Faculty of Humanities (ETDs)

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    Exploring the experiences of educators on the effects of COVID-19 on Further Education and Training (FET) learners in Gauteng East District
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Makamu, Tiyisela Suzan Connie; Pretorius, Edmarie; Watermeye, Jennifer
    The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an excess of health difficulties. While the impact of COVID-19 on the world was widely known, little was known about how the virus had affected Further Education and Training learners (FET)in schools. This study focused on the experiences of 11 educators on how FET learners were affected by COVID-19. The ecological perspective was the theoretical framework underpinning the study. A qualitative research approach and phenomenological design was utilised in this research. Purposive sampling was used to identify and select eleven participants. The method of data was collected one on one interviews using a semi-structured interview schedule as the research tool. The information gathered was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic was disrupting for the country, the education system, and in the school where the research was done. The COVID-19 pandemic jeopardised the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of educators and learners. The COVID-19 pandemic surfaced the unpreparedness of the school system to deal with challenges posed by unforeseen events and showed up gaps and required rapid changes to be made within an education context given exiting structural challenges and limited resources. The COVID- 19 pandemic exacerbated the psychosocial issues in communities that learners experience. The desperate need for school social workers rendering services in all schools to address the many barriers that hamper or prevent learners to achieve their potential to becoming a productive member of the community was evident. There is a desperate need for technological resources in schools to facilitate teaching and learning. Lastly, educators require skills development to facilitate different methods of teaching
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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.