Experiences of educators facilitating education programmes at one South African correctional centre

Abstