A systematic review of school-based interventions in high risk schools

Abstract

This study is a systematic review of school-based interventions in high risk schools in Southern African context that make schools enabling spaces, and enhance young people’s positive educational psychology outcomes (socioemotional competence, learning support, study orientation, career counselling and family support). I used resilience theory as theoretical lens and post-positivism as meta-theory. Search terms relating to school-based interventions (Southern Africa AND school-based, intervention AND/OR primary OR high schools, AND/OR academic achievement OR vocational guidance) and educational psychology outcomes were used to sample intervention studies through electronic database searches, by hand and via networks within a research group. Predetermined criteria for inclusion or exclusion were used during screening with 440 articles matching criteria (i.e. published between 2007 and 2017; Southern African; school-based; primary or secondary schools; resource constrained; rural and urban settings). Of the identified studies, 41 met the criteria and were sampled for inclusion. The specific review protocol used for coding was the PICOC model (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes and context). It was evident that, as is the case globally, samples usually include high school students from urban schools. There is a high frequency of studies of this nature in the Western Cape and a paucity of studies in the Northern Cape. There was a prevalence of studies targeting socioemotional competence for especially objective health and well-being. Studies showed positive educational psychology outcomes for socio-emotional competence (bullying prevention, positive social adjustment for those affected by divorce, healthy lifestyles (eating, exercise, leisure), preventing substance abuse, sexuality education, rights-based psychosocial support to teachers and young people); learning support (reading, comprehension and self-regulation), study orientation (positive attitude towards learning and academic self-efficacy); career counselling (career adaptability and career knowledge). The data was silent on school-based interventions targeting family support outcomes.