The impact of household poverty trap on learners’ academic performance in Nongoma secondary schools in the Zululand district
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Date
2021
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The study critically examined the impact of the household poverty trap on learners’
academic performance in nongoma secondary schools in the Zululand District. The
researcher explored the relationships that defined the overlaps between the needs of
the learners in the classroom and the household needs and goals. Thus, the impacts
on the learning needs and academic success of the learner on the social and economic
status of the family became evident. The research engaged the ecological theory of
Urie Bronfenbrenner as a theoretical lens to understand the phenomenon. The study
aimed at exploring the socio-economic views of household poverty on high school
learners in Nongoma, where poverty tends to predominate due to the rurality of the
Nongoma communities. The results of this study indicate that the majority of rural
Nongoma learners cannot afford their emotional, physical, moral, social, and academic
achievements even to the fundamental needs of people required for learning. A mixed method research design was adopted to collect primary data with selected participants
within the study area. The collected data on the impact of household poverty trap on
learners’ academic performance in Nongoma Secondary schools in the Zululand
District were analyzed thematically. This study also found that the performance of
academic students affected by financial constraints, poor health due to lack of good
food, violence, child abuse, and prostitution, long-term stigma and stereotyping, school
dropouts and absenteeism from school, is poor. This study recommends rural
development policies, income and wealth distribution policies to close the gap between
rich and poor, feeding in every school, particularly in rural schools and adequate
learning aid for the provision of laboratories, computers and teaching pedagogy in rural
schools. The study recommends also that the microsystem of schools and families, the
meso- and exosystem of the community and macro-systems resolve the issue. All
stakeholders need to work together to encourage learners to embrace education by
providing them with all necessary enabling support to lose household poverty traps on
them
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Human and Social Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021
Keywords
Poverty trap, Academic performance, Cognitive, Ecological