“We can’t share things with our teachers”
Narratives of mistrust and disconnect between South African female learners and their teachers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22163862 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zoe Duby (0000-0001-7615-8152, South African Medical Research Council, corresponding author), Kealeboga Maruping (South African Medical Research Council), Kim Jonas (0000-0002-4469-6674, South African Medical Research Council), Tracy McClinton Appollis (0000-0002-3982-4555, South African Medical Research Council), Lieve Vanleeuw (0000-0002-9012-3308, South African Medical Research Council), Catherine Mathews (0000-0001-5368-1127, South African Medical Research Council) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Publication date | 2022-09-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2504-284X • E-ISSN: 2504-284X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/feduc.2022.882959 |
| PMID | 37207104 |
| OpenAlex | W4294931128 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 45 |
The quality and nature of student-teacher relationships have implications outside of the academic domain. Support from teachers plays a significant protective role in the mental and emotional well-being of adolescents and young people, and can help to reduce or delay their engagement in risk behaviours, thereby decreasing negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes such as teenage pregnancy. Using the theory of teacher connectedness, an element of school connectedness, this research explores the narratives surrounding teacher-student relationships amongst South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and teachers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 10 teachers, and 63 in-depth interviews and 24 focus group discussions with 237 AGYW aged 15–24 from five South African provinces characterised by high rates of HIV and teenage pregnancy amongst AGYW. Analysis of the data followed a thematic and collaborative approach, comprising coding, analytic memo-ing, and verification of emerging interpretations through discussion and participant feedback workshops. Findings related to perceptions of support and connectedness in teacher-student relationships centred around AGYW narratives of mistrust and a lack of support from teachers, and the consequential negative implications for academic performance and motivation to attend school, self-esteem, and mental health. Teachers’ narratives centred around challenges providing support, feeling overwhelmed and incapable of fulfilling multiple roles. Findings provide valuable insight into student-teacher relationships in South Africa, their impact on educational attainment, and on the mental health and sexual and reproductive health of AGYW
Developmental psychology · Feeling · Focus group · Mental health · Narrative · Population · Qualitative research · Reproductive health · Social connectedness · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Child Abuse and Trauma · Children's Rights and Participation · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology
Pupil wellbeing – Teacher wellbeing
School Connectedness and the Transition Into and Out of Health‐Risk Behavior Among Adolescents
Resilience and mental health
Theme development in qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis
The teacher-student relationship as a developmental context for children with internalizing or externalizing behavior problems.
Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries
The Prosocial Classroom
Meta-Analysis and Common Practice Elements of Universal Approaches to Improving Student-Teacher Relationships
School connectedness as psychological resilience factor in children affected by HIV/Aids
“As a Young Pregnant Girl… The Challenges You Face”
South African teachers' responses to teenage pregnancy and teenage mothers in schools
In this place we have found sisterhood”
The real and the ideal”
The impact of school connectedness and teacher support on depressive symptoms in adolescents
School Sense of Community, Teacher Support, and Students’ School Safety Perceptions
Factors Impeding School Connectedness
A Descriptive Analysis of School Connectedness
Exposure to violence, teacher support, and school delay amongst adolescents in South Africa
Qualitative Data Analysis for Health Services Research
Thematic Analysis
The Quality of School Life
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |