Exploring resilience as a component of academic success among selected grade 10 and 11 learners in Thabo Mofutsanyane District, Eastern Free State

Abstract

There is global concern about the poor academic performance of learners, specifically learners from disadvantaged backgrounds such as those found in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District. However, there are some learners in the Thabo Mofutsanyane District, who are performing well academically, despite the disadvantages they face. Therefore, an investigation was necessary to establish why certain learners succeed academically, despite the adverse conditions. The researcher utilised a case study design to explore this phenomenon and collected data through individual and focus group interviews as well as academic reports. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data obtained from learners, teachers, and parents/guardians. Two schools, with twenty participants from each school, were chosen, using a purposive sample technique. In this study, the researcher found several factors that enabled learners from disadvantaged backgrounds to be academically resilient and, thereby, academically successful. These include, for example, positive intrapersonal characteristics such as self-efficacy beliefs, confidence, self-dialogue, fear of failing, and the ability to use the deprived conditions as intrinsic motivation for self-improvement and personal growth. Other social factors are their family members, teachers, principals, the school governing body (SGB), the DBE District Office and the Department of Education. Findings further indicated that, besides the resources provided by the community centres, neighbours and friends, the use of digital technology also enabled academic resilience. There is a need for further studies to explore how private tutoring, proxy teachers and a belief in supernatural powers can enhance academic resilience and, thereby, academic success. More research is also needed to determine how the Department of Education, the DBE District Offices, SGBs and school principals’ use of electronic devices and financial resources can promote academic resilience and the academic success of learners. Lastly, another avenue for further studies is on the role played by cultural rituals and the community, as well as intelligence as a biological aspect in the learners' psychological, social and environmental readiness, and on how this could promote academic resilience and academic success.

Ho na le ngongoreho ya lefatshe ka ho se sebetse hantle ha baithuti dithutong, haholoholo baithuti ba tswang malapeng a hlokang menyetla jwaloka a fumanehang Seterekeng sa Thabo Mofutsanyane. Le ha ho le jwalo, ho na le baithuti ba bang karolong ya Thabo Mofutsanyane, ba sebetsang hantle dithutong leha ba na le mathata. Ka hona, ho ne ho hlokahala dipatlisiso ho fumana hore na ke hobaneng ha baithuti ba bang ba ntse ba atleha dithutong, ho sa tsotellehe maemo a mabe. Mofuputsi o sebedisitse moralo wa boithuto ho hlahloba ketsahalo ena mme a bokella dintlha ka dipuisano tsa motho ka mong le tsa sehlopha se tsepamisitsweng maikutlong hammoho le ditlaleho tsa thuto. Tshekatsheko ya diteng tsa thitokgang e ile ya sebediswa ho sekaseka dintlha tse fumanweng ho baithuti, matitjhere, le ho batswadi/bahlokomedi. Ho ile ha kgethwa dikolo tse pedi, tse nang le baithuti ba mashome a mabedi ba tswang sekolong se seng le se seng, ho sebediswa mohlala o nang le morero. Thutopatlisisong ena, mofuputsi o fihletse dintlha tse mmalwa tse kgonahatsang baithuti ba tswang malapeng a futsanehileng hore ba kgone ho mamella dithutong, mme ba kgone ho etsa jwalo, ba atlehe dithutong. Tsena di kenyelletsa, mohlala, ditshwanelo tse ntle tsa ka hare ho motho tse kang ditumelo tsa ho ikemela, ho itshepa, dipuisano tsa boithati, tshabo ya ho hloleha, le bokgoni ba ho sebedisa maemo a ho qhelelwa ka thoko e le tshusumetso e ka hare ya ho intlafatsa le ho hola ha motho. Mabaka a mang a kahisano ke ditho tsa malapa a bona, matitjhere, mesuwehlooho, sehlopha se laolang sekolo (SGB), Ofisi ya Setereke ya DBE le Lefapha la Thuto. Diphuputso di bontshitse hape hore, ntle le disebediswa tse fanweng ke ditsi tsa setjhaba, baahisani le metswalle, tshebediso ya theknoloji ya dijithale le yona e nolofaleditse ho mamella dithutong. Ho na le tlhokahalo ya dithuto tse eketsehileng tsa ho hlahloba hore na dithupelo tsa poraefete, matitjhere a baemedi le tumelo ya matla a phahametseng tlhaho di ka matlafatsang botsitso ba thuto, ka hona, katleho dithutong. Ho boetse ho hlokahala dipatlisiso tse eketsehileng ho fumana hore na Lefapha la Thuto, Diofisi tsa Setereke tsa DBE, di-SGB le dihloho tsa dikolo tshebediso ya disebediswa tsa elektronike le mehlodi ya ditjhelete di ka kgothalletsa ho tiya ha thuto jwang le katleho ya thuto ya baithuti. Qetellong, mokgwa o mong wa dithuto tse tswelang pele o mabapi le karolo e phethwang ke meetlo ya meetlo le setjhaba, hammoho le bohlale e le karolo ya baeloji boitokisetsong ba kelello, setjhabeng le tikolohong, le mabapi le hore na sena se ka kgothalletsa botsitso ba thuto le katleho ya thuto jwang.

