Intervention Strategies for Challenges Experienced when Supporting Learners from Child-headed Households in Secondary Schools in South Africa

Intervention Strategies for Challenges Experienced when Supporting Learners from Child-headed Households in Secondary Schools in South Africa

Kodi Sannie Maila & Khashane Stephen Malatji

Issue: Vol.5 No.3 Issue Article 13 pp.319-327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245313 | Published online 22nd March, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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ABSTRACT

The study reported here aimed to explore the Intervention strategies for challenges experienced when supporting learners from child-headed households in secondary schools. Children from child-headed households experience challenges that hinder them from receiving good quality education. It is, therefore important for schools to ensure that classroom teachers are aware of the challenges experienced by children from child-headed households. This study followed the qualitative approach to explore the intervention strategies to be used. The study consisted of 20 participants (principals, Departmental Heads, teachers and School Governing Bodies) in South Africa. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The Bottom-up theory was the underpinning theory for our study. Thematical analysis was followed. This study revealed that children from child-headed households were not identified at schools. Therefore, schools do not have a database of children from child-headed households hence a lack of intervention strategies. We recommended that schools should establish the School Based Support Team and follow the collaborative model as an intervention to support children from child-headed households. The study provided insights on intervention strategies that schools and the Department of Education should implement for challenges experienced by schools when supporting learners from child-headed households.

Keywords: Intervention Strategies, Collaborative Model, Child-Headed Household, Collaboration

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Dr. Kodi Sannie Maila is the Deputy Principal at a secondary school in Mafarana Circuit, Limpopo Province South Africa. Her research interests are vulnerable learners, child-headed households, youth development and leadership in South African schools.

Prof. Khashane Stephen Malatji holds a PhD in Education: Curriculum and Instructional Studies from the University of Fort Hare. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education for Academic Developers from Rhodes University. Prof. Malatji is currently an Associate Professor at the University of South Africa, in the College of Graduate Studies. He is the author of 82 articles in accredited journals. Prof Malatji has successfully supervised 27 Masters’ (7 with cum laude) and 22 Doctoral students. In 2018, he was awarded Young Researcher of the Year by Tshwane University of Technology. In the 2020 academic year, he received an award as Emerging Researcher of the Year awarded by EASA. In 2021, he received an award as Senior Researcher of the Year by TUT. Prof. Malatji has delivered papers and chaired sessions at many national and international conferences. His research interest covers teaching and learning; evaluation of teaching, curriculum development; assessment; and teacher development in higher education.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Maila, Kodi Sannie & Khashane Stephen Malatji.“Intervention Strategies for Challenges Experienced when Supporting Learners from Child-headed Households in Secondary Schools in South Africa,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.3 (2024): 319-327. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245313