Educator workload and psychosocial well-being in South African secondary schools: a qualitative study in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Psychosocial challenges in schools are becoming a challenge that is experienced in different parts of the world. This might be due to pressure and expectations of schools. This article is based on a study that focused on psychosocial challenges faced by secondary school educators in Mankweng Circuit, South Africa. While recent studies emphasise overcrowding, violence and learners’ poor performance as key stressors, administrative duties, lack of support, conflicted relationships and lack of recognition are equally significant, yet these remain absent from current policy responses. The study aimed to explore psychosocial challenges with the intention of developing a framework that is responsive to the rural context. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted using a case study design. 11 educators were interviewed, and document frameworks and policies were analysed to compare the findings. Common themes were found and developed using thematic analysis. The study reveals that a lack of institutional support, educators’ workload and systemic barriers not only increase existing challenges but also actively transform perceived challenges into continuous psychosocial challenges, thereby making educators burnout highly likely under current school settings. Therefore, the study recommends that digital integration be explored as a potential supporting strategy, alongside adequate rural infrastructure, training and institutional support, for improving resource efficiency and easing workload, overcrowding and violence. Through the provision of rural infrastructure and digital literacy workshops, centralised data management, digital assessment systems, and automated reporting, the use of digital tools and online platforms can help to minimise, adequately resourced and supported, administrative tasks. The Department of Basic Education may directly address workload-induced burnout by giving educators the psychosocial support and tools they need to use technology for administrative effectiveness, innovative education, and learner engagement. In order to enable future advanced digital educational systems in schools, future research should concentrate on educators’ support programmes using grounded theories.