Department of Education Policy Studies

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Browsing Department of Education Policy Studies by browse.metadata.advisor "Collair, Lynette"

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    Learners experiences of the role of academic underachievement on the journey to identity development
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Mavundla, Slindile Sbakhile Penelope; Collair, Lynette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Research has shown that humanity undergoes different stages of development, and identity development in adolescence is one of these stages. In order to attain identity, this requires adolescents to interact successfully with different environments. This study aimed to understand the journey of identity development among adolescents who are underachieving at school, which is an environment that they interact with frequently at this stage. Studies on adults with learning difficulties have found that the experiences of learners who have learning difficulties are a topic worthy of being explored, as adults reported how their childhood experiences had influenced their adult life. This study focused on learners who had not been assessed and diagnosed as having any learning disorders. However, these learners found academic studies a challenge, because they experienced grade retention or social promotion at school. The study used an interpretivist paradigm, as the aim was to understand and describe the learners’ experiences. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews, observations and a drawing activity. To obtain richer data, the interviews were conducted in IsiZulu, because it was the participants’ home language. Thematic analysis was applied to the translations. All these strategies helped to gain in-depth insights to the participants’ journey towards identity development. Findings showed that by not achieving academically, the participants had not successfully resolved the stage of “industry versus inferiority”. This sparked a sense of inadequacy and inferiority in the participants and it influenced how the participants handled the next stage of development, namely, “identity versus role confusion”. The participants internalised external expectations of who they ought to be and how they should carry themselves. As a result, the participants sought future careers that would align with these social expectations, instead of using their skills and talents as a guide to their choice of a career. The participants also identified more with the communities that they lived in, as opposed to their school community, because the internalised expectations were what their families and communities encouraged.