Abstract
In South Africa learners are confronted with complex developmental changes co-occurring with a wide range of social problems such as violence, poverty, crime, HIV/AIDS, drugs, abusive relationships, high drop-out rates and teenage pregnancy. However, there is a limited number of social workers and psychologists who are trained to provide psychosocial support with these issues. Consequently, Life Orientation teachers are often left with the responsibility to provide these services, and questions arise regarding their capacity to fulfil this role, given their general lack of training in this regard. Hence, the aim of this research study was to explore the experiences of Life Orientation teachers who provide high school learners with psychosocial support in the Johannesburg West District. The research was guided by lifecycle theories of adolescence and the developmental assets framework. The study adopted an exploratory research design located within a qualitative research paradigm, and interviews were conducted telephonically with 15 Life Orientation teachers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse results. Among the key findings that emerged was that LO teachers are not just educators, but they play a critical role in providing psychosocial support above and beyond their teaching duties. They are uniquely positioned to assist learners with psychosocial issues; however, they need to be trained and evaluated in order to ensure that they are better equipped and supported to provide support to learners.
M.Phil. (Social Policy and Development)