Educational Decision making among Grade 9 learners in Cape Town

The need for higher skill levels in South Africa’s labour market warranted an investigation into why some learners from poor communities make the decision to leave high school at the end of Grade 9, whilst other learners continue to Grade 12 or tertiary education. This exploratory, longitudinal study investigated the Educational Decision Making (EDM) of 16 Grade 9, Coloured, male learners from poor neighbourhoods in Cape Town. This study identified the socio-economic factors that influenced participants’ EDM to consider leaving the school system at the end of Grade 9, or continue their education. The study applied Miles and Huberman’s (1994) approach to identify links between the socio-economic factors that influenced EDM, and to understand the learners’ educational context. These interactions were investigated using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Framework, comprising 5 traversing and Huberman’s (1994) approach to identify links between the socio-economic factors that influenced EDM, and to understand the learners’ educational context. These interactions were investigated using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Framework, comprising 5 traversing layers, namely, the micro-system, meso-system, exo-system, macro-system, and chronosystem (Watts, Cockcroft & Duncan, 2009). This qualitative study drew on semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with learners in their Grade 9 year in 2015, and makes use of followup telephonic interviews (2016) and enrolment records (2017) to verify the findings. All learners made the decision to continue to Grade 12 or tertiary education. Examples of negative influences on EDM included socio-economic challenges presented by South Africa’s transition to democracy (Chrono-system), which impacted on other systems, including inadequate school facilities (exo-system), a family history of school dropout (mesosystem), and financial instability (micro-system). Examples of positive influences on EDM included financial stability in the household (mesosystem), and the resilience and agency of learners (microsystem).

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Sociology

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Begbie, Ceclin Kirsty

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Luckett, Kathy

• Educational decision making, educational outcomes, high school dropout, skill development

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29162

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/29162