Abstract:
This study sought to examine how educators provided psychosocial support services to adolescent
male learners with behavioural problems in three Insiza District Secondary Schools, Matabeleland
South Province. The study was guided by interpretivist paradigm, adopted qualitative approach
and employed case study design. Data were collected from a population sample comprising twelve
male learners, three educators and three counsellors through focus group discussions for learners,
and in-depth semi-structured interviews for educators and counsellors. The results of the study
revealed that educators established the needs of the individual learners first before applying the
intervention. The study found that the strategies used by educators to provide psychosocial support
services to adolescent male learners involved promoting mindfulness, promoting social, emotional
and behavioural learning, enhancing connectedness among learners, staff, and families, providing
psychosocial skills training and cognitive behavioural interventions and guidance and counselling.
The findings further indicated that adolescent male learners with behavioural problems were taught
life skills such as team work, responsibility, good decision making, critical thinking, stress
management, health and life skills, honesty and integrity. They are also taught tolerance, selfsufficiency, relationships, self-esteem, self-control, communication skills, conflict resolution, and,
leadership skills and community involvement. The study established that educators encountered a
number of challenges in provision of psychosocial support services to adolescent male learners
with behaviour problems. The challenges comprised inadequate training, stress and emotional
strain, lack of support, time constraints, difficulty in establishing rapport, and vicarious
traumatisation. The study concluded that despite the challenges faced in providing psychosocial
support services to adolescent male learners with behaviour problems, educators in selected Insiza
District Secondary Schools used varied strategies to assist learners. The study recommended that
the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should intensify training of educators to equip
them with requisite knowledge and skills on provision of psychosocial support in schools. |
