Exploring learners’ sense of belonging in Port Elizabeth low-income primary schools in South Africa: A narrative inquiry

ABSTRACT

This study explored the narratives of low-income school learners’ sense of belonging in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It provided a historical overview of the South African Apartheid system. The study employed the narrative inquiry approach of the qualitative research design and is hinged on the constructivist paradigm. Purposive sampling was used in selecting a school, and learners in Grade 8 and 9 consisted of 8 boys and 8 girls each. Data (narratives of the learners) were collected through Focus Group Discussion and analysed using the three-dimensional space inquiry tools – broadening, burrowing, and storying and re-storying. Findings revealed the prevalence of poverty, school disengagement, and stigmatisation among learners in low-income schools. Thus, the effects of poverty on learners lead to their feelings of desolation and futility as they experience what is known as a low-control-of-effects syndrome. The hope that education may change their lives seems to be superseded and dampened by what transpires in their poor homes and schools.

KEYWORDS:

• Learners
• low-income schools
• sense of belonging
• narrative inquiry

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

Data shall be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Informed consent statement

The informed consent of both the schools used for the study and the respondents were sought and obtained.