Browsing by Author "Ntshuntshe, Zoleka"

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    Provision of psychosocial support to orphans by educators in secondary schools in the King Williams's Town District, Eastern Cape, South Africa: Towards a framework of psychosocial support.
    (University of Fort Hare, 2016-06) Ntshuntshe, Zoleka
    The study endeavored to find out how teachers provide psychosocial support to orphaned learners in the selected 10 schools. In particular, Life Orientation (LO) teachers were targeted. This category of teachers was relevant as part of the Learning Outcomes for LO is pastoral care to vulnerable and orphaned learners. The study was located in the post-positivist paradigm and, therefore, used the mixed methods design. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to understand the phenomenon under study. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and documents amongst forty teachers, eight life orientation teachers, three principals and three district officials. The findings revealed that most teachers (80%) were not capacitated to provide psychosocial support to orphaned learners. To these teachers, Life Orientation was just another subject taught to any learner and by any teacher. Life Orientation was not necessarily meant to address psychosocial support to orphaned learners. As a result, these teachers were working in isolation from relevant entities such as nurses, social workers, NGOs and communities. These schools also reflected lack of School Based Support Teams. Consequently, the orphaned learners were not supported.