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- The purpose of this study was to understand the efficacy of the implementation of Annual National Assessment (ANA). In this study, the researcher chose King Cetshwayo District and Mthunzini circuit as a field of investigation. The investigation was conducted using a mixed method approach which was driven by both qualitative and quantitative approach. In this case, the Intermediate Phase schools were the main target to select a sample of 75 participants. All these randomly selected educators answered a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions while five Heads of Departments (HoDs) and five educators were purposively selected to participate in the in-depth interview session. The main objectives of the investigation were to: (a) explore teachers’ views about the implementation of ANA in the Intermediate Phase; (b) find out teachers’ perspectives of on the use of ANA as diagnostic assessment tool; and (c) find out about the impact of ANA on learner performance in English First Additional Language. The findings revealed that the majority of educators complained about lack of training, administration including time in which ANA is written, exposure of underperforming schools and methods of teaching which encourage rote learning. Most educators were unhappy that their district officials were not supportive during the administration phase. Educators raised concerns that Grade 4 learners have difficulty in understanding the questions since it is their first year of using English as Language of Learning and Teaching. Some educators indicated that they have not been sent to ANA workshops, yet they are expected to administer the assessment. Based on the findings, the researcher realised that the objectives of the implementation of ANA were not achieved in some schools due to the negative attitude displayed by educators towards ANA. The inconsistency of the test questions makes it difficult for the Department of Basic Education to ascertain whether or not there is any improvement in ANA results. The researcher recommends that in order for ANA to be successfully implemented, the school management teams and the subject advisors have to work closely with Intermediate Phase educators and provide necessary resources and support.
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- Mainstreaming Psychological support services in primary schools calls for collaboration amongst all the stakeholders. The government should make sure that all the stakeholders are capacitated on psychosocial support. The schools should introduce support teams which will include teachers, learners, parents and other stakeholders. These teams should make sure that everyone understands very well about the psychosocial support that should be given to the learners. This study aimed at to suggest a model for mainstreaming psychological support services in primary schools in the Shiselweni Region in Eswatini. The model can be employed by Eswatini schools to make the mainstreaming of psychosocial support services effective. The study was conducted using a mixed method approach which was driven by both qualitative and quantitative approach. In this study a sample of 90 teachers, 15 principals and 3 inspectors participated in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative research and data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with inspectors, principals and teachers. The SPSS computer software Version 25 and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data collected. The analysis of quantitative data was done using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations, while the qualitative data were analysed using themes that emerged from the interviews. The findings revealed that teachers, principals and inspectors had a problem in implementing the mainstreaming of psychological support services in primary schools, particularly the second pillar, which talks about psychosocial support. Despite the challenges they faced, they managed to provide support, although it was not at the level it was expected to be. Most of the schools that participated in the study considered mainstreaming psychosocial support as a concept that was new to them and they were not aware of what they were supposed to do in order to support all the learners who had challenges. The findings also showed that teachers also need to be supported emotionally and be given all the necessary help they need so that they can overcome their problems and also be able to deal with new challenges. The findings indicated that a majority of the respondents in this study agreed that there was a need for a model that will integrate psychosocial support into all the activities of the curriculum making sure that all the learners in all the schools can get support for all the challenges they are facing on daily basis. The overall findings of the study showed that teachers’ were not properly trained on providing psychological support and also in implementing the mainstreaming of psychosocial support services; some had stressful experiences whilst others had supportive and conducive environments which enabled them to mainstream psychological support services successfully. Teachers cited certain stressful conditions such as; not being capacitated on psychosocial support, lack of support from the inspectors and the administration, poor provision for policy implementation, teacher training and professional development, all these factors disturbed teachers from effectively mainstreaming psychological support services in primary schools. Children’s psychosocial wellbeing has since become a significant priority for education since a lot of learners’ experience family breakdown, anxiety, and depression and attention difficulties. The following recommendations were made; the government through the Ministry of Education and Training should provide clear policies governing the implementation of mainstreaming psychosocial support services in the primary school curriculum. It should also provide appropriate strategies to raise awareness on the provision of psychosocial support in order to assist learners facing challenges. Senior officials from the Ministry of Education are expected to take the lead by committing themselves and ensuring that all the stakeholders take the mainstreaming process as mandatory. They should also carry the mandate to ensure that psychosocial support is reflected in the policy document, strategic frameworks and plans. There is a need for developing a model for mainstreaming psychosocial support in primary schools. It has been observed that there are some gaps and there is a need for the curriculum in order to develop a model of mainstreaming psychosocial support services in primary schools in Eswatini. This model will, in turn, cater for all the needs of the learners, irrespective of their gender, background or the challenges they face in life. The study is expected to give insight reference to policy makers, scholars and researchers in order to improve the weak areas.
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- The social worker services are crucial to the success of a lifelong learning process, as they provide assistance, guidance, counselling, and advice to learners so that they can improve and make better-informed decisions and improved academic performance. The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of social worker services in rural secondary schools on learner academic performance in the Vhembe District in Limpopo. The investigation was conducted using the mixed methods approach which was driven by both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A sample of 130 participants was selected from rural secondary schools. The study was underpinned by the ZPD theory. Twenty (20) educators (5 from each school) and 100 grade 12 learners (20 from each school) and 5 heads of departments (1 from each school), were simple randomly selected and they answered a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions, while 5 social workers (1 from each school) were purposively selected for the in-depth interview session. The findings revealed that the school social workers' motivation strategy used in their schools reduce poor academic performance, based on the results of the in-depth interviews conducted with heads of departments and school social workers. Motivational tools and parental involvement topped the effectiveness. The researcher recommends that for the school social worker services to run smoothly, there has to be a provision of suitable space for school social workers to be effective in rendering their support services to the learners and to keep confidential information safe. Furthermore, enough time should be given for learners to consult a school social worker.
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