigm underpinned the exploratory study. The exploratory study generated qualitative data which shed light on how the participants constructed their understanding and knowledge of the factors, which promote school attendance through their experiences and reflections. A purposive sample was used to include six participants in the individual semi-structured interviews and five participants in the focus group session. A multi-theoretical lens was used to analyse and interpret the data generated in this study. Nine prominent themes emerged, and these included, the participants’ perceptions of the community, the social challenges within the community, factors that promote and hinder school attendance, the role and involvement of the community, parents and learners, the participants’ experiences of school and community initiatives. In addition, participants offered insight into intervention and prevention strategies. The research findings suggest that learner absenteeism is a common problem among learners in Sunbird community. Based on the participants’ experiences and perceptions, they conveyed several factors that maintain the high rate of learner absenteeism and pointed out factors, such as parental involvement, classroom environment, and community initiatives, that can promote school attendance. Furthermore, they shared their understanding of how role players and both school and community initiatives, can enhance school attendance and effectively address learner absenteeism.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skoolbywoning het die potensiaal om ‘n weg uit armoede te hê vir leerders wat primere skole bywoon en in lae sosiale ekonomiese gemeenskappe woonagtig is. Leerders se trajekte in die onderwys is egter dikwels kompleks en veelvlakkig, wat aspekte van veerkragtigheid en ander kontekstuele, persoonlike, strukturele, sosio-ekonomiese faktore insluit. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om faktore te ondersoek wat skoolbywoning in 'n lae sosio-ekonomiese buitestedelike gemeenskap bevorder. Die studie het gepoog om faktore te ondersoek wat verband is met leerderafwesigheid in die gemeenskap en watter skool- en gemeenskapsinisiatiewe in plek was, om leerderafwesigheid aan te spreek. Hierdie doelwit was bereik deur met gemeenskapsgebaseerde deelnemers saam te werk en deur hul ervarings en persepsies van skoolbywoning in 'n lae sosio-ekonomiese buitestedelike gemeenskap te verken. 'n Sosiaal-konstruktivistiese navorsingsparadigma het die verkennende studie onderlê. Die verkennende studie het kwalitatiewe data gegenereer wat lig werp op hoe die deelnemers hul begrip en kennis van die faktore gekonstrueer het, wat skoolbywoning bevorder deur hul ervarings en refleksies. ’n Doelgerigte steekproef is gebruik om ses deelnemers in individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en vyf deelnemers in die fokusgroepsessie, in te sluit. 'n Multi-teoretiese lens is gebruik om die data wat in hierdie studie gegenereer is te ontleed en te interpreteer. Nege prominente temas het na vore gekom, en dit sluit in die deelnemers se persepsies van die gemeenskap, die sosiale uitdagings binne die gemeenskap, faktore wat skoolbywoning bevorder en belemmer, die rol en betrokkenheid van die gemeenskap, ouers en leerders, die deelnemers se ervarings van skool en gemeenskapsinisiatiewe. Verder, het deelnemers insig in intervensie- en voorkomingstrategieë gebied. Die navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat leerderafwesigheid 'n algemene probleem onder leerders in Sunbird-gemeenskap is. Gebaseer op die deelnemers se ervarings en persepsies, het hulle verskeie faktore oorgedra wat die hoë getal van leerderafwesigheid handhaaf en faktore uitgewys, soos ouerbetrokkenheid, klaskameromgewing en gemeenskapsinisiatiewe, wat skoolbywoning kan bevorder. Verder het hulle hul begrip gedeel van hoe rolspelers en beide skool- en gemeenskapsinisiatiewe, skoolbywoning kan verbeter en leerderafwesigheid effektief kan aanspreek.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentxi, 200 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124872
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subjectEducation, Primary -- Parent participation -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectSchool attendance -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectSchool attendance -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectMotivation in education -- Attitudes -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleFactors which support school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community in the Western Cape : perspectives of educators and community workersen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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