Abstract
This study explored the psychosocial support (PSS) provided to primary school learners who experienced trauma due to the 2022 floods in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal. Guided by the social constructivist paradigm and employing a generic qualitative design, the study sought to understand how learners, teachers, and education support teams made sense of the PSS provided for learners who experienced trauma due to the 2022 floods.
The study was conducted in two quintile one primary schools located in flood-affected communities in Inanda. These schools were purposively selected because they represent some of the most severely impacted educational settings in the area. A total of 25 participants took part in the study, comprising four Grade 7 learners, four per school (two girls and two boys), four Life Orientation teachers, eight members from School Management Teams (SMTs), School Governing Bodies (SGBs), and School-Based Support Teams (SBSTs) in each school, and one District Psychologist from the District-Based Support Team (DBST). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and a creative collage activity with learners.
This combination of methods facilitated both verbal and non-verbal expressions of trauma, coping, and recovery. Inductive thematic analysis was adopted for the data analysis in this study. This allowed the participants' viewpoints and experiences to be fully described. The audio files of the interviews were manually translated and transcribed to generate transcripts for the data analysis. ATLAS.ti (a Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software) Version 25 was used for the qualitative data analysis. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes, namely, psychological, social and educational experiences. The psychological results indicated that learners experienced significant emotional distress following the floods; many learners showed signs of fear, anxiety, and ongoing trauma as they tried to cope with the sudden disruptions to their lives; and emotional instability, withdrawal, and difficulty concentrating were prominent indicators of the psychological strain caused by the disaster.
The findings revealed that the 2022 floods had profound psychological, social, and educational impacts on primary school learners in Inanda. Learners experienced emotional distress, trauma, displacement, disrupted social relationships, interrupted schooling, and learning challenges that adversely affected their well-being and academic progress. Despite these challenges, consistent psychosocial support from teachers, caregivers, counsellors, and school support structures fostered resilience by restoring learners' sense of safety, emotional stability, and engagement with learning...