Browsing by Author "Morojele, Pholoho Justice."

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Constructions of gender in the context of free primary education : a multi-site case study of three schools in Lesotho.
(2009) Morojele, Pholoho Justice.; Bhana, Deevia.; Moletsane, Relebohile.
his thesis reports on a qualitative study of stakeholders’ constructions of gender in the context of the Free Primary Education policy in three primary schools in Lesotho. Through the lens of the social constructionist paradigm, the thesis examines how parents, teachers and children living in and around these primary schools think, act, and feel in relation to gender in their academic and social worlds. It looks at the ways in which these stakeholders engage with issues of gender in Lesotho communities ravaged by gender inequality. Based on parents’, teachers’ and children’s constructions of gender, the thesis suggests strategies that might help address inequitable gender relations in and around the primary schools. The thesis grounded my personal life experiences, as the researcher, as crucial in the development of methodological strategies and processes of this study. In a flexible and responsive manner, the study utilised informal conversations, semistructured interviews, observations, questionnaires and document analysis, as methods of data collection. It found that, influenced by ‘discursive constructs’ of providence and God’s will, child-adult relations, naturalness of gender differences and attributes as well as the Basotho culture, parents and teachers constructed gender in ways that reinforced existing gender inequality in and around the primary schools. The structural and social organisation of the schools that tended to allocate girls and boys into rigid social categories, and parents’ and teachers’ constructions of gender which reinforced inequitable gender relations, were found to have significant impact on the regulation of children’s experiences and meanings of gender. The study found that children’s experiences of gender informed how they actively engaged with issues of gender and the meanings they attached to being girls and boys. The study traces how Basotho culture and religion have been fundamental to gender inequality and violence in Lesotho. These factors encouraged the schools to use structural/physical identities (such as having biological sex as a boy/girl), as the bases for allocation of girls and boys into rigid and inequitable social categories. The dominant discourses of gender that emanated from these factors, ascribed stereotypic attributes to males (boys and men) and females (girls and women) as means to ground inequitable gendered human aptitudes, which were used to justify gender inequality. The study also identifies ways in which girls defy the insistence on their subordination, and sees fault lines where gender inequality can be confronted without abandoning Basotho culture.
Emotional geographies of four pregnant school teenagers : a narrative inquiry.
(2015) Mkhathini, Audrey Sibongile.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The focus of this study was to explore the experiences of pregnant teenagers within the schooling spaces and places of a high school in Pinetown. The study incorporated a social constructionist paradigm, children’s geographies and new sociology of childhood studies to shed insight into the ways in which pregnant teenagers experience schooling, their views about the support they needed and how they negotiate these schooling spaces. A qualitative methodology was adopted in which semi-structured interviews and a participatory research method, photo voice were utilized with the participants. The study found that pregnant teenagers’ were confronted with complex and often contradictory demands of having to balance schooling, pregnancy and the associated disruptions. These were found to have adverse effects on the quality of schooling experiences of the participants, as they had to go an extra mile to navigate the challenges of stigma, loss of time and lack of support. The study also revealed that pregnant teenagers valued their education and enjoyed schooling, factors which bolstered their commitment to overcome resistances that prevented them from attending school. Such obstacles included their lack of participation in class decision making, ignorance displayed by teachers during lessons and often being ridiculed and dominated by their peers. These barriers were found to have relegated the participants to an environment of loneliness and lack of friendships with peers. The findings revealed that pregnant teenagers had a tendency to develop negative attitudes about themselves, which impeded their assertiveness to seek the help and support they required. Notwithstanding, the study found that pregnant teenagers used various mechanisms to cope with schooling and pregnancy demands. These included seeking friendly relationships with other girls in order to secure peer support, listening attentively in class as they are aware that their schooling might soon be disrupted when they went to give birth, being more respectful to their parents (and relatives) to solicit parental care and support.
Emotional geographies of teenage motherhood : narratives of six learners at a rural secondary school.
(2015) Khumalo, Constance Gugu.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
A qualitative study was conducted at Dalisu secondary school which aimed at exploring ways in which six teenage mothers navigate and negotiate the complex demands of schooling and parenting. A qualitative research methodology within the tradition of a narrative inquiry was adopted for this study. Data generation methods used included semi-structured, individual and focus group interviews. In order to enhance the active participation of the six teenage mothers who were participants in this study, a participatory ‘photo voice’ method was employed. The study was conducted in a rural secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal Province, and focused on Grade 11 and Grade 12 teenage girls with one or more children. Six girls between the ages of 16 and 18 (three from Grade 11 and three from Grade 12) were purposefully selected as the participants in this study. The study found that these school-going, teenage mothers experience a number of unique challenges, not experienced by the other girls in the school. The social stigma of being teenage mothers-at-school seems to predispose these girls to a higher risk of dropping out. The study revealed that after the necessary absence from school for the delivery of their babies, these teenage mothers had further to go to catch up on lessons missed. The study found that while teenage mothers greatly valued the opportunity of being able to return to school after delivery, their new social identities as teenage mothers presented issues such as a lack of support and acceptance by teachers and peers. The findings revealed that, simply because of the time taken in the last months of pregnancy and delivery, teenage motherhood often requires educational sacrifices. However, despite the lack of support from the relevant bodies, these teenage mothers tried their best to overcome these challenges and complete their education. This included negotiating their relationships with peers, parents and teachers in ways that induced support, tolerance and social acceptance. The study recommends that the stakeholders such as Principal, Teachers and SGB be sensitized about the perils of teenage motherhood. Such sensitization could take the form of workshops aimed at the education and training of stakeholders on how best to support the education of teenage mothers in the school. One such support system would be the provision of day care for the children to enable their teenage mothers to attend class.
Exploring experiences of female heads of department in four primary schools in Pinetown South Durban.
(2012) Mkhize, Silindile.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This study reports on a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of female Heads of Department in Primary Schools. The study was carried out in KwaNdengezi, Pinetown South. It made use of qualitative methodology to obtain data using semi-structured interviews and observations as its methods of data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants of the study, and the study sample consisted of four female heads of department in four primary schools, with whom the interviews and observations were conducted. The main findings of the study revealed that female heads of department experience and internalize negative stereotypes and believe males do not listen to them and they also experience gender stereotypes and their impact when performing their management duties in schools. Other findings include the experiences related to dynamics of being mothers and teachers at the same time. Further the communication with teachers, teacher discipline and the role that gender stereotyped held by members of the society. There is the issue of unequal power relations between men and women within the schools, which is an underlying factor behind all the gender-based experiences of female heads of department in the schools. Despite the fact that female heads of department encounter gender-based experiences in their management roles and responsibilities, they are engaged in empowering style of management by means of involving all the colleagues in the decision making processes. The study concludes by recommending that female heads of departments require support from all the stakeholders of the school, and that the government should hold workshops and seminars to support them. At the school level, they should resist all attempts at being treated in a condescending manner, and become role models to other aspiring females to assume school management positions for effective management and delivery of quality education.
Exploring women school principals' management experiences : evidence from Mafukuzela-Gandhi circuit in Pinetown district.
(2010) Ngcobo, Ntombikayise.; Chikoko, Vitallis.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The study sought to explore eight women school principals’ management experiences and challenges that these women encounter in their day-to-day management duties. It used semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis as its methods of data collection. The findings revealed that women principals encountered the challenge of being caught in the middle of having to balance domestic chores (being mothers and wives) and work responsibility (as school principals). The simultaneous demands of domestic and work responsibilities ensured that the women principals were inequitably pressured in their roles as school managers compared to their male counterparts. Other challenges related to gender stereotypes (perceptions held by some teachers and parents that women are care-givers, nurturers, and therefore not suited for management positions) and lack of women role models in school management positions. Even though women principals were challenged in their management duties they engaged in empowering management approaches by means of involving all the staff members in the decision making processes. The study highlighted the challenges that women principals encountered in maintaining their identity as women (feminine) in a male orientated field of school management. In managing the schools they used different approaches of management depending on the situation, and these included the adoption of masculine and authoritarian management strategies. By and large, these women principals insisted on using management strategies that are associated with femininities, such as empathy, cooperation, pastoral care and so forth. These strategies seemed more appropriate in promoting democratic participation in schools, as stipulated in South African education policies. The study recommended that holding induction programmes, building women networks, workshops and seminars could be a useful strategy in supporting women school principals.
Gender-related experiences of female school principals : a qualitative study of four schools in Umlazi North circuit.
(2012) Makhaye, Lindiwe.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The study sought to explore four female school principals’ management experiences and challenges that these females encounter in their management duties. It adopted a qualitative approach inquiry, and used semi-structured interviews and observations as its methods of data collection. The objective was to examine and unveil the challenges that these principals encountered when applying for promotion into school management; some gender-based dynamics related to executing their duties and responsibilities as female school managers; the management strategies that the female principals used to cope with their management responsibilities, as well as the support they required in order to enhance their effective management in the schools. The findings reveal that female principals have, indeed encountered challenges at schools owing to their gender as females. These range from the very long period of time it took for them to be promoted into management positions to the dynamics related to managing staff meetings, which included female principals being regarded as tokens by some teachers and not being taken seriously, thereby undermining the female principals’ authority as school managers. Mainly based on the societal expectations on females to perform domestic chores, female principals in these schools have to struggle with a heavy workload of their school work which runs concurrently with their familial responsibilities (domestic chores) at home. The negative attitudes of staff and the community, which cast doubt on females’ capacity to become managers, are shown to have far-reaching adverse consequences, which affect the female principals’ ability to effectively manage the schools. However, the female principals in this study innovatively employ various management strategies to mitigate the effects of these challenges on their ability to manage the schools. These include adopting collegial (and democratic) management strategies that enable them to raise above the tide, thus challenging the stereotypic conceptions that females do not have the capacity to become effective school managers. Based on the female principals’ views and experiences, the study suggested some strategies that could be employed to support and enhance female principals’ abilities for effective school management.
Gendering children's vulnerability and schooling in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
(2019) Motsa, Ncamisile Daphne.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The thesis comprises of eight published articles, whose collective aim was to explore how vulnerable children as a social group in three rural primary schools in Eswatini experience school, and the ways in which they make meaning of gender. The aim was to understand the implication of these on their social welfare, gender equality, their quality of education and experiences of school. The study was informed by children’s geographies and the new sociology of childhood studies. Social constructionism was then adopted as a paradigm through which to comprehend the vulnerable children’s schooling experiences and gender constructions. The study adopted a qualitative narrative approach as its methodology and elicited narratives from the vulnerable children and their teachers. The study was conducted in three primary schools located in the rural areas of Eswatini. Purposive sampling was used to select the thirty children (ten from each participating school) who participated in the study and their ages ranged between 11- 16 years, and were in the 6th grade. To collect data from these participants, semi-structured questions in individual and focus group interviews were utilised. A participatory research method in which participants used photo-voice to explore their spaces and places in the school contexts was also used. Random sampling was then used in selecting the teachers who participated in the study. These were nine teachers, (three from each school) who were aged between 24 and 60 years. To generate data from the teachers, questionnaires and in-depth individual interviews were used. The study worked from the premise that the vulnerable boys’ and girls’ schooling experiences and meaning making of gender is socially constructed. Culture, societal discourses and the social relationships they had in the society and the schools not only form a basis for their way of constructing reality, but they also have an impact on the way they engage with reality. Indeed, the study found an intricate interchange of culture, tradition, and societal discourses in the way the vulnerable boys and girls constructed gender and also experienced school. This was in ways that presented the vulnerable children with negative schooling experiences and compromised efforts towards inclusivity and gender equitable school spaces. Poverty was found to act as a contextual site for the vulnerable boys’ and girls’ experience of school and gender constructions, in ways that aggravated the gendered inequalities against both the vulnerable boys and girls in these contexts. The study postulates that the vulnerable children of Eswatini have challenges that affect their experience of school. In the school contexts they are vii discriminated against by both insensitive teachers and learners. In the home contexts again, these children have greater responsibilities that compete with their study time. This study demonstrates that schools are also discursive sites for the enactment of troubling gender discourses and performances developed in the communities in ways that compromise efforts for inclusivity and gender equitable school spaces. The vulnerable children’s constructions of gender were found to be heavily reliant on the wider societal discourses as also socialised by teachers. Such discourses were imbedded in patriarchal structures and systems that upheld and re-inscribed inequalities between vulnerable boys and girls and by extension within the social groups- boys and girls. The boys’ vulnerability excluded them from hegemonic masculinities and this predisposed them to discrimination by other learners in the school contexts, and also in ways that emasculated them. The vulnerable girls also constructed their femininities in ways that re-affirmed the gendered inequalities against them. The vulnerable boys and girls were found to use their agency to navigate such gendered spaces but this was unfortunately in ways that further relegated them to subdual. For example, trying to affirm their masculinities the boys engaged in heterosexual relationships which proved to be challenging for them because they could not provide for the girls within these relationships. Similarly, by adopting powerful femininities the girls exposed themselves to gender based violence, STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and teenage pregnancies.Despite these challenges and the apprehension that came with their future aspirations, the vulnerable boys and girls used their individual resilience to navigate the school spaces that sought to stifle their educational aspirations. These children had dreams for the future through education and their individual resilience proved inadequate to ensure that they attain to what they aspired. For example; some of the children aspired to be doctors, teachers and nurses. The support of the society therefore was found to be imperative in these children’s present and future welfare. The study argues that, schools can be the best intervention sites for the deconstruction of gender discourses from the wider societies. It recommends that the Ministry of Education and Training, the community and the schools should make a collaborative and coordinate effort to ensure that vulnerable children have positive schooling experiences. The Ministry of Education and Training also needs to equip teachers with skills on how to work with vulnerable children and to be inclusive in their pedagogic practices. Teachers, on the other hand, ought to change their perceptions and attitudes towards vulnerable children in favour of inclusivity and equality for all children.
The geographies of bullying within a school : a qualitative study of children's experiences.
(2013) Hlophe, Zibeleni Lucia.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This is a qualitative study of children’s understanding and experiences of bullying in one coeducational high school in KwaZulu-Natal. The study sought to get an insight into the problem of bullying by investigating the lived experiences of children within the school context. The aim of the study was to unveil the forms of bullying that children experience and the contributory factors thereof; as well as strategies for the alleviation of bullying in the school context. The study adopted a qualitative case study design and semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection which took the form of focus group and individual interviews. A total of six children, five boys and one girl participated in the study. The findings suggest that there was a high incidence of bullying at the school. Bullying took the form of physical harm, including kicking and hitting, and emotional harm, which included name calling and cyber bullying. Some school spaces, peer pressure, media and dominant discourses of bullying were found to be some of the factors that contributed to bullying behaviour in this school. The findings indicate that boys are mostly the victims of bulling. The resultant unequal gendered power relations seem to play a major role in the perpetuation of the cycle of bullying at the school. The study found that teachers were also the perpetrators of bullying in some way or another. Additionally, teachers seem to accept bullying as normal children’s behavior, and take no remedial actions to stop such abuses. The study offers suggestions that relevant stakeholders could employ to address bullying at schools. These include the supplementing of the teacher education curriculum, provision of training on how to deal with bullying, the launch of a campaign to bring about greater awareness of this phenomenon at schools and in the communities, encouragement of parental involvement, the eliciting of professional support and the setting up of structures for child peer support.
The geographies of inclusion and exclusion in the business studies curriculum : narratives of six students at a vocational education and training college in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2014) Maharaj, Navin.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This qualitative study examined the geographies of inclusion and exclusion in the context of the Business Studies curriculum through the narratives of six students at a Vocational Education and Training (VET) college in KwaZulu-Natal. The study examined students’ experiences related to the choice of the Business Studies Vocational Education and Training programme and curriculum; the accessibility of resources for the practical training; support and career guidance; forms of inclusionary and exclusionary dynamics within the Vocational Education and Training college; and the navigation of inclusionary and exclusionary dynamics in a VET college in the South of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The study was conducted in a college situated in close proximity to a historically disadvantaged African township. The participants did not meet the university entry requirements and they chose the VET college which they felt was an affordable option catering for their current needs. VET in many parts of the world including South Africa has a negative image in society because there is a perception that VET caters for students who drop out of school or are academically challenged. However, this study maintains that VET is essential to prepare students for the much needed skills the economy requires and to relieve the pressure at universities to increase enrolments. The VET college provides Vocational Education and Training opportunities for many students so that they can enter employment mainly in the neighbouring industrial regions in Isipingo. The narratives of the participants were used for data generation. The research process utilised a semistructured interview schedule and individual interviews and a focus group discussion was organised to elicit responses from the six participants. The findings revealed that the Business Studies programme had prepared the participants with the knowledge and skills for the world of work. The resources available at the VET college were adequate and appropriate for the practical instruction. The study revealed that the social, economic and educational factors conjoined in very complex ways as exclusionary and inclusionary factors in this context. The participants had to navigate through these inclusionary and exclusionary dynamics in order to progress in their studies. The findings revealed that the participants were confident about their choice of programme and the VET college despite the negativity around VET in their society. Most of them believed that completing level 4 would provide them with a grade 12 equivalent certificate. The participants aimed at articulation into higher education which would be a hurdle for them and remains a grey area which needs to be addressed speedily by the educational authorities. The findings indicated that current policy considerations around articulation remain unresolved, which made some of the VET participants to believe that their present qualifications might merely result in a dead-end for them.
The geographies of migrant learners in three South African schools : a narrative inquiry.
(2016) Nnadozie, Jude Ifeanyichukwu.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
In the recent times, migrants including significant numbers of African migrants have continued to enter South Africa. The high volume of immigrants into South Africa has attracted research attention. However, perhaps overlooked in research is inquiry into the migrant learner’s experience, in terms of what are the migrant learner’s schooling experience and how does it matter. In particular, focal attention is given in this study to the migrant learners from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe. Drawing on a qualitative research approach, and employing narrative inquiry methodology, this study explores the schooling experiences of migrant learners from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe in three schools in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Central to the inquiry in this research is the understanding of migrant learner experience of school as space and place in South Africa. The ways the migrant learner experience school as space and place is very much material to the quality of their overall schooling experience which in turn is consequential to the ways in which schools as space and place are constructed in the cultural economy of current South Africa.The study is situated within Social Constructionism and engages the New Sociology of Childhood and Children’s Geographies as the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework as well as the methodology employed in this study make provision for a critical engagement in the analysis of these experiences. The findings in this study reveal the factors that contribute to the schooling experiences of the study participants. Eight themes emerged from the data collected through the means of story account, open-ended interviews and photo voice by the participants. The themes unveil the challenges and limitations the study participants encounter as migrant learners in South Africa. Among the challenges and limitations experienced by the participants are issues of difficulty in gaining access to schooling in South Africa, lack of proper participation in school as a result of lack of proficiency in the use of the languages of instruction and communication in school, experiences of stereotypes about migrants in South Africa and the resulting xenophobic tendencies from some learners and some teachers in school, a sense of exclusion and isolation in school as a result of differences in identities and value systems with South African locals, cultural alienation in school as a result of differences between the way things are done in schools in South Africa and the way things are done in schools in home countries of the participants. On the other hand, findings of the study also reveal the opportunities the study participants have gained from schooling in South Africa, such as opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds and the knowledge gained from such interactions, learning new cultures and languages as well as exposure to better learning resources which the study participants were not used to in their home countries. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations are made for the attention of education authorities, school authorities and educators, authorities in the Department of Home Affairs, authorities in charge of social development in South Africa and recommendations for further research.
Geographies of postgraduate academic exclusions at a South African university: a narrative inquiry.
(2018) Maharaj, Renita.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The purpose of this inquiry was to examine postgraduate academic exclusions in the School of Education at a University in Kwa-Zulu Natal. This study was guided by Children’s Geographies and New Sociology of Childhood Studies as its theoretical framework. Although this theory has largely been used on research specifically related to children (Barker, J. & Weller, S. 2003), its principles have been creatively applied in this study, in a manner that provides deeper insights in understanding dynamics of academic exclusions in a higher education institution. The theoretical framework helped the study to understand location of postgraduate students in the exclusionary processes of the university (Barker & Weller, 2003). The new sociology of childhood studies (Frones, Jenks & Qvortrup, 2000) helped the study to document the creative and innovative ways through which the academically excluded postgraduate students engaged with their circumstances in order to enhance their chances of being academically included and thus complete their studies. The data generation method adopted standardized, open-ended interviews used in an inquiry process from a purposive sample of six participants (that is, three females and three males). The data generation was separated into three main themes according to which the students narrated their personal stories. The main themes that directed the inquiry were stories that postgraduate students told about their academic exclusion experiences; factors that led to their academic exclusion; and how they navigate and negotiate academic exclusion. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm which was used to analyse the data. The findings, which emerged, provide an understanding of the intervening circumstances, which have led to the participant’s academic exclusion and the strategies employed by the participants to achieve success with their studies. The study concludes with a discussion regarding the implications and recommendations, which can be considered and perhaps applied by academic institutions to assist them in understanding the phenomenon of postgraduate academic exclusions so that these institutions can develop strategies in addressing postgraduate academic exclusions.
The geographies of schooling experiences of orphaned children in one rural school in the Shiselweni Region of Swaziland.
(2016) Masuku, Mzikayifani Bizzah.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This study set out to explore the geographies of schooling experiences of orphaned children in one rural high school in the Shiselweni region of Swaziland. There is paucity of knowledge regarding the nature and extent of orphanhood and its implications on children's schooling experiences, especially in rural communities of Swaziland ravaged by poverty, unemployment and HIV and AIDS. Drawing from Children's Geographies and the New Sociology of Childhood Studies, this study provided insights into the spaces and places occupied by the orphaned children in this context and how the orphaned children negotiated the complex and varied spaces of learning. It adopted a qualitative research methodology and utilised a narrative inquiry approach in which orphaned children's narratives were elicited through individual and focus group interviews, as well as by using photo voice as a participatory method. Six (three girls and three boys) orphaned children (three single-orphaned and three double-orphaned) from Form 4 and 5 (equivalent to Grade 10 and 11) were purposively sampled to form the participants of this study. The study revealed that orphaned children experienced schooling both positively and negatively in this context. Dominating among the positives were activities like culture and sports which brought a lot of excitement to them thus motivating them to attend this school. Food provided at the school kitchen was also cited as a positive schooling experience by these children. Although some complained of its nutritional standard, the fact that some of these children had nothing to eat while at home made them to appreciate food provision in the school as a positive experience. Many of the participants singled out the fatherly role played by their Head teacher as a major symbol of love and which they claimed motivated them to attend the school. The study, however, also found out some negative experiences that the orphaned children had in this school, particularly those related to bad and disrespectful behaviour by other children. These included some discriminatory statements of pride like name calling and ridiculing of the orphaned children. For example; mocking, name calling and isolation were cited as some of the main negative experiences that orphaned children went through in this school. The study found that some children associated orphanhood with some kind of a curse ordained by providence as punishment from God for the wrong doing of their parents. Narratives of the orphaned children indicated incidents of bullying and victimisation levelled against them by both teachers and other children in the school. For instance, some teachers mocked the children taking advantage of their vulnerability, citing some local stereotypes which included the assumption that parents of the orphaned children died due to HIV and AIDS, which had a major negative stigma in these communities. Another finding was the experience of travelling a long and tiresome distance, sometimes poorly clad in rainy seasons, by the orphaned children to get to school. This predisposed orphaned children to be late, thus relegating them into conflict with teachers from late coming, and also resulting in tiredness and fatigue which adversely affected their ability to concentrate and learn in class. The study also revealed that vulnerable children were not passive subjects of their negative or positive schooling experiences. These children were found to be resilient and defying the odds that militated against their schooling in order to overcome or mitigate the challenges they faced related to their schooling. For example, orphaned children in this school involved themselves in self-generating projects like growing crops, gardening, doing temporary jobs, studying very hard and seeking assistance from friends, relatives and members of the community as coping strategies to alleviate their plight. Based on the above findings, the study recommends that there is a need for the Swaziland government to increase the amount of money awarded to schools meant to support and enhance the schooling and academic experiences of orphaned children. Some educational workshops and lessons should be held to sensitise teachers and all children about the value of embracing social diversity, social tolerance, particularly focusing on supporting and enhancing the schooling experiences of orphaned children. Some form of education is also required to falsify the local myths regarding the relationship between HIV and AIDS and orphanhood. Building safe and conducive schooling environments that cater for a myriad of learner diversities should be prioritised as an overcoming strategy to tackle all forms of discrimination in the schools.
The geographies of slow learners in a government high school under Mliba zone in the Manzini Region of Swaziland.
(2018) Tsabedze, Jane Zodwa.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The focus of this study was to explore the geographies of slow learners in a government high school under Mliba zone in the Manzini region of Swaziland. The children’s geographies and new sociology of childhood studies was adopted. These theories were used in order to understand the space and place that is occupied by slow learner’s children at school. The aim of the study was to understand the experiences of slow learners and how they sail across in their daily lives within the school. A qualitative research methodology within the custom of a narrative inquiry was used for the study. Different methods of collecting information were used in this study and it includes the following: individual and focus group interviews with the use of a participatory learning activity, which is photo voice. Content and thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The study was conducted in a government school, with the focus on slow learners from form 1 to form 5.Three girls and three boys between the ages thirteen to nineteen years were selected to participate in the study. Purposive sampling was used for the study. The study found that slow learners were challenged within their navigation of spaces and places in the school. Findings revealed that slow learners were not understood, their state of being by teachers as well as their classmates, for there are normal children with no physical disability yet failing to cope with school work. The study recommended that teachers need to be work shopped on inclusion in order for them to be able to deal with every kind of learner especially the slow learners. There was also a need for the school to educate learners within the school to create a friendly culture amongst students.
The geographies of the schooling experiences of deaf learners at a special school in Swaziland: a narrative inquiry.
(2016) Nhleko, Honeydale Njabuliso.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The focus of the study was to explore the experiences of deaf learners in a special residential school for the deaf in the Lubombo region in the eastern part of Swaziland. The study adopted a narrative inquiry approach, with a total of six participants, comprising of 3 female and 3 male deaf learners. The participants were selected using purposive sampling. Data generation of the study used semi-structured interviews for individual and focus group interviews. The Photovoice method was also used as a means to see through the eyes of the participants. In addition, a participatory research tool was employed to generate discussions in both individual and focus group to explore with the participants their experiences at the schooling context. Triangulation techniques were also adopted. Findings of the study revealed that the deaf learners’ language [sign language] and their culture is not recognized. Some teachers and house parents hardly associate or socialize with deaf children. They have a negative attitude towards the deaf learners. The findings of the study also revealed that the dynamics affecting deaf learners within the residential school context includes disconnect between deaf learners and their parents or care givers; stigmatization; involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports and tours; socializing of deaf learners with peers; and power dynamics affect the decisions such as the curriculum and assessment of deaf learners. The findings further revealed that deaf learners’ education does not receive proper attention in Swaziland. Nothing much is being done in the education system or structure to cater for the deaf learners, but rather continued to cater to hearing learners. This includes the limited use of Sign Language, curriculum and the assessment of the deaf learners. Finally, the findings also revealed that support mechanism for deaf learners could include assistance from house parents in writing assignments. Teachers in the school for the deaf must use Sign Language to teach deaf learners. The people who are responsible for writing the curriculum, examination and other aspects affecting the education of the deaf need to do so within the scope of the deaf culture. In conclusion, the deaf learners in Swaziland do not receive proper attention and provision such as deaf culture, language, relevant personnel, socialization, curriculum and examination. These findings implies that there is a need for Government Ministries, organizations and individuals working with deaf children to develop methods and strategies ensuring that deaf learners are a part of decision making and that their language and identities are valued. Parents for the deaf learners should be engaged as key stakeholders in looking at the future careers and opportunities of their children. Teachers need to dedicate their time and energy to developing the curriculum to enhance the learning for deaf learners. There is a need to allocate enough resource to cater for the needs for the deaf children up to tertiary education. Furthermore, a policy for deaf need to be developed as the existing policy for disability does not provide for the deaf children. Finally, further research can be conducted on the involvement of the adult deaf learners in developing the education of the deaf in Swaziland is necessary.
Geographies of underperforming learners in the intermediate phase : a narrative inquiry.
(2016) Ngidi, Thokozani Auctavia.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This is a qualitative study which set out to investigate the experiences of grade six learners who were regarded as academically underperforming at Isizwesokuthula Primary School, a combined semi-urban primary school under Pinetown District, North of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Using children’s geographies Holloway (2014) and new Sociology of Childhood Studies Wyness (2013) as its guiding theoretical frameworks, the study explored the places and spaces that these learners occupy within this schooling context. It also explored the factors affecting these learners’ schooling experiences and how the learners actively engaged with these dynamics. The aim of the study was to understand factors that impact on these learners’ social and academic lives, as well as what we can learn from these experiences in order to enhance their social and educational experiences. The study adopted a qualitative interpretive research design, within the tradition of a narrative inquiry as means of data generation. It utilised purposive sampling to select six (three girls and three boys) grade six learners aged between 11-14 years who according to the school records, were regarded as academically underperforming. Photo-voice and drawings were used as participatory techniques aimed at foregrounding the participants’ authentic voices and agency during data collection. The participant learners took photos and drawings that captured salient spaces and places of their schooling experiences related to the objectives of the study. These (photos and drawings) were used to stimulate discussions which helped elucidate the learners’ narratives during the individual and focus group interviews. The study adopted thematic and content analyses as its methods of data analysis. The findings revealed that underperforming learner were not just aware of their labeling, but also they were aware of the low social spaces that being categorised as underperforming occupied in the hierarchy of power relations in the school. Many of the stereotypes and myths that they were associated with were found to further hamper these learners’ achievement and progress and served as barriers to their learning, participation and development. Classrooms, home-school interface and school-based peer interactions were found to be major spaces and places that formed the intensity of the underperforming learners’ schooling experiences. Each of these spaces and places were found to presents its own dynamics and challenges which directly affected these learners. The study also revealed a number of creative strategies and ways in which these learners adopted to navigate and transcend their low social and academic standing in the school. Albeit, these creative navigational strategies indicated agency and self-determination on the part of these learners, these strategies were found to only aid survival at the social and peer-based interactions. Without the coordinated support from key stakeholders in the school, the study found that these learners were at high risk of being academically excluded from the school. Not only due to their low academic performance, but also as a result of some anti-social behaviour that these learners adopted as coping mechanisms in response to their unfavourable schooling experiences. The findings from this study could prove useful to all key stakeholders, including the Department of Education in their endeavor to meet the learners’ needs and so facilitate socially responsive and sensitive learning and teaching environments. Learners regarded as underperforming should be exposed to educational activities that would help in instilling assertiveness and independence to them, so that they would also make friends easily, but mostly to enhance their primary school academic achievement. Given the findings that some of the dynamics that negatively affected the learners’ performance at school emanated from home, there is need for stronger parental involvement in the education of their children.
The leadership and management geographies in the lived experiences of women educational leaders in the public secondary educational system of Mauritius – a narrative inquiry.
(2021) Aliraja, Bye Salim.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.; Narod, Fawzia.
The leadership and management geographies in the lived experiences of women educational leaders in the public secondary educational system of Mauritius – A narrative inquiry. The study aims to explore and understand how three women educational leaders made their way to attain and sustain in leadership and management positions, in the male-dominated leadership spaces of the public secondary educational system, using narratives of their life experiences. On the one hand, the challenges lie in feminist emancipation and navigating the gendered socioeconomic and cultural challenges. On the other hand, policymakers have not been taking enough action to facilitate and promote the professional access of women into leadership spaces, although legislations are present. Locating this study in the qualitative interpretive paradigm, three purposively sampled women participants, each having different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and living in urban and rural regions (eastern, central and western) of Mauritius, were interviewed. Through the narrative inquiry method, they storied their life-history biographical experiences revealing their sadness’s and traumas, achievements and joys, tensions and emotions, dilemmas, challenges and coping strategies. Since this study had women educational leaders as participants, I created and used a Socio- Feminist and Gender (SFG) conceptual framework derived from leadership, feminism, gender and socio-constructionism theoretical constructs. The SFG framework allowed for the exploration of the participants ascending into educational leadership and management positions in male dominated leadership and management spaces. It also provided the analytical framing to understand any specificity about women’s leadership and their leadership practices and any changing relationships in home and family settings and organisations due to their positions as women educational leaders. The SFG conceptual framework also attempts to uncover the challenges and strategies adopted by women educational leaders to be sustained in leadership spaces. In the descriptive analysis phase, the generation of data, guided by the research questions and the SFG conceptual framework, produced three main themes that became the categories for the narrative analysis method used in this study. Through the analysis of the narrative method, the ultimate core findings of the research showed that the women participants had used a multitude of resources such as Family and patriarchy; Religion and spirituality; social Adversities; ethnic and political Contexts; and Gender and power dynamics (FRACEG) to emerge as leaders. In addition, the findings also revealed that these resources were instrumental in shaping the women participants’ career-path into leadership and management spaces. They also sculptured the leadership and management characteristics needed for them to navigate through the male dominated leadership and management spaces of the secondary educational system. The results demonstrate that the experiences acquired by the women-participants tend to enhance their leadership and management capabilities significantly. These women developed their leadership and management skills by practising disciplines, taking on more projects, learning to follow, developing situational awareness, inspiring others, staying attuned with learning, resolving conflicts, and by being discerning listeners. In addition, they undertook to use their abilities to deal resourcefully with unusual problems, together with the persistent efforts and perseverance that has shaped their personalities. Hence, the overall findings showed that the participants as women educational leaders rely on multi-combinations and permutations of leadership and management styles for different challenges at different times and places, including the use of improvisation, within all the complexities of leadership and management. This I have termed as “Feminine Quantum Leadership”, a theoretical construct using the construct and metaphor of Quantum Chemistry. Simultaneously, the women participants embraced the art of self-creative diplomacy (a feminine characteristic) by struggling with the challenges faced (feminist emancipation), leading to a new feminist leadership approach which I have called “Diplo-Poiesis Feminist Leadership”. These findings add valuable insights into the discourses of socio-constructionism, feminism, genderism and leadership in education and society. Last but not least, the benefits of leadership and management are extensively reported as being highly effective and productive. There is consensus that leadership and management can be regarded as a mechanism that facilitates women’s transition from a lower to a higher hierarchy within the gendered social context. The contribution of this research intends to emancipate women more to attain leadership and management positions in society. The women participants, as role models, contribute to the emancipation of the feminine gender and social justice in different spaces and landscapes. Therefore, this study shows the geographies of leadership and management of women educational leaders in the public secondary educational system. Keywords: geographies, leaders, women, educational, society, cultural, ethnic, hierarchy, gender, experiences, narrative inquiry, feminist geography, resources, complexity, quantum, leadership, diplomacy, feminism.
Learner conflict within school spaces and places : the case of one primary school in KwaZulu-Natal.
(2014) Ntombela, Nqolobane.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
Schools are becoming an environment of conflict in South Africa and facing numerous challenges in that learners do not understand the importance of being a learner at school. Most learners have experienced conflict whether they are victims or perpetrators and the conflict investigated in this study highlighted the negative impact on learners i.e. where learners failed to perform and achieve in class and as a result, conflict has affected their progress. Conflict within the school context is a barrier to teaching and learning, students do not achieve their full potential either in school or in their community. The study was qualitative in nature, a narrative inquiry which included interviews and an innovative participatory research method called photo voice as data generation tools. The theoretical frameworks utilised was that of Children’s Geographies and New Childhood Studies. The study was conducted at a primary school in KwaZulu-Natal and the respondents were eight grade five learners – four boys and four girls. The findings of the study revealed that all respondents had been exposed to conflict or negative behaviours in the schooling environment. The study also revealed that respondents were found to be accepting of certain behaviours as they had no alternative... they were threatened if found to have complained against bullies. The study also showed that the development or expansion of conflict leads to learners being marginalised and excluded. The findings of this study suggest that developing effective non-violent strategies for conflict resolution facilitates the learning process and promotes a friendly school environment. There is a need for conflict resolution programmes to be developed and implemented in schools and it must be discussed in detail by all stakeholders involved. Such programmes will be an indication that the South African curriculum has the potential to change learner’s attitude and v make better behaviour. There must be multiple level interventions that should be organised. Such interventions will involve people like parents, community members and teachers even school governing bodies. It is said that such interventions will contribute in creating learner friendly environments and promoting inclusiveness in the system of education. There is a great need for conflict resolution skills training in schools in order to implement an effective conflict prevention strategy.
Learners' experiences of bullying : a qualitative study of a primary school in Inanda, North of Durban.
(2013) Mweli, Eunice Christinah.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This is a qualitative study of boys’ and girls’ understanding and experiences of bullying in a co-educational primary school at Inanda near Durban in KwaZulu Natal. The study intended to obtain the problems of bullying by investigating both male and female learners’ experiences of bullying in the school context. Bullying is one of the major issues facing educators, learners and school communities. The main objective of the study was to unfold forms of bullying that are facing learners, factors that contribute to bullying, effects of bullying in the lives of learners as well as strategies which can be utilised to eradicate bullying in the school context. The study used a qualitative case study research approach. Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews were used as the method of data collection. Five boys and five girls participated in the study. The study found that bullying is a pervasive problem in this school. Boys usually engage in physical forms of bullying, such as hitting, punching and kicking, and girls usually engage in more verbal form of bullying such as insulting, name calling and spreading rumours as well as cyber bullying. The study found out that these forms of bullying affect learners physically, emotionally and psychologically. Gender, age, economic status and sexuality were found to be contributing to bullying in this school. The school playground was also identified as the place where bullying usually occur. The findings indicated that gender discourses play a major role in perpetuating bullying in this school, as boys try to exercise their power over girls. The study suggested ways that could be employed to address bullying in schools. These include various stake holders working together with the aim of eradicating bullying in the school. The study suggested that teachers, parents, police, nurses and social workers are relevant people who can bring awareness of the problem and help to reduce bullying in the school.
Learners' experiences of gender-based violence : a case study at a co-educational primary school in Durban.
(2012) Ramchunder, Krishnalal.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
This is a qualitative study of girls’ and boys’ understanding and experiences of genderbased violence in one co-educational primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. The study sought to get insights into the problem of gender-based violence by investigating the lived experiences of both male and female learners within the school context. The aim of the study was to unveil forms of gender-based violence that the learners experience and some contributory factors, as well as the strategies for alleviating gender-based violence in this schooling context. The study adopted a qualitative case study research design. It employed semi-structured interviews as its method of data collection and these took the form of focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews. A total of eight learners (four girls and four boys) participated in the study. The study found that there was a high incidence of gender-based violence in the school under study. This took the form of demeaning gendered comments, unfounded sexual rumours, sexualized gestures and jokes, sexual harassment, bullying and corporal punishment. Some school spaces, peer pressure, media and dominant discourses of gender were found to be some factors contributing to gender-based violence in this school. The findings indicate that boys are the group most culpable of continuing the cycle of genderbased violence by perpetrating acts of aggression on others learners. Boys drew on dominant discourses of gender in this context, which generally accord power to masculinities, at the expense of femininities. The resultant inequitable gendered power relations played a vital role in the perpetuation of the cycle of gender-based violence in the school. The study also finds that school teachers too were implicated in acts of gendervii based violence, which mainly took the form of assaulting learners, both male and female. In addition, teachers display a general acceptance of gender-based violence incidents as normal children’s behaviour, and take no remedial actions to stop such abuses. The study offers some suggestions that relevant stakeholders could employ to address gender-based violence at schools. These include supplementing teacher education curriculum, to provide training on how to deal with gender-based violence, a campaign to bring about greater awareness in schools and in the communities where parents are involved, additional professional support for schools and setting up structures for learner peer support.
Learners’ constructions of polygamy: narratives from one KwaZulu-Natal high school.
(2018) Ndlovu, Melodious Sazise Qinisile.; Morojele, Pholoho Justice.
The study sought to investigate the schooling experiences of high school learners who are directly or indirectly affected by polygamy. Focus was on the context of the dominant societal discourse that privileges monogamy above polygamy, and tend to render polygamy non- existent despite its prevalence in society. The study was particularly interested in finding the voice of the child regarding polygamy as a marriage system. Theoretically, the study was guided by Children’s Geographies and New Sociology of Childhood Studies which are concerned with children’s agency as well as space and places that children occupy in the hierarchy of social relationships. The study adopted a qualitative narrative research design, and utilised focus group and individual group interviews as its data generation methods. It was conducted with grade eight (8) to grade ten (10) learners from one High School in Molweni area, KwaZulu-Natal. A total of eleven (11) learners, five (5) boys and six (6) girls aged between fourteen and seventeen participated in the study. The findings revealed that participants mainly cited the unfair treatment of wives and children as the major concern and reason they are against the practice. Even those that are in favour of polygamy agreed with the fact that most fathers do not manage their households in a fair and equitable manner. Most of the participants cited the spread of HIV/AIDS as being exacerbated by polygamy and thereby making it difficult to provide solutions for the pandemic that has ravaged society for almost three decades. Participants also indicated that as children, they have resorted to getting menial jobs even before they finish matric in order to maintain themselves. The findings further indicate that not all participants were against the practice as others pledged their support for the longstanding practice. They cited family growth, alleviation of spinsterhood and the benefit of having many mothers as their main reasons for supporting polygamy. Some of the participants, especially boys, were brave enough to admit that they are fond of girls and therefore would like to be in polygamous relationships when they grow up. Although customary law makes provision for senior wives to consent to the husband’s decision to take another wife, however, participants indicated that women are usually dependent on men, financially and therefore, despite that the law protects them in principle, they remain subordinate to male authority. These findings suggest that schools must actively empower children, both girls and boys about their sexuality and have empowerment programs for the girl child. Some boys have indicated that they want to practice polygamy for sexual gratification and have a wider choice of sexual partners. This kind of thinking is obviously fractured for obvious reasons and society cannot afford it. Girls on the other hand need to be empowered and be encouraged to participate in business and in positions of power to turn the tide. The department of basic education must reinstate school counsellors in all schools so that there are programs that are put in place to assist learners who might be adversely affected by polygamy. Partnerships with community structures and parents should be promoted and encouraged with the aim to have community-based care centres for children who might be negatively affected by polygamy.