The educational support of teenage mothers at Western Cape school

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy has increased in recent years, and it is viewed as a social problem that has led to various research studies. Most teenage mothers are more motivated to complete their schooling and pursue further education after giving birth. Due to the high number of teenage mothers returning to school, it became essential to understand the educational support they utilise to fulfil their schooling goals. The research attempted to explore the different support that is made available to them. The study aimed to explore the educational support of teenage mothers at a Western Cape school. The study used a qualitative methodological paradigm, and an interpretive approach was followed. The data was collected using a single case study as a qualitative research design. Ten teenage mothers, nine parents, four teachers, and principal were selected as the target population using the purposive sampling method. In-depth individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the data. A schedule of interview questions enabled the participants to reveal their views and experiences on the topic of study. A thematic qualitative data analysis was used to create meaning from the collected data.