Kunesikhalo emhlabeni jikelele maqondana nokungenzi kahle kwabafundi ezifundweni zabo, ikakhulu labo bafundi abahlala ezindaweni ezintulayo njengalaba abangaphansi kweSifunda saseThabo Mofutsanyane. Nakuba kunjalo, bakhona-ke abafundi kulesi Sifunda saseThabo Mofutsanyane abenza kahle ezifundweni zabo, nanoma bebhekene nezinselelo ezithile. Ngakho-ke, bekubalulekile ukuba kwenziwe uphenyo ukuze kutholakale ukuthi kungani abanye abafundi bephumelela ezifundweni zabo, nanoma ngabe bahlangabezana nezinselelo. Lapha umcwaningi usebenzise ucwaningo lokuxoxisana nabantu ngokwehlukahlukana kwabo ukuhlola lesi simo waphinda waqoqa ulwazi ngokuxoxisana nabantu ngabodwana nangamaqoqo kanye nangemibiko yezemfundo. Kuye kwahlaziywa ingqikithi ukuze kucwaningwe ulwazi olutholakale kubafundi, kothisha, nabazali/abaqaphi bezingane. Kusetshenziswe uhlelo lokucacisa inhloso, kwaqokwa ababambiqhaza abangamashumi amabili abatonyulwe ezikoleni ezimbili. Kulolu cwaningo, umcwaningi uthole izinto ezimbalwa ezenza abafundi abasuka ezindaweni ezintulayo babe nempokophelo, baphinde baphumelele ezifundweni abazenzayo. Kwezinye zezizathu, kubalwa lokhu, ukuzimisela komuntu siqu njengokuthi akholelwe kwakwenzayo, ukuzethemba, ukuzibuza-uziphendula, ukwesaba ukwehluleka, kanye nekhono lokusebenzisa ukwentula izinsiza njengento ekugqugquzelayo ukwazi ukwenza kangcono nokuzikhulisa siqu. Ezinye izinto ezidala lokhu kuba amalungu emindeni, othisha, othishanhloko, isigungu esilawula isikole (i-SGB), iHhovisi Lesifunda i-DBE kanye noMnyango Wezemfundo. Imiphumela iphinde yaveza ukuthi, ngaphandle kwezinsiza ezihlinzekwa yizikhungo zomphakathi, omakhelwane kanye nabangani, kanjalo nokusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe bedijithali nakho kuyasiza ekubeni nempokophelo yokufunda. Kusanesidingo sokuqhubeka nocwaningo lokuthola ukuthi ukufundisa kwabazimele, othisha abangabameleli kanye nokukholelwa emandleni angaphezu kwalawo onawo kungabathuthukisa kanjani abafundi ukuze benze ngcono, baphinde, babe nempokophelo yempumelelo ezifundweni abazenzayo. Kudingeka nocwaningo olwengeziwe ukuze kutholakale ukuthi kulekelela kangakanani ukuba uMnyango Wezemfundo, amaHhovisi Ezifunda i-DBE, ama-SGB kanye nothishanhloko bezikole basebenzisa izinsiza zikagesi kanye nosizo lwezezimali ukuze kusimame ukufundisa kanye nempumelelo yabafundi. Okokugcina, enye indlela yokuqhubeka nocwaningo imaqondana neqhaza elibanjwa ezamasiko nomphakathi, kanye nobuhlakani njengengxenye yesayensi lezempilo ekuzilungiseleleni kwabafundi ngokwengqondo, kwezenhlalo nezemvelo, nokuthi lokhu kungazisimamisa kanjan ezemfundo nempumelelo ezifundweni.