Browsing by Author "Le Fleur, Whitney"

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    Factors which support school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community in the Western Cape : perspectives of educators and community workers
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Le Fleur, Whitney; Damons, Lynne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept of Educational Psychology.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: School attendance has the potential to provide a pathway out of poverty for learners who live in and attend primary schools in low socio-economic communities. However, learners’ trajectories in education are often complex and multifaceted, encompassing aspects of resilience, and other contextual, personal, structural, socio-economic factors. This study aimed to explore factors that promote school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community. The study sought to explore factors pertaining to learner absenteeism in the community and which school and community initiatives were in place to address learner absenteeism. This aim was achieved by collaborating with community-based participants and by exploring their experiences and perceptions of school attendance in a low socio-economic peri-urban community. A social constructivist research paradigm underpinned the exploratory study. The exploratory study generated qualitative data which shed light on how the participants constructed their understanding and knowledge of the factors, which promote school attendance through their experiences and reflections. A purposive sample was used to include six participants in the individual semi-structured interviews and five participants in the focus group session. A multi-theoretical lens was used to analyse and interpret the data generated in this study. Nine prominent themes emerged, and these included, the participants’ perceptions of the community, the social challenges within the community, factors that promote and hinder school attendance, the role and involvement of the community, parents and learners, the participants’ experiences of school and community initiatives. In addition, participants offered insight into intervention and prevention strategies. The research findings suggest that learner absenteeism is a common problem among learners in Sunbird community. Based on the participants’ experiences and perceptions, they conveyed several factors that maintain the high rate of learner absenteeism and pointed out factors, such as parental involvement, classroom environment, and community initiatives, that can promote school attendance. Furthermore, they shared their understanding of how role players and both school and community initiatives, can enhance school attendance and effectively address learner absenteeism.