The effects of bullying on teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase

Abstract

Bullying has a detrimental effect on teaching and learning and was a major problem in schools. The percentage of learners who were being bullied, who perform poorly academically and drop out is rising. The study was targeted at exploring bullying on teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. The population were all Foundation Phase teachers. Eight teachers from two schools were chosen using a purposive selection technique because the researcher was required to select one teacher from each grade, ranging from Grade R to Grade 3. The study was qualitative, and data was acquired through one-on-one interviews and non-participant observation. Thematic analysis was used to combine the data into pertinent topics. The study used Dr. Judith S. Beck's (2020) Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy as its theoretical framework and the research design was based on participatory action research. The study assumes that bullying affects how teachers and learners feel, as well as their health and physical well-being. The study recommends that adding activities that help young learners learn about feelings and social skills is important for reducing bullying.