The psychosocial experiences of teenage learners in two selected secondary schools in the Ubumbano circuit at Impendle.
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Date
2014
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Abstract
This study sought to explore and understand the psychosocial experiences of teenage mothers
who have been pregnant while at school and find out how they have navigated these
experiences in their academic lives. The study was conducted in two selected secondary
schools in the Ubumbano circuit at Impendle. Research designs were plans that are used by
the researcher to collect data. The research approach which was used in this study was
qualitative and attempted to produce subjective data through involving the opinions, feelings
and experiences of teenage mothers, which was underpinned by the interpretive paradigm.
The narrative inquiry was employed in generating research data, since it is a discipline within
a qualitative approach. The experiences were explored at three levels namely the discovery
phase, delivery phase and post-pregnancy phases. Connelly and Clandinin (1990) indicated
that narratives enable the researcher to discover and understand the inner world of the
individual (teenage mothers). This methodology gave meaning to events and circumstances
and personalised data, providing an understanding of how an experience was lived (Roux,
2011). The participants in this study included six learners who were pregnant while in school.
The six learners were sampled purposively. The study used the following tools: semistructured
interview and questionnaire.
The study employed an inductive data analysis plan which is underpinned by the qualitative
study. Therefore in this study data was analysed by the researcher using themes that emerged
from data collected, and data was related to the theory of Erickson psychosocial development
which was used as a framework for this study. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the
audio taped data from the transcribed interviews.
The key findings showed that the learners experienced emotional problems in various forms
concerning their pregnancy. Some of the learners experienced support from their immediate
members such as parents, friends, educators and the father of the child. Furthermore learners
experienced challenges around the caring demands of the baby and the schoolwork which
could have resulted in them dropping out of school. However, all teenagers succeeded even
though they had experienced emotional problems, financial difficulties, childrearing
problems and school demands as well. These participants demonstrated strong ability in
facing these situations irrespective of whatever complications stood against them.
Description
M. Ed. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.
Keywords
Teenage mothers -- Education -- South Africa., Teenage pregnancy -- South Africa., Teenage mothers -- Social aspects -- South Africa., Teenage mothers -- South Africa -- Psychology., Theses -- Education.