Browsing by Author "Sibyeng, Puseletso Lydia"

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    Experiences, Challenges and Coping Strategies of Educators in a Special School in a Township in Gauteng Province, During Covid-19
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) Sibyeng, Puseletso Lydia; Watermeyer, Jennifer; Pretorius, Edmarie
    The COVID-19 pandemic created fear and frustration, it introduced uncertainty into major aspects of society including schools. Within a short period, the pandemic brought major changes within the school's context. Face-to-face teaching was discontinued, and online teaching was introduced. This restriction was put in place to manage the spread of the virus. Educators found themselves working on a rotational schedule or providing services online as the pandemic instilled fear and anxiety among them. The study aims to explore educators' experiences in a special school in a township in Gauteng Province during COVID-19. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a phenomenological research design. A sample of 15 educators from the Special School in Soshanguve Block R township in Gauteng Province, South Africa was purposively sampled. An interview guide with open-ended questions was developed by the researcher and guided the collection of data during semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The study intended to gain an in-depth understanding of how educators managed to cope with the pandemic regardless of the impact and frustrations experienced, and how their well-being was affected by the pandemic. Findings revealed that COVID-19 affected educators personally and professionally. They were compelled to adjust and adopt new ways of teaching during COVID-19 so that they complied with the national lockdown restriction rules and regulations during the pandemic. Most of the educators shared similar experiences of teaching during those times. They had to resort to new ways of teaching which worked for them and their school so that learners continued learning, and they adopted healthy distractions, as a way of distracting themselves from all the news about the pandemic that spread on the television and on social media which mostly lead them to be depressed and instilled fear amongst them. Recommendations made were that an establishment of a post-pandemic support committee can be put in place, as educators needed to be supported and advised on how to move forward and recover from the pandemic, and necessary engagements with other stakeholders in offering intense therapy to educators who taught during the time of COVID-19 as the impact of the pandemic will be felt for years to come.