“I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention
Grade retention is the practice of holding back learners who have failed to meet specific promotional requirements as stipulated by policy, in the same grade. The main objective of the research reported on here was to determine Foundation Phase (Grades 1–3) learners’ experiences and perceptions of g...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Education Association of South Africa
2022-08-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Education |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/article/view/2054/1194 |
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| author | Maureen Hadebe Moeniera Moosa |
| author_facet | Maureen Hadebe Moeniera Moosa |
| author_sort | Maureen Hadebe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grade retention is the practice of holding back learners who have failed to meet specific promotional requirements as stipulated by policy, in the same grade. The main objective of the research reported on here was to determine Foundation Phase (Grades 1–3) learners’ experiences and perceptions of grade retention. The theoretical framework used was Messiou’s (2006) conceptualisation of marginalisation. In this study we employed a phenomenographic, qualitative research approach. Twelve participants who had repeated grades in the Foundation Phase at a school in Johannesburg, South Africa, were purposively selected. Data were collected by means of one-on-one interviews, “blob trees”, drawings, and collages from participants about their views and experiences of retention. The findings of this study reveal that learners were not psychologically prepared to be retained. Most learners experienced being bullied by their peers and teachers due to being retained, which led to them feeling excluded and marginalised. A correlation was found between parents’ and teachers’ views of retention and learners’ experiences. Future research should focus on learners’ experiences of retention at different schools and in different school phases in South Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4cab0ce43f9d4a17b3d65274211d2147 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0256-0100 2076-3433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Education Association of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-4cab0ce43f9d4a17b3d65274211d21472025-01-22T07:09:26ZengEducation Association of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Education0256-01002076-34332022-08-0142311010.15700/saje.v42n3a2054“I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retentionMaureen Hadebe0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2238-4300Moeniera Moosa1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6231-9370School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaSchool of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaGrade retention is the practice of holding back learners who have failed to meet specific promotional requirements as stipulated by policy, in the same grade. The main objective of the research reported on here was to determine Foundation Phase (Grades 1–3) learners’ experiences and perceptions of grade retention. The theoretical framework used was Messiou’s (2006) conceptualisation of marginalisation. In this study we employed a phenomenographic, qualitative research approach. Twelve participants who had repeated grades in the Foundation Phase at a school in Johannesburg, South Africa, were purposively selected. Data were collected by means of one-on-one interviews, “blob trees”, drawings, and collages from participants about their views and experiences of retention. The findings of this study reveal that learners were not psychologically prepared to be retained. Most learners experienced being bullied by their peers and teachers due to being retained, which led to them feeling excluded and marginalised. A correlation was found between parents’ and teachers’ views of retention and learners’ experiences. Future research should focus on learners’ experiences of retention at different schools and in different school phases in South Africa.http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/article/view/2054/1194exclusionfoundation phasegrade retentioninclusioninclusive educationlearner’s voicemarginalisation |
| spellingShingle | Maureen Hadebe Moeniera Moosa “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention South African Journal of Education exclusion foundation phase grade retention inclusion inclusive education learner’s voice marginalisation |
| title | “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention |
| title_full | “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention |
| title_fullStr | “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention |
| title_short | “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experiences of grade retention |
| title_sort | i thought i was going to pass learners experiences of grade retention |
| topic | exclusion foundation phase grade retention inclusion inclusive education learner’s voice marginalisation |
| url | http://www.sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/article/view/2054/1194 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maureenhadebe ithoughtiwasgoingtopasslearnersexperiencesofgraderetention AT moenieramoosa ithoughtiwasgoingtopasslearnersexperiencesofgraderetention |