Exploring the Psychological Factors Influencing Learners’ Academic Performance in a Rural High School during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Thembisile Sharon Maimela & Kananga Robert Mukuna ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.6 No.15 Article 20 pp. 4490 – 4506
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561520| Published online 30th December, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted teaching and learning, and learners in rural schools faced various psychosocial issues. These could be explained by affecting learners’ academic performance. However, this study explores the psychological factors influencing learners’ academic performance in a rural high school during COVID-19. It used a qualitative research approach and a phenomenological research design. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Ten participants, including four learners and six teachers, were purposively and conveniently selected from a rural high school in the Thabo Mofutsanyane district, Free State, South Africa. Data were analysed through narrative analysis. The findings revealed that various psychological factors influenced learners’ academic performance during COVID-19, such as depression, stress, anxiety, loss of concentration, and hopelessness. This study concluded that psychosocial factors can negatively affect learners’ academic performance by reducing their focus and motivation, thereby hindering learning. Those from rural high schools were the learners who found it most difficult to focus on their academics and whose concentration was disrupted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Academic Performance, COVID-19, Learners, Psychological Factors, Rural High School

 

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Thembisile Sharon Maimela is with the Department of Educational Foundations, University of Free State, South Africa.

Kananga Robert Mukuna (PhD) is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Free State, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Foundations, Educational Psychology, South Africa. He was a postdoctoral fellow and held a PhD and a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He completed his Honours degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. He serves as a Special Interest Group leader for the Psychosocialities of Teaching and Learning at the Faculty of Education, UFS. He is passionate about research, focusing on Psychological Assessment, Psychosocial Factors, Rural Education, Inclusive Education, Multiculturalism, Educational Psychology, and Community Psychology. He is an NRF Funding holder. He is an academic champion of the International Collaboration Engagement between the University of the Free State and Ludwigsburg University of Education in Germany.

Maimela, Thembisile Sharon, and Kananga Robert Mukuna. “Exploring the Psychological Factors Influencing Learners’ Academic Performance in a Rural High School during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 15 (2025): 4490 -4506, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202561520.

© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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