Chapter 4: Findings
4.10 The impact of the intervention programme on the action research process
definitional vagueness” (p.56). Thus ETB is reported by neither the learner nor the educator and thus continues unabated. Not much literature is available on ETB, thus further research is needed to provide conclusive answers to this type of bullying.
4.10 The impact of the intervention programme on the
programme addressing the concerns and gaps which emerged from data collected in the initial data collection process was developed.
One intervention process involved the SAPS Community Youth Desk Forum. The members of this forum were called in to address learners of the school on concerns relating to bullying. Members of the SAPS spoke to the learners highlighting aspects of bullying that was relevant to them as learners. Clarity was sought and learners seemed to leave the workshop which a much clearer understanding of bullying. Their broader knowledge was revealed in their responses in the final data collection process. The RCL members were then asked to disseminate the knowledge gained from this workshop to the learners in their respective classes.
Once this was done, RCL members reported on an ad hoc basis to the researcher on responses made by learners in their classes. The RCL then reconvened at a focus group discussion and it was decided that bullying would be discussed more formally in the classroom by educators. This intervention process was done in the English and Life Orientation lessons.
Educators engaged learners on various aspects and matters related to bullying through the curriculum for the respective subjects. Learners had the opportunity to engage with each other, educators and their RCL on the topic of bullying. Clarity was sought and received. Following this intervention process, all learners were asked to complete posters and paragraphs on bullying (these have been discussed above). The RCL completed the paragraphs and posters which have been outlined and discussed above and, without revealing their names on the paragraphs and posters, handed them into the researcher as the final data collection process. The rest of the learners handed responses into their respective educators. The final step involved the analysis of the data which has been discussed in this chapter.
In order to ascertain if the intervention had a positive impact on the real situation of bullying in the school, I had to compare the data gathered in the initial data collection process with the data from the final data collection process. This comparison is discussed next.
4.10.2 Researcher Reflections on the action research process
The following changes in the data collected at different stages were noted.
Learners developed a more comprehensive understanding of the concept of bullying. At first, a definition of bullying was limited to involving bigger boys who used their power over younger learners. After the intervention strategies, they realised that even the forceful taking of lunch by any learner constituted an incident of bullying. In the initial data collection stage, only 4 of the 19 respondents stated that a lot of bullying occurred in the school. At the end of the project, in the final data collection stage, all learners agreed that there was a lot of bullying on the school premises.
This could mean that learners had acquired knowledge and insight via the intervention process that later helped them to better understand and accurately discuss dynamics related to bullying. This involved a basic identification of bullying incidents as well as an understanding of the causes of bullying.
In the initial data collection stage, 5 learners felt that the bullies home/family background played a role in the creation of a bully. In the final data collection stage 11 of the 19 participants stated that home/family background was instrumental in creating a bully. It thus seems as if the intervention process has had a significant impact on the learners‟
understanding of bullying and the causes of bullying.
Personally, the intervention process, while helping learners acquire knowledge on bullying, helped me as an educator identify aspects of
bullying that needed to be addressed. Some of these have already been addressed. These included a more holistic definition of bullying, the causes of bullying as well as identification of bullying incidents and hotspots.
4.10.3 Next Phase of Action Research
While this project involved one cycle of the action research process, I have come to realise that one cycle was not enough to adequately address all the concerns relating to bullying at this school. While learners were better able to identify examples of bullying, the fact that they did not mention new-age/cyber bullying means that gaps still exist in this area of their understanding. Furthermore, while learners admitted, in the final data collection stage to girls also being a part of bullying, the silence of cross- gender bullying, or more specifically, girls bullying boys, still exists. This is another area that still needs to be explored. Learners had, as part of the initial data collection process, mentioned that RCL members needed to be workshopped on counseling skills needed to help learners cope with bullying. Because of the time constraints experienced, this was something that was not done. It could be included as part of the next phase of action research at the school. All of these aspects mentioned above, will form part of the next cycle of action research that will take place at the school, which will take place outside the ambit of this MEd project.