The Black African educators' work-life balance: a hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the work-life balance (WLB) of Black African high school educators in an African context. African high school educators are confronted with multifarious and unique work-life challenges such as excessive workloads, resource shortages, indiscipline, a lack of parental involvement and abnormally high teacher-pupil ratios, which presented an opportunity to explore the research question: “How do Black African educators experience WLB in a high school context?” For an in-depth inquiry, a qualitative research approach was employed, using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to analyse data. The outcomes of this inquiry confirmed contemporary research on the subjectivity of WLB, which is evident in the manner in which Black African high school educators allocate time, energy and attention. The findings demonstrated that Black African high school educators have mixed experiences of WLB as both work-life conflict and work-life enrichment, which hinders their ability to fully integrate these two domains. Based on the outcomes of the inquiry, organisations can formulate policies and adopt work-life strategies that promote wellbeing of educators so that they can operate optimally in both work and life domains.

Inhloso yalolucwaningo bekuwukuhlola ibhalansi yempilo yomsebenzi pheqelezi ngokufingqiwe, yothisha basezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu abamnyama base-Afrika esimeni sase-Afrika. Othisha basezikoleni zamabanga aphakeme base-Afrika babhekene nezinselelo eziningi neziyingqayizivele yokuphila komsebenzi njengomthwalo omningi, ukushoda kwezinsiza, ukungabi nasimilo, ukuntuleka ukuzibandakanya kwabazali kanye nezilinganiso eziphakeme ngendlela engavamile zothisha nabafundi, okunikezwe ithuba lokuhlola umbuzo wocwaningo: “Othisha abamnyama base-Afrika bayithola injani ibhalansi yempilo yomsebenzi esikoleni samabanga aphakeme?” Ukuze kwenziwe uphenyo olunzulu, kusetshenziswe indlela yocwaningo elisezingeni eliphezulu, kusetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo lwehermeneutic phenomenological. Umniningwane noma i-datha iqoqwe kusetshenziswa izingxoxiswano ezingahlelekile. I-interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) yasetshenziswa ukuze kuhlaziywe idatha. Imiphumela yaloluphenyo iqinisekise ucwaningo lwesimanje mayelana nokuthobela, okubonakala indlela othisa basezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu base-Afrika abamnyama ababa ngayo isikhathi Amandla nokunaka. Okutholakele kubonise ukuthi othisha basezikoleni zamabanga aphezulu abamnyama base-Afrika banolwazi oluxubile lwe-WLB njenga lokhu okubili ukungqubuzana kwempilo yomsebenzi nokunothisa impilo yomsebenzi okuvimbela amakhono abo okuhlanganisa ngokugcwele lezi zizinda ezimbilia. Ngokusekelwe emiphumeleni yophenyo, izinhlangano zingakha izinqubomgomo futhi zisebenzisa amasu empilo yomsebenzi akhuthaza inhlalakahle yothisha ukuze bakwazi ukusebenza ngokugcwele kuzo zombili izizinda zomsebenzi nempilo.

Morero wa nyakišišo ye ke go hlotletša work-life balance (WLB) ya Batutiši ba dikolo tše di phagamego ba Bathobaso ka tshwaragano ya se Afrika. Baruriši ba Bathobaso ba mekamekane le mehutahuta le moswananoši wa mabothata a worklife a go swana le morwalo wa mošomo wo mo ntši kudu, tlhokego ya methopo, maitshwaro a baithuti, tlhokego ya botšeakarolo ba batswadi le direšio tša go setlwaelege tša barutuši le barutwana, tše di hlagišitšego monyetla wa go hlotletša potšišo ya nyakišišo: “Barutiši ba Bathobaso ba itemogela bjang WLB tshwaraganong ya sekolo?” Go nyakišišo ye e tseneletšego, dinyakišišo tša mokgwa wa khwaliteitifi o šomišitšwe, go šomišwa methotolotši wa fenomenolotši ya hemeniki. Go kgobokantšhitšwe data ka tšhomišo ya dipoledišano tša semistructured. Intepretive Phenomelogical Analysis (IPA) e šomišitšwa go sekaseka data. Dipoelo tša nyakišišo ye di netefaditše dinyakišišo mo go sapotšektifiti ya WLB, ye e bonalago ka mokgwa woo baruti ši ba Bathobaso abago nako, maatla le go fa šedi. Tše di hweditšwego di laeditše gore barutiši ba Bathobaso ban a le maitemogelo a go fapafapana a WLB go swana le thulano ya work-life le kaonafatšo ya work-life, tše di thibelago bokgoni bja bona bja go hlakanya di domeini tše pedi tše. Go ya ka dipoelo tša nyakišišo, mekgatlo e ka hlama melaotheo (policies) gomme di thwale disetratetši tše di godišago gobeng botse ga barutiši gore bankgone go šoma ka botlalo mo go mošomoi le didomeine tša bophelo.