The role of the learning support teacher in facilitating learner engagement
| dc.contributor.advisor | Collair, Lynette | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.author | Van der Linde, Elzahn Amanda | en_ZA |
| dc.contributor.other | Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology. | en_ZA |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2021-06-07T14:08:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2021-06-07T14:08:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-03 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | ENGLISH SUMMARY : Learner engagement is a multi-dimensional construct that is prominently used as the conceptual framework for understanding why learners leave school early. This framework has also been used to investigate and establish intervention strategies to prevent learners from becoming disengaged in the schooling context. Within the South African context, reports from the Department of Education have indicated that the number of learners dropping out of school is rising, and this could be due to a large number of learners failing a grade and subsequently needing to repeat the grade. The South African government has implemented a continuum of support models in which more support structures are introduced into schools to help struggling learners. One such support structure introduced by the Western Cape Education Department is learning support teachers. Learning support teachers are appointed to provide academic and emotional support to academically struggling learners. Research has shown that struggling academically can be an early risk factor for disengaging and leaving school early. Learning support teachers thus play a mediating role in facilitating intervention strategies for learner engagement. This study investigates how learner engagement is facilitated within the schooling context by specialised support staff – learning support teachers. To investigate the role that learning support teachers play in facilitating learner engagement in school, the researcher used a basic qualitative enquiry situated within a social-constructionist paradigm. The researcher made use of purposive sampling to recruit six participants. Thereafter, an online platform was used to conduct semi-structured interviews. Participants were also asked to complete narrative texts in which they shared support stories with the researcher. The researcher additionally used reflective field notes during the data gathering phase of the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the raw data and establish various themes. The data ultimately showed that learning support teachers play a role in facilitating learner engagement, but this is limited to the learners referred for support. These learning support teachers enable learners to engage in their small group context by implementing different teaching strategies and taking time to build trusting relationships with the learners. It is worth noting that many of the strategies used by learning support teachers can be applied in the mainstream classroom. The data also emphasised the contextual barriers and other related school factors that influence learners' ability to engage in school such as overcrowded classrooms. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Leerlingbetrokkenheid is ’n multidimensionele konstruk wat gebruik word as die prominente konseptuele raamwerk om te verstaan waarom leerders vroeg die skool verlaat. Hierdie raamwerk is ook gebruik om intervensiestrategieë te ondersoek en vas te stel hoekom leerders van skool en die skoolomgewing ontkoppel. Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is daar gevind dat sommige leerders skool verlaat sonder om matriek te behaal en een van die moontlike redes hiervoor kan die hoë aantal retensiegevalle binne grade wees. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het ’n kontinuum van ondersteuningsmodelle ingestel waar meer ondersteuningstrukture in skole ingestel is om leerders wat sukkel, te help. Een so ’n ondersteuningstruktuur wat in die Wes-Kaap Onderwysdepartement ingestel is, was leerondersteuningsonderwysers. Leerondersteuningonderwysers word aangestel om akademiese en emosionele ondersteuning te bied aan leerders wat sukkel. Navorsing het getoon dat akademiese probleme een van die eerste risikofaktore kan wees vir die ontkoppeling van ’n leerling van die skoolkonteks. Leerondersteuningonderwysers speel dus ’n bemiddelende rol in die fasilitering van leerderbetrokkenheid in skole, aangesien hulle met leerders werk wat akademies onder-presteer. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om te ondersoek hoe leerderbetrokkenheid binne die skoolkonteks gefasiliteer word deur gespesialiseerde ondersteuningspersoneel, naamlik leerondersteuningsonderwysers. Om die rol te ondersoek wat leerondersteuningsonderwysers speel om leerderbetrokkenheid te fasiliteer op skool, het die navorser ’n basiese kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode gebruik wat binne ’n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese paradigma geleë is. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om ses deelnemers te werf. Hierna het semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude aanlyn plaasgevind. Deelnemers is ook gevra om verhalende tekste te voltooi waar hulle ondersteuningsverhale met die navorser gedeel het. Die navorser het ook reflektiewe veldnotas bygehou tydens die data-insamelingsfase van hierdie studie. Tematiese ontleding is gebruik om die onbewerkte data te ontleed en verskillende temas daar te stel. Die data het getoon dat leerondersteuningsonderywsers ’n rol speel in die fasilitering van leerderbetrokkenheid, maar dat hulle rol beperk is tot die leerders wat vir ondersteuning verwys word. Leerondersteuningsonderwysers maak ’n verskil in leerders se vermoë om tydens lesse in ’n kleingroepkonteks betrek te word deur gedifferensieerde onderrigstrategieë te implementeer en tyd te neem om vertrouensverhoudings met hul leerders te bou. Baie van hierdie strategieë wat deur leerondersteuningsonderwysers gebruik word, is egter strategieë wat ook in ’n hoofstroomklaskamer gebruik kan word. | af_ZA |
| dc.description.version | Masters | |
| dc.format.extent | xv, 115 pages ; illustrations, includes annexures | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/110573 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_ZA | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.rights.holder | Stellenbosch University | |
| dc.subject | Learner engagement -- Western Cape (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | School children -- Constancy -- Western Cape (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Dropouts -- Prevention -- Western Cape (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Master teachers -- Western Cape (South Africa) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | UCTD | |
| dc.title | The role of the learning support teacher in facilitating learner engagement | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |