Abstract #98  -  Teachers as fulcrum of psychosocial support: a longitudinal participatory reflection and action study
Authors:   Presenting Author:   Dr Ronel Ferreira - University of Pretoria
Additional Authors:  Proff Liesel Ebersohn,
Aim: This paper describes the role of teachers in providing psychosocial support to vulnerable children affected by HIV&AIDS. The investigation forms part of a longitudinal participatory reflection and action study (initiated in 2003) with teachers (n=60) in six schools in three South African provinces.
Method / Issue: Researchers developed and implemented an asset-based approach intervention with teachers in each school with the purpose of providing a strengths-based paradigm to frame psychosocial support by teachers. The intervention spanned six 8-hour on-site participatory reflection and action training sessions (36 sessions in all). Following the asset-based intervention teachers had the opportunity to incorporate (or not) initiatives to provide psychosocial support to vulnerable children in their schools. Data were collected by means of observation and interviews. Observation was done by researchers of both the intervention and the psychosocial support initiatives at schools during subsequent quarterly visits to the schools. Observation data were documented in field notes, research diaries, photographically, as well as audio-visually. Interviews consisted of focus group interviews, informal conversations and face-to-face unstructured interviews. Focus group and informal conversations occurred with each school’s participants during intervention sessions and succeeding observation visits. Face-to-face unstructured interviews were conducted with key informants at each school to clarify researchers’ understanding of psychosocial support initiatives. All interviews were documented in field notes. Focus groups and face-to-face unstructured interviews were also audio-taped and transcribed. All data sources were thematically analysed.
Results / Comments: As a result of the intervention, teachers identified and utilised existing community resources to provide systemic psychosocial support to vulnerable children. For this purpose, teachers partnered with lay people in communities (unemployed parents), formal school systems, faith-based organisations, health care, governmental agencies, and corporate institutions. Secondly, teachers’ modus operandi post-intervention were to (i) identify available and relevant assets, (ii) initiate partnerships with people related to said assets in order to provide psychosocial support, (iii) establish school systems to identify vulnerability, (iv) refer children and families for support to pertinent partners, and (iv) maintain and monitor partnerships. Thirdly, participating schools’ status as caring, sensitive and accepting is signified by increased disclosure by parents and children, as well as escalated enrolments. Fourthly, teachers provided support over a range of vulnerability, not solely based on children’s HIV&AIDS-related vulnerability. Consequently, teachers’ psychosocial support initiatives included (i) children experiencing extreme poverty as manifested by hunger, ill-health and neglect, (ii) children outside of school-boundaries, as well as (iii) families of children identified as vulnerable.
Discussion: In our paper we argue that a strengths-based approach enables teachers to establish and sustain psychosocial networks across systems. Instituted care and support networks release teachers to perform their primary role as facilitators of learning. Simultaneously teachers continue to identify, refer and monitor children’s psychosocial support in collaboration with partners.
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