SCHOOL CONNECTEDNESS: EXPLORING THE CONCEPT IN ZIMBABWEAN SCHOOLS
Journal Title: Academic Research International - Year 2013, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
This study on ‘school connectedness’ arose from the motivation of the authors to establish the extent to which students in high schools in Zimbabwe perceived as the source and of their academic and social supports from significant groups (adults, peers and teachers) within the schools. This support from important groups within the schools was hypothesised to give a feeling of being supported by adults, feeling of being supported by peers, feeling of being supported by peers which would lead to feelings of being part of the schools and a perception that schools were a safe place to be in. Specific objectives of the study were to measure the level of connectedness, find the variations in connectedness by school type and by gender. The study employed the School Connectedness Scale (SCS), a simple five-item survey instrument that has been extensively used in the United States of America. Using a sample size of 151 students from one Form IV class at each of four different types of school (Government boys only, Government girls only; Christian Mission school with boys and girls and a Government day high School) this study found that: close to 80% of students were happy/very happy with being in the schools where they were and agreed/strongly agreed that they felt they were part of their schools. A much lower percentage of 60% felt that they were close to the adults in their schools and that their schools were safe places in which to be. Almost a third of the studentrespondents felt that their schools were not safe places to be in. Interestingly, only 43% of the students agreed/strongly agreed that their teachers treated their students with fairness. Almost half of the students (48%) disagreed/strongly disagreed that their teachers treated students fairly. No important differences in connectedness were found by school type (which was surprising) and by gender which seemed consistent with findings elsewhere. Average levels of connectedness in all schools showed that students were disconnected/ disengaged. Research with bigger samples from primary to tertiary education and more triangulating techniques are recommended. Also recommended is the engagement of practitioners and policy makers in strategies to raise the level of student connectedness but more to engage in preventive strategies because it is known that the situation becomes very difficult to correct once students have been allowed to slide into health risk behaviours (which result from low connectedness).
Authors and Affiliations
John Mapfumo, Patricia Muchena
Keywords
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