An exploratory study of Soweto matriculants lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

A few articles have been published on the COVID-19 pandemic. These studies suggest that COVID-19 might perpetuate and intensify current vulnerabilities among learners in South African schools. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of learners in South Africa, Gauteng, Soweto, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological system’s theory was used to frame this study. Following the researcher's goal to immerse herself in the participants' unfiltered experiences, a qualitative approach was most appropriate for this study. The researcher utilized non-probability sampling with a predetermined criterion for the characteristics of the learners she wished to sample. Nine matriculants from a school in Soweto who matriculated in 2021 were included in the sample. Open-ended questions were used in a semi-structured interview with an interview schedule to elicit information about the participants' experiences of their 2021 matric year. Following the Wits Research Committee's approval and ethical clearance, ethical issues were carefully considered. After the interviews were conducted, the recurring results were analyzed by looking for common themes among all nine participants. The final findings of the study compromised of the unique, yet similar experiences of the participants. It was further established that most participants remain optimistic of the future, despite the unfavourable experiences encountered during their matric year. The principal research question that guided this study was ‘What were the experiences of the 2021 matriculants in Soweto during the COVID-19 pandemic?’