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How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?

The purpose of this study is to examine how the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impacts the psychological well-being of a woman teacher of colour. This study is situated within an Interpretivist research paradigm, and focuses on an oral narrative case study design via the process...

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Main Author: Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
Other Authors: Hardman, Joanne
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: School of Education 2025
Subjects:
High School
Western Cape
Teacher
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access_status_str Open Access
author Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
author2 Hardman, Joanne
author_browse Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
Hardman, Joanne
author_facet Hardman, Joanne
Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
author_sort Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
collection Thesis
description The purpose of this study is to examine how the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impacts the psychological well-being of a woman teacher of colour. This study is situated within an Interpretivist research paradigm, and focuses on an oral narrative case study design via the process of semi-structured interview questions involving one participant – a woman teacher of colour. I examine the research question through the method of Ryff's Model of Psychological well-being. Key findings show that this teacher's interpersonal relationships in the school were fractured along race lines with her principal favouring white teachers to teach subject-specific content. Moreover, personal relationships with her family-sister and husband-proved to be more positive and mitigated the negative effects of some interpersonal relationships in her work environment. In conclusion, this thesis examines how systemic racial and gender biases, coupled with autocratic leadership, adversely affected a woman teacher of colour's psychological well-being in a high school in the Western Cape. Recommendations include a holistic approach regarding policy reform, targeted interventions, and community involvement as essential to improve teacher well-being and, by extension, educational outcomes.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42198
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language English
eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:33:26.520Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher School of Education
publisherStr School of Education
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42198 How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour? Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle Hardman, Joanne Naidoo, Leigh-Ann High School Western Cape Teacher The purpose of this study is to examine how the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impacts the psychological well-being of a woman teacher of colour. This study is situated within an Interpretivist research paradigm, and focuses on an oral narrative case study design via the process of semi-structured interview questions involving one participant – a woman teacher of colour. I examine the research question through the method of Ryff's Model of Psychological well-being. Key findings show that this teacher's interpersonal relationships in the school were fractured along race lines with her principal favouring white teachers to teach subject-specific content. Moreover, personal relationships with her family-sister and husband-proved to be more positive and mitigated the negative effects of some interpersonal relationships in her work environment. In conclusion, this thesis examines how systemic racial and gender biases, coupled with autocratic leadership, adversely affected a woman teacher of colour's psychological well-being in a high school in the Western Cape. Recommendations include a holistic approach regarding policy reform, targeted interventions, and community involvement as essential to improve teacher well-being and, by extension, educational outcomes. 2025-11-12T11:40:25Z 2025-11-12T11:40:25Z 2025 2025-11-12T10:49:37Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MEd http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42198 en eng application/pdf School of Education Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town
spellingShingle High School
Western Cape
Teacher
Chunderduth, Trisha Nicolle
How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
thesis_degree_str Master's
title How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
title_full How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
title_fullStr How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
title_full_unstemmed How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
title_short How does the school culture of a high school in the Western Cape impact the psychological well-being of a teacher of colour?
title_sort how does the school culture of a high school in the western cape impact the psychological well being of a teacher of colour
topic High School
Western Cape
Teacher
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42198
work_keys_str_mv AT chunderduthtrishanicolle howdoestheschoolcultureofahighschoolinthewesterncapeimpactthepsychologicalwellbeingofateacherofcolour

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