High school management teams’ mechanisms for supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work

Abstract

This research explores the mechanisms used by high school management teams (SMT) to support vulnerable learners in their academic work.The study’s five central objectives are: to examine the challenges that necessitate high school management teams to support vulnerable learners in their academic work, evaluate the solutions which school management teams put in place to support vulnerable learners in their academic work, discuss the conditions under which the high school management teams’ mechanisms depend on in supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work, anticipate the plausible threats that could hinder high school management teams’ mechanisms for supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work, and to examine indicators of success in the support offered to vulnerable learners in their academic work. This research’s theoretical framework is drawn from the Contingency (situational) theory in the operationalisation of the afore-mentioned objectives. The research is founded in the interpretive research paradigm and deep-rooted in a qualitative research design. Data was collected from three high schools in Lesotho and three from South Africa through focus groups and in-depth interviews. Seventy-six participants were purposively selected, comprising of two Principals, three Deputy Principals, twenty three Heads of the Departments (HoDs), twelve teachers and thirty six vulnerable learners. The collected qualitatative data was analysed through thematic analysis. An empirical data confirmed the out-of-school and in-school challenges that necessitated high school management teams to support vulnerable learners in their schoolwork. Several home factors, such as poverty, health needs, rape, overcrowded accommodation, separated siblings, family relations, inadequate safety measures, child labour and unacceptable social behaviour of vulnerable learners contribute towards the academic underachievement of vulnerable learners; hence necessitated the SMTs in to supporting vulnerable learners. Again, the study notes that school-based factors that include school administration and admission criteria, shortage of instructional materials, financial problems, teachers and teaching-related factors, teachers’ attitude towards vulnerable learners, absenteeism and failure to implement plans and policies affect the vulnerable learners. Various support mechanisms are placed to lessen these challenges that emerged from the study. These include using boarding accommodation for vulnerable learners who have home problems; the provision of help to learners by principals and teachers; allowing vulnerable learners to pay fees not only with cash but with other forms such as food grains and domestic animals; offering counselling sessions to vulnerable learners; implementation of school-based book rental scheme strategy; and executing a school curriculum that is accommodative to vulnerable learners. As way forward, stakeholders said they would set plans and policies and implement them. The study notes that success of the above solutions depends on the following conditions: a dedicated team; unifying vision; prioritisation and priorities; collaborative planning; policy provision; appropriate facilities, infrastructure and resources and monitoring and reflection. However, there are plausible threats that are anticipated to hinder high school management teams’ mechanisms in supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work. These anticipated threats are: absence of the established coordinating team; lack of vision; risks that may hinder the procedure of priorities; threats to collaborative planning, threats to policy provision, limitations to appropriate facilities, infrastructure and resources and threats to monitoring and reflection. Nonetheless, the study notes that there are indicators of success in supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work which were employed during conduction of this study. These successful support mechanisms are: the positive role of a dedicated team in supporting vulnerable learners in their academic work; the impact of the vision; prioritisation and priorities functioning; collaborative planning; the importance of the policy provision; the significance of appropriate facilities, infrastructures and resources and successful monitoring and reflection. This study concludes that stakeholders that are dedicated, visionary, who prioritise, collaborate, guided by policies, have appropriate facilities, infrastructure and resource, monitor and reflect on academic outcomes, enable the vulnerable learners to improve in their academic activities and achieve better results. This study recommends an active economy, an improved healthcare system in poor neighbourhoods, and the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes in poor communities. In addition, internal and external stakeholders must work together and utilise all available resources optimally to fulfil educational goals of learners from all socioeconomic categories.