Exploring teachers’ experiences of the eco-systemic factors creating fear in young South African children

Exploring teachers’ experiences of the eco-systemic factors creating fear in young South African children

Francinah Masola & Keshni Bipath

Issue: Vol. 7 No.7 2026 Article 10 pp. 1880 – 1891
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267710 Published online 10th August 2026

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ABSTRACT

South African children are exposed to social ills such as crime, unemployment, poverty, violence, divorce and neglect, which cause high levels of fear and insecurity. The study used Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory to investigate teachers’ perspectives of the eco-systemic factors creating fear in the foundation phase learners. Semi-structured interviews were used in this qualitative approach. Six teachers, two from each of a low, a middle, and a high socioeconomic status school in Pretoria, participated in the open-ended questions. The results highlighted that bullying, negligence, violence, and COVID-19 created fear in young children. The findings suggest that exposure to fearful situations interferes with the well-being of young children and their ability to learn effectively. Teachers’ lack of competencies in supporting children to cope with fear adds to the low participation of learners in the classroom. Therefore, teachers need adequate training during pre- and in-service training to support learners. The study foregrounds teachers’ voices from three different SES and highlights the importance of using a systematic approach to explore teachers’ experiences of the ecological factors that create fear in young South African children.

Keywords: COVID-19, Eco-systemic Factors, Fear, Teachers, Young Children, Violence.

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ABOUT AUTHOR(S)

Dr. Francinah Masola is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Primary Education at Tshwane University of Technology. Her teaching experience includes a period of 5 years at public Universities. She has been involved in the development of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Her teaching expertise includes Early Childhood Education and Development, Foundation Phase and honours programme modules. She’s supervising Masters and PhD students and co-ordinates Departmental research seminars. She has published articles and presented papers at international and national conferences on Childhood fears and anxiety and its impact on learners’ academic performance in South Africa. Her research interests include Early Childhood Education, Childhood adversities, psychological support and children’s well-being.

Keshni Bipath is an associate professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Pretoria. She has also been a Foundation Phase educator, Head of Department, Assessment specialist and E-Learning specialist at the Gauteng Department of Education. She co-ordinates the Project for Inclusive Early Childhood Care and Education (PIECCE) at the University of Pretoria. She is passionate about the professionalization of the ECD workforce, policy implementation, transformational pedagogy, literacy development of young children and relationship-building amongst parents and teachers in the Early Childhood Care and Education sector. She has published numerous articles and presented papers at international and national conferences on Early Childhood Care and Education, educational improvement and school effectiveness in South Africa.

TO CITE ARTICLE

Masola, Francinah, and Keshni Bipath. “Exploring teachers’ experiences of the eco-systemic factors creating fear in young South African children.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.7 (2026): 1880 – 1901.https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267710