Abstract
M.Ed.
Given the amount of work focused on children, it is surprising that so little is known about
their lives. How little we actually know about their lived experiences. Starting grade one is a major life change and introduces the child to a new and different world. When children enter primary school, they are confronted with adjustive demands that
are specific to their new environment. Research has shown that some children find this
adaptation remarkably easy and that it occurs quite naturally while others experience it as
traumatic, often resulting in serious consequences. The formal primary school environment
is very different from what the child has previously experienced and the adjustment that he
makes in grade one can play an important role in forming impressions of grade one and of
school in general. This impression is then carried with that child for the rest of his life and
could influence many aspects of it. This study aimed to provide the reader with a detailed description of the experiential world
of the grade one child when starting school. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive
monographic (case) study was conducted within the bounded context of a grade one class.
Data was obtained on the perceptions and experiences of the subjects from their own
perspective by means of observation, interviews, projective techniques, questionnaires and
manuscripts. Raw data was reduced and analysed by means of clustering, conceptualising
and dendrograming via a process of narrative discourse. Credibility of the study was
addressed through triangulation and the use of an independent coder. Objectivity was
assured by provision of a clear audit trail and narrative discourse.
The raw data obtained during this research was consolidated and interpreted within the
boundaries of a theory framework which includes a detailed profile of the school beginner
in terms of physical, cognitive, social and moral development as well as a discussion of the
educational context within which the school beginner functions. Through this research, it was found that the experiential world of the grade one child when
starting school can be illustrated in terms of his scholastic orientation, teacher orientation,
interpersonal relationships and adjustment. Other aspects such as discipline and structure,
school demands and expectations, and parental orientation were also found to influence
the experience of the child. This experience was then illustrated through behaviour as well
as psychological and physiological manifestations.
Finally, the findings of the study were implemented in recommendations made to preschools,
parents and primary schools in order to facilitate the adaptation of the grade one
child so as to ensure the formation of a positive impression of school.