Exposure to violence, teacher support, and school delay amongst adolescents in South Africa
Exposure to violence, teacher support, and school delay amongst adolescents in South Africa
Background
Many adolescents in South Africa are exposed to multiple types of violence, socio-economic disadvantage, and low-quality education: all risk factors for educational outcomes including school delay (grade enrolment below that which is age-appropriate). Supportive teacher–student relationships are known to be associated with improved academic outcomes in high-income contexts.
Aims
To investigate whether the academic and emotional support provided by teachers can protect against school delay for adolescents exposed to multiple types of violence and socio-economic disadvantage in South Africa.
Sample
High-risk sample of 503 adolescents aged 10–18 exposed to multiple types of violence and socio-economic disadvantage at home, in school, and in their communities.
Methods
Multilevel aggregated structural equation modelling was applied to pre/post-RCT data. This investigated whether associations between adolescent exposure to violence and school delay could be lessened by having teachers who were academically and/or emotionally supportive.
Results
More frequent exposure to ‘poly-violence’ and receiving more emotional support from teachers were independently associated with greater school delay. On the contrary, higher academic support from teachers was associated with lower school delay. Neither academic nor emotional teacher support was found to moderate the relationship between more frequent exposure to ‘poly-violence’ and an increased risk of adolescent school delay.
Conclusion
Adolescents’ academic support from teachers is low in poorly resourced school contexts in South Africa. School-based secondary prevention programmes assisting teachers with more training and academic support in deprived contexts have potential to reduce the impact of violence and socio-economic disadvantage on adolescents’ school delay.
teacher support, school delay, violence, socioeconomic disadvantage, adolescence, South Africa
1-21
Herrero Romero, Rocio
aaedce4e-698c-441f-b45c-43b838ebcffd
Hall, James
29e17a2b-dca0-4b91-be02-2ace4abaa6c4
Cluver, Lucie
cf7d64e0-8909-49f1-a94e-12c412539bd9
8 February 2019
Herrero Romero, Rocio
aaedce4e-698c-441f-b45c-43b838ebcffd
Hall, James
29e17a2b-dca0-4b91-be02-2ace4abaa6c4
Cluver, Lucie
cf7d64e0-8909-49f1-a94e-12c412539bd9
Herrero Romero, Rocio, Hall, James and Cluver, Lucie
(2019)
Exposure to violence, teacher support, and school delay amongst adolescents in South Africa.
British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89 (1), .
(doi:10.1111/bjep.12212).
Abstract
Background
Many adolescents in South Africa are exposed to multiple types of violence, socio-economic disadvantage, and low-quality education: all risk factors for educational outcomes including school delay (grade enrolment below that which is age-appropriate). Supportive teacher–student relationships are known to be associated with improved academic outcomes in high-income contexts.
Aims
To investigate whether the academic and emotional support provided by teachers can protect against school delay for adolescents exposed to multiple types of violence and socio-economic disadvantage in South Africa.
Sample
High-risk sample of 503 adolescents aged 10–18 exposed to multiple types of violence and socio-economic disadvantage at home, in school, and in their communities.
Methods
Multilevel aggregated structural equation modelling was applied to pre/post-RCT data. This investigated whether associations between adolescent exposure to violence and school delay could be lessened by having teachers who were academically and/or emotionally supportive.
Results
More frequent exposure to ‘poly-violence’ and receiving more emotional support from teachers were independently associated with greater school delay. On the contrary, higher academic support from teachers was associated with lower school delay. Neither academic nor emotional teacher support was found to moderate the relationship between more frequent exposure to ‘poly-violence’ and an increased risk of adolescent school delay.
Conclusion
Adolescents’ academic support from teachers is low in poorly resourced school contexts in South Africa. School-based secondary prevention programmes assisting teachers with more training and academic support in deprived contexts have potential to reduce the impact of violence and socio-economic disadvantage on adolescents’ school delay.
Text
BJEP 2018 (accepted manuscript)
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 10 November 2017
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 January 2018
Published date: 8 February 2019
Keywords:
teacher support, school delay, violence, socioeconomic disadvantage, adolescence, South Africa
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 417191
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/417191
ISSN: 0007-0998
PURE UUID: 12adbbda-13de-4cc6-be2c-69f967163001
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 24 Jan 2018 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 06:07
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Contributors
Author:
Rocio Herrero Romero
Author:
Lucie Cluver
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