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Teacher preparedness in dealing with learners' social problems
Author(s)
Abbas, Faheema
Date Issued
2008
Type
Thesis
Publisher
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to investigate how teachers dealt with learners’ social
problems. Another concern of the study was to investigate the extent to which pre-service
and in-service teacher-training prepared teachers to deal with learners’ social problems. The
research used qualitative methodology. The major advantage of using qualitative research
was that it focused on researching teachers in their school setting, to determine how
teachers dealt with learners’ social problems. The main instrument used was interviews as it
yielded rich in-depth knowledge and allowed me to probe responses and investigate the
teachers’ feelings and emotions. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the
respondents. The study population was confined to four public high schools in Cape Town. It
was composed of three newly qualified teachers and one experienced teacher. The results
reflected that teachers dealt with learners’ social problems by trial and error and there was
no evidence of deliberate planning in identifying learners with social problems. The preservice
teacher training programmes did not equip teachers with the skills to deal with
learners’ social problems. Although teachers received some form of training at schools, the
training was not effective in assisting them.
The thesis argues that social problems cannot be dealt with solely by the school or the
teacher. It is recommended that the Department of Education, the community and the
parents, as well as other social service organisations, should jointly create preventive and
intervention strategies to assist learners with social problems. Such a holistic approach, the
study asserts, could assist schools and teachers to deal with learners’ social problems more
effectively. Teachers should receive pre-service training to deal with learners’ social
problems, for example, by adding a module such as Sociology of Education. The teachertraining
programmes and continuous in-service training programmes should ensure that
teachers are exposed to current Departmental policies and documents that can assist them
in dealing with learners’ social problems.
problems. Another concern of the study was to investigate the extent to which pre-service
and in-service teacher-training prepared teachers to deal with learners’ social problems. The
research used qualitative methodology. The major advantage of using qualitative research
was that it focused on researching teachers in their school setting, to determine how
teachers dealt with learners’ social problems. The main instrument used was interviews as it
yielded rich in-depth knowledge and allowed me to probe responses and investigate the
teachers’ feelings and emotions. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the
respondents. The study population was confined to four public high schools in Cape Town. It
was composed of three newly qualified teachers and one experienced teacher. The results
reflected that teachers dealt with learners’ social problems by trial and error and there was
no evidence of deliberate planning in identifying learners with social problems. The preservice
teacher training programmes did not equip teachers with the skills to deal with
learners’ social problems. Although teachers received some form of training at schools, the
training was not effective in assisting them.
The thesis argues that social problems cannot be dealt with solely by the school or the
teacher. It is recommended that the Department of Education, the community and the
parents, as well as other social service organisations, should jointly create preventive and
intervention strategies to assist learners with social problems. Such a holistic approach, the
study asserts, could assist schools and teachers to deal with learners’ social problems more
effectively. Teachers should receive pre-service training to deal with learners’ social
problems, for example, by adding a module such as Sociology of Education. The teachertraining
programmes and continuous in-service training programmes should ensure that
teachers are exposed to current Departmental policies and documents that can assist them
in dealing with learners’ social problems.
Additional information
Dissertation (Master of Education( Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008
Subjects
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