Factors related to the prevalence of violence in rural secondary schools in the Ximhungwe Circuit in Bohlabela District, Mpumalanga Province

Abstract

After teaching in High school for six years, I was frustrated to see the institutional action on the issue of school violence. The creation of a climate conducive to teaching and learning has become a serious challenge to many educators. Through research, it became clear that enough has not yet been done. Therefore, an empirical investigation into this problem was necessary to determine the nature of violence in order to enhance better understanding of the phenomenon under study. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to the prevalence of violence in rural secondary schools in the Bushbuckridge (Bohlabela) district in Mpumalanga province. This research employed a qualitative research approach to answer the research question. The study aimed to provide an accurate, objective, representative and empirically sound body of data on the extent of violence within schools in the Ximhungwe circuit in Bohlabela district, Mpumalanga. The research design comprised a case study that included focus group interviews with six participants in each group. In addition, I employed participant observation and document analysis. The study focused on four rural secondary schools that were purposefully selected in the Ximhungwe circuit in Bohlabela district, Mpumalanga. Ethical issues were taken into consideration while conducting the sampling and the selection of learners was based on their accounts of frequent violence against learners or teachers, and because they were considered knowledgeable and informative about the phenomenon under study.