This article was originally published as: Intensifying psychosocial support for child headed household learners in schools for sense of belonging and sustainable learning
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Abstract
The paper addresses the social challenges which affect learners from child-headed households (CHHs) and impact them psychologically in learning. The observation of poor academic performance emanating from different challenges they experience, specifically in school, suggests a need to intensify psychosocial support. CHHs in South Africa, as in other countries, is an increasingly significant problem noticed since 2000. Through Critical emancipatory theory and participatory action research (PAR), different stakeholders from the society in Xhariep district were identified, meetings and open-ended face-to-face free attitude interviews were conducted with six CHH learners as key role-players to gather suitable data. The research found that anger, low self-esteem, learner behaviour and lack of appropriate life skills were main challenges experienced. Critical discourse was helpful in analysing data. Consequently, different workshops were conducted as a means of empowerment and intensifying psychosocial support (PSS), leading to the emergence of an appropriate framework. The study concludes by highlighting amongst other recommendations that this phenomenon`s existence be acknowledged in different societies and communities, also psychosocial support as intensified be implemented in all other schools with CHH challenges and even similar challenges.
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Lepheana, A. & Alexander, G. (2024). Intensifying psychosocial support for child headed household learners in schools for sense of belonging and sustainable learning. African Journal of Social Work, 14(2), 83-91. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ajsw.v14i2.4
Visit journal website: https://ajsw.africasocialwork.net
Authors
- Alice Lepheana
- Gregory Alexander
Keywords
Child-headed households, intensify, psychosocial support, sense of belonging, sustainable learning, South Africa
References
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