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Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre

Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025

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Other Authors: Liccardo, Sabrina
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2026
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Liccardo, Sabrina
author_browse Liccardo, Sabrina
author_facet Liccardo, Sabrina
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107451
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-07-01T04:04:19.506Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2026
publishDateRange 2026
publishDateSort 2026
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/107451 Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre Liccardo, Sabrina u16123728@tuks.co.za Dhlamini, Zanele, S. UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Correctional education Rehabilitation Phenomenological Transformation South African correctional centre Lived experiences Correctional educators Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2025 Correctional educators (CEs) occupy a unique and often overlooked space at the intersection of education and incarceration, tasked with delivering learning under conditions shaped by constraint, control, and contradiction. While education is championed as a pillar of rehabilitation, little is known about CEs, particularly those providing education within South African correctional centres. Therefore, this study explored the lived experiences of CEs facilitating education programmes at a South African correctional centre. Guided by a phenomenological research design within a qualitative interpretivist framework, the study drew on the insights of eleven purposively sampled participants. Semi-structured interviews formed the primary mode of data collection, and analysis was conducted thematically through the lens of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and Freire’s Critical Pedagogy. These theoretical tools offered a dual lens, with the former capturing internal transformation and later interrogating structural constraints. Four main themes emerged from the analysed data, namely, exceeding expectations: cultivating positivity and fulfilment; perceptions of education as a powerful transformational tool; institutional red tape and resilience of correctional educators; and challenges in educational support and resource management. The findings revealed a passionate yet precarious teaching community, one that finds purpose in fostering growth and redemption among incarcerated learners but remains hindered by systematic barriers. Participants spoke of personal gratification and mutual growth, even as they navigated shortages in resources, personnel, and professional development. Their narratives painted a picture of resilience, pedagogical improvisation, and a deep commitment to humanising education in dehumanising spaces. This study contributes to correctional education discourse and scholarship by foregrounding the voices of CEs and offering practical recommendations to enhance institutional responsiveness. Key among these are a need for improved resource allocation, investment in continuous professional development, and a shift toward recognising CEs not merely as service providers, but as agents of transformation within a complex and often contradictory system. Psychology MA (Research Psychology) Unrestricted Faculty of Humanities SDG-04: Quality education SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions 2026-01-21T12:47:46Z 2026-01-21T12:47:46Z 2026-04 2025 Mini Dissertation * April 2026 (A2026) http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107451 10.25403/UPresearchdata.31101367 en © 2024 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Correctional education
Rehabilitation
Phenomenological
Transformation
South African correctional centre
Lived experiences
Correctional educators
Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title_full Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title_fullStr Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title_full_unstemmed Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title_short Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre
title_sort experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one south african correctional centre
topic UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Correctional education
Rehabilitation
Phenomenological
Transformation
South African correctional centre
Lived experiences
Correctional educators
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107451