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Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools
Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613764961959936 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Passenz, Marisa Charne |
| author2 | Davids, Nuraan |
| author_browse | Davids, Nuraan Passenz, Marisa Charne |
| author_facet | Davids, Nuraan Passenz, Marisa Charne |
| author_sort | Passenz, Marisa Charne |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131883 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:20.497Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/131883 Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools Passenz, Marisa Charne Davids, Nuraan Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. Democracy and education Belonging (Social psychology) Place attachment Inclusive education -- South Africa Mainstreaming in education -- South Africa Education -- Philosophy UCTD Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2024. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Schools play a huge role in the cultivation of democratic citizens and in fostering belonging among learners in South Africa. As a virtue of democratic citizenship, notions and experiences of belonging and inclusion are as crucial to young children as to adult citizens. To belong is to feel a sense of inclusion, recognition and safety. For schools, the importance and challenges of cultivating belonging among learners (as well as teachers) resides in understanding the inherent diversity within any school. Diversity is not only embodied in race, culture, gender, religion, or ethnicity. It is also found in class, language, sexuality, and capabilities. Unless schools understand the immense sets of differences within diversity, they will not see the importance of fostering a school where each learner feels a sense of belonging. There is mutuality in the principles of democratic citizenship education (DCE) and a sense of belonging, which is often taught and fostered in schools to nurture citizens who can freely and actively participate in society. Inasmuch as it is problematic to assume that the citizenship of the youth in South Africa is based primarily on educational practices of citizenship education, it is fundamental to acknowledge that the majority of young people’s knowledge and learning of democracy and citizenship takes place in schools. This knowledge accordingly informs their understanding of their own citizenship. This study sought to explore whether schools attend to the importance of democratic citizenship education by instilling a sense of belonging among learners. By using a qualitative, interpretivist approach, the study attempted to explore how schools incorporate and cultivate DCE in their daily practices; the kinds of policies and programmes implemented at schools geared at promoting and specifically ensuring inclusion and belonging; gain perspectives on how learners understand DCE and belonging; how teachers view and understand their role in contributing to democratic citizenship education; and lastly, whether and how belonging is fostered in schools by teachers and principals. The research sample comprised 24 participants - two Life Orientation teachers, one principal and five learners per school - from three Metro North Education District high schools. Some of the key findings include that, teachers recognise the importance of modelling good citizen conduct, as opposed to just teaching about it; despite years of teaching experience, principals were not knowledgeable about DCE, inclusion, and belonging and assumed learners did not experience significant arginalisation or exclusion; schools had limited to no policies or strategies directed at cultivating learner inclusion and belonging; and learners shared that an absence of belonging impacted their academic success and the likelihood of remaining in school. Some of the key findings include that, teachers recognise the importance of modelling good citizen conduct, as opposed to just teaching about it; despite years of teaching experience, principals were not knowledgeable about DCE, inclusion, and belonging and assumed learners did not experience significant marginalisation or exclusion; schools had limited to no policies or strategies directed at cultivating learner inclusion and belonging; and learners shared that an absence of belonging impacted their academic success and the likelihood of remaining in school. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skole speel 'n enorme rol in die kweek van demokratiese burgers en in die bevordering van 'n gevoel van behoort onder leerders in Suid-Afrika. As 'n deug van demokratiese burgerskap is idees en ervarings van behoort en insluiting net so belangrik vir jong kinders as vir volwasse burgers. Om te behoort is om 'n gevoel van insluiting, erkenning en veiligheid te ervaar. Vir skole lê die belangrikheid en uitdaging om ‘n gevoel van behoort onder leerders (sowel as onderwysers) te kweek daarin om die inherente diversiteit binne enige skool te verstaan. Diversiteit word nie net beliggaam in ras, kultuur, geslag, godsdiens of etnisiteit nie. Dit word ook gevind in klas, taal, seksualiteit en vermoëns. Tensy skole die geweldige stelle verskille binne diversiteit verstaan, sal hulle nie die belangrikheid daarvan insien om 'n skool te bevorder waar elke leerder 'n gevoel van behoort ervaar nie. Daar is wedersydsheid in die beginsels van demokratiese burgerskaps onderwys (DBO) en 'n gevoel van behoort, wat dikwels in skole geleer en bevorder word om burgers te koester wat vrylik en aktief aan die samelewing kan deelneem. Aangesien dit problematies is om aan te neem dat die burgerskap van die jeug in Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik gebaseer is op opvoedkundige praktyke van burgerskapsonderwys, is dit fundamenteel om te erken dat die meeste jongmense se kennis en leer van demokrasie en burgerskap in skole plaasvind. Hierdie kennis vorm gevolglik hul begrip van hul eie burgerskap. Hierdie studie het gepoog om te ondersoek of skole aandag skenk aan die belangrikheid van demokratiese burgerskapopvoeding deur 'n gevoel van behoort by leerders in te boesem. Deur 'n kwalitatiewe, interpretivistiese benadering te gebruik, het die studie gepoog om te ondersoek hoe skole DBO in hul daaglikse praktyke inkorporeer en kweek; die soort beleide en programme wat by skole geïmplementeer word wat daarop gemik is om insluiting en toebehore te bevorder en spesifiek te verseker; perspektiewe te kry oor hoe leerders DBO verstaan en behoort; hoe onderwysers hul rol in die bydrae tot demokratiese burgerskaponderwys beskou en verstaan; en laastens, of en hoe behoort in skole deur onderwysers en skoolhoofde bevorder word. Die navorsingsmonster het bestaan uit 24 deelnemers – twee Lewensoriëntering-onderwysers, een skoolhoof en vyf leerders per skool – van drie hoërskole Metro-Noord Onderwysdistrik. Sommige van die belangrikste bevindings sluit in: onderwysers besef hoe belangrik dit is om goeie burgergedrag te modelleer, in teenstelling met net onderrig daaroor; ten spyte van jare se onderrigondervinding was skoolhoofde nie ingelig oor DKD, insluiting en behoort nie en het veronderstelde leerders nie beduidende marginalisering of uitsluiting ervaar nie; skole beperk was tot geen beleide of strategieë wat daarop gemik was om leerderinsluiting en -behoort te kweek nie; en eerders het gedeel dat 'n afwesigheid van behoort hul akademiese sukses en die waarskynlikheid om in die skool te bly, beïnvloed het. Masters 2025-04-07T08:17:35Z 2025-04-07T08:17:35Z 2024-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131883 Stellenbosch University 170 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Democracy and education Belonging (Social psychology) Place attachment Inclusive education -- South Africa Mainstreaming in education -- South Africa Education -- Philosophy UCTD Passenz, Marisa Charne Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title | Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title_full | Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title_fullStr | Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title_full_unstemmed | Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title_short | Belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in South African schools |
| title_sort | belonging as a cultivation of democratic citizenship education in south african schools |
| topic | Democracy and education Belonging (Social psychology) Place attachment Inclusive education -- South Africa Mainstreaming in education -- South Africa Education -- Philosophy UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/131883 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT passenzmarisacharne belongingasacultivationofdemocraticcitizenshipeducationinsouthafricanschools |