Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
It is estimated that in South Africa one in five learners is living with dyslexia, where the majority subsist in townships, in which specialised mental health professionals are in short supply. Researchers in the respective fields of education and mental health do not yet know what the lived psycho-educational experiences of senior primary school learners living with dyslexia are. This study explored the lived psycho-educational experiences of senior primary school learners living with dyslexia. Furthermore, the study aimed at involving different stakeholders that impact the life of a learner living with dyslexia. The stakeholders in question are the family, teachers, educational psychologists and the Basic Department of Education, who need to come together to play a positive role in the lived experiences of the learner living with dyslexia.
The study was qualitative and phenomenological in nature, located within Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory. The researcher used the social constructivist model in the study as the aim was to explore how learners living with dyslexia constructed their experiences and what meaning they gave to their realities within their social systems.
The methods used by the researcher to collect data were individual interviews, focus group interviews and collages. The sample comprised of three boys and three girls who participated in the focus group interviews and collages; individual interviews were held with one girl and two boys. Participants were selected purposefully. After data was collected and transcribed, the researcher coded and categorised emerging themes after codes were classified.
The findings of the study revealed that the senior primary school learners’ psychological experiences included sadness, feelings of rejection and need for acceptance, and feelings of desperation. Educational experiences included poor performance in class, value placed on education, support from teachers and inconsistent support from parents. The findings imply that much needs to be done to support learners living with dyslexia so as to enhance their psycho-educational experiences and academic performance.