Investigation on how orphaned learners experience psychological support in two high schools in Esikhaleni Township
The essence of the study was on the experiences of orphaned learners at school. These experiences were limited to the psychosocial support being provided by educators and their peers to the orphaned learners during their time at school. Bearing in mind the level of stress these orphaned learners go through after the loss of their biological parents, the purpose of the study was hence to explore how orphancy was being supported psychosocially and the extent to which these support contributes to their learning and continuation of schooling. The researcher objective was to understand how orphaned learners perceive themselves through the psychosocial support they receive from their peers and educators. The significance of this study was to provide an account of how orphanhood should be catered during their schooling. To attain the research objective, a qualitative research design was used to explore the experience of the orphaned learners consequently an exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were used as an instrument for data collection and seven participants were purposively selected due to their rarity. These participants were within high schools from the Eskhaleni Township. These participants were double orphans because they had lost both parents prior to study and residing with extended families and others reside in child-headed homes. The analysis of the data revealed that orphaned learner do experience support from their peers and educators while at school. Within the boundaries of psychosocial support the findings showed that these learners received social support from both educator and peers. Social support was in the form of motivational talk, empathized and sympathized concerns were expressed from their peers and educators. Peculiar to peers were the social attention they received during school hours most especially when their countenance were perceived to be moody. Whilst most educators only reacted in the provision of social support after realizing that the participants were not performing well at school. Unlike social support, the participants revealed that they did not receive any form of psychological support from neither peers nor educators. Out of the scope of the study the participants nonetheless acknowledged other forms of supports that they got from their peers and educators such as financial supports and were of much valuable and appreciative from their perspective. The researcher therefore recommended that township school should be provided with professional counselors at schools. Furthermore the South African School Act, Children’s Right and School based policies should be amended in considerations of orphaned leaners necessities.
Orphaned learners, psychological support, Esikhaleni Township
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations