COVID-19 and learners’ education in schools in different socio-economic conditions in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

The unexpected occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s lives in many ways worldwide, especially during the lockdown periods. Livelihoods, socialisation, employment, and education have been negatively affected. The Empangeni district in KwaZulu-Natal was not spared; however, although, in the same district, schools were not affected in the same way. This brought to the fore the inequalities that existed and still exist between public and private schools. The study sought to explore the effect of COVID-19 on the Empangeni district schools, assessing the factors that affect teaching and learning in low socioeconomic and high socioeconomic status schools. The objective of the study was to determine the factors that affect teaching and learning in schools, evaluate how these factors were exposed during COVID-19, and establish the strategies that can be implemented to rectify the challenges exposed by COVID-19. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and a grounded theory research design. Data was collected through structured interviews, which were conducted with four (4) school principals, eight (8) teachers, and sixteen (16) learners from the Empangeni district schools. The participants were purposefully selected. Data from the study were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that the factors affecting teaching and learning are leadership, budget, teaching and learning methods, resources, learner attendance and participation, and the scope of subjects. The findings also revealed that the factors affecting teaching and learning impact on academic growth, learner performance and results, teacher wellbeing, interaction with the teachers and the learning approach used in schools. These factors were exposed during COVID-19, when learners were sent home due to the lack of adequate classrooms to allow social distancing, and through the interrelations and communication among and between teachers and learners. Data from the study further revealed that the strategies that can be implemented to resolve the challenges exposed by COVID-19 include the provision of adequate and equal resources by all stakeholders involved, the provision of support such as moral, psychological, and emotional support, and the facilitation of extra classes and one-on-one consultations. Based on the findings, the study recommends that schools should source resources for online teaching and learning, which will be used during COVID-19, and that the schools should adequate classrooms to allow social distancing, and through the interrelations and communication among and between teachers and learners. Data from the study further revealed that the strategies that can be implemented to resolve the challenges exposed by COVID-19 include the provision of adequate and equal resources by all stakeholders involved, the provision of support such as moral, psychological, and emotional support, and the facilitation of extra classes and one-on-one consultations. Based on the findings, the study recommends that schools should source resources for online teaching and learning, which will be used during COVID-19, and that the schools should develop a model for online teaching and learning that will promote teacher wellbeing and enhance learner results and academic growth.

Die COVID-19-pandemie wat almal so onverwags getref het, het mense se lewens wêreldwyd op baie maniere geraak, veral gedurende die grendeltydperke. Mense se bestaan, sosialisering, indiensneming en onderrig is negatief beïnvloed. Die Empangeni-distrik in KwaZulu-Natal het ook in die slag gebly; skole in dieselfde distrik is egter nie op dieselfde wyse geraak nie. Dit het die ongelykhede wat bestaan het en steeds bestaan tussen openbare en privaat skole weer op die voorgrond geplaas. Die doel van die studie was om die uitwerking van COVID-19 op die skole in die Empangeni-distrik te ondersoek, en die faktore te assesseer wat onderrig en leer in skole met ’n lae sosio-ekonomiese en hoë sosio-ekonomiese status beïnvloed. Die doel van die studie was om die faktore te bepaal wat onderrig en leer in skole beïnvloed, te evalueer hoe hierdie faktore gedurende COVID-19 blootgestel is, en die strategieë te bepaal wat geïmplementeer kan word om die uitdagings wat deur COVID-19 blootgestel is, op te los. Die studie het ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en ’n navorsingsontwerp met ’n gegronde teorie aangeneem. Data is ingesamel deur gestruktureerde onderhoude, wat uitgevoer is met vier skoolhoofde, agt onderwysers en 16 leerders van die Empangeni-distrikskole. Die deelnemers is opsetlik gekies. Data van die studie is tematies ontleed. Die bevindings het getoon dat die faktore wat onderrig en leer beïnvloed leierskap, begroting, onderrig en leer-metodes, hulpbronne, leerder-bywoning en -deelname, asook die omvang van vakke insluit. Die bevindings het ook getoon dat onderrig en leer ’n impak het op akademiese groei, leerders se prestasie en restultate, die welstand van onderwysers, interaksie met onderwysers, asook die leerbenadering wat in skole gebruik word. Hierdie faktore het gedurende COVID-19 na vore gekom toe leerders huis toe gestuur is weens ’n gebrek aan genoeg klaskamers om ’n sosiale afstand te handhaaf. ’n Skoolbywoningsrotasie is later bekend gestel. Data van die studie het verder getoon dat die strategieë wat geïmplementeer kan word om die uitdagings op te los wat deur COVID-19 blootgestel is, die voorsiening van genoegsame en gelyke hulpbronne deur alle belanghebbers betrokke, die voorsiening van ondersteuning soos morele, sielkundige en emosionele ondersteuning, asook die fasilitering van ekstra klasse en individuele konsultasies insluit. Die studie beveel aan, gebaseer op die bevindings, dat skole voorsien moet word van hulpbronne vir aanlyn onderrig en leer, wat aangewend kan word indien ’n soortgelyke situasie soos COVID-19 weer sou plaasvind. Skole moet ’n model ontwikkel vir aanlyn onderrig en leer wat die welstand van onderwysers en die resultate en akademiese groei van leerders sal bevorder.

Isigameko esingalindelekile sobhubhane loKhuvethe siguqule izimpilo zabantu ngezindlela eziningi emhlabeni jikelele, ikakhulukazi ngezikhathi zokuvalwa. Indlela yokuziphilisa, ukuhlalisana kwabantu, ukuqashwa, kanye nemfundo kuthinteke kabi. Isifunda saseMpangeni KwaZulu-Natal asizange silondolozwe; nokho, nakuba, esifundeni esifanayo, izikole azizange zithinteke ngendlela efanayo. Lokhu kwaveza ukungalingani okwakukhona futhi okusekhona phakathi kwezikole zikahulumeni nezizimele. Lolu cwaningo belufuna ukuhlola umthelela woKhuvethe ezikoleni zesifunda saseMpangeni, ukuhlola izici ezithinta ukufundisa nokufunda ezikoleni ezisezingeni eliphansi lezenhlalo nezomnotho kanye nezinga eliphezulu lezomnotho. Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuthola izici ezithinta ukufundisa nokufunda ezikoleni, ukuhlola ukuthi lezi zici zidalulwe kanjani phakathi noKhuvethe, nokuthola amasu angasetshenziswa ukulungisa izinselele ezidalulwe wuKhuvethe. Ucwaningo lwamukele indlela yocwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu kanye nomklamo wocwaningo lwethiyori enesisekelo. Idatha yaqoqwa ngenhlolokhono ehlelekile, eyaqhutshwa nothishanhloko abane (4), othisha abayisishiyagalombili (8) kanye nabafundi abayishumi nesithupha (16) basezikoleni zesifunda saseMpangeni. Abahlanganyeli bakhethwe ngenhloso. Idatha yocwaningo ihlaziywe ngokwetimu. Okutholakele kuveze ukuthi izinto ezithinta ukufundisa nokufunda ubuholi, isabelomali, izindlela zokufundisa nokufunda, izinsiza, ukuya kwabafundi nokubamba iqhaza, kanye nobungako bezifundo. Okutholakele kuphinde kwaveza ukuthi izinto ezithinta ukufundisa nokufunda ekukhuleni kwezemfundo, ukusebenza kwabafundi kanye nemiphumela, ukuphila kahle kothisha, ukuxhumana nothisha kanye nendlela yokufunda esetshenziswa ezikoleni. Lezi zici zidalulwe ngesikhathi soKhuvethe, lapho abafundi bebuyiselwa emakhaya ngenxa yokuntuleka kwamakilasi anele okuvumela ukuqhelelana emphakathini, futhi kamuva kwethulwa ukushintshana cofounder esikoleni. Imininingwane yocwaningo iphinde yaveza ukuthi amasu angasetshenziswa ukuxazulula izinselelo ezidalulwe wuKhuvethe ahlanganisa ukuhlinzekwa kwezinsiza ezanele nezilinganayo yibo bonke ababambiqhaza abakhona phakathi, ukuhlinzekwa kokusekelwa okunjengokwesekwa kokuziphatha, kwengqondo, kanye nemizwa, kanye ukwenza lula amakilasi engeziwe kanye nokubonisana komuntu ngamunye. Ngokusekelwe kokutholakele, ucwaningo luncoma ukuthi izikole kumele zinikezwe izinsiza zokufundisa nokufunda nge-inthanethi, ezingasetshenziswa uma kwenzeka isimo esifanayo naleso seKhuvethe. Izikole kufanele zenze imodeli yokufundisa nokufunda nge-inthanethi ezothuthukisa ukuphila kahle kothisha futhi ithuthukise imiphumela yabafundi nokukhula kwezemfundo.