Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of learners towards COVID-19 Guidelines in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province
Globally, as of 28 March 2022, Covid-19 cases were reported to have reached more than four hundred and eighty margin, with the death tall reported by World Health Organisation to be over 6,1 million across the globe. In Africa alone more than 8,5 million positive cases of Covid-19 were confirmed. The good level of knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices of learners towards Covid-19 guidelines play a pivotal role in minimizing the spread of Covid-19, and ensure safe, healthy learning environments. The purpose of the present study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of learners towards Covid-19 guidelines at Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province. This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design. Two-stage cluster sampling was used and systematic sampling was used to select respondents in each sampled school cluster and data was gathered using a questionnaire that was administered to sampled respondents. The questionnaire was partitioned into four segments: demographic questions, knowledge, attitudes, and practices of learners towards Covid-19 guidelines. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse data. The results were presented statistically through tables, charts and diagrams following the sequence of the research objectives. During analysis of data, it was discovered that majority of secondary school learners have good level of knowledge towards Covid-19 guidelines. The study found that majority of Secondary school learners, 77,60% have positive attitudes towards Covid-19 guidelines. The study also discovered that majority of secondary school learners, 72,26% have proactive practices towards Covid-19 guidelines, Therefore, the following recommendations are made: The Department of Basic Education should emphasize the integration of health education in schools to enhance the knowledge base of learners on Covid-19 guidelines and Covid-19 in general, Learners need to be continuously educated about the hygiene practices and Covid-19 guidelines, this may increase their knowledge and develop further positive attitudes, as a result, future Covid-19 infections may be reduced in schools, the health guidelines that were implemented during the pandemic should be gazetted and enforced at schools to proactively prevent further outbreaks of Covid-19 and other pandemics, lastly, more research must be conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards Covid-19 guidelines in Mpumalanga Province and South Africa as a whole to extend the knowledge base on the subject matter.
Attitude, COVID-19, Guidelines, Knowledge, Learners, Practices
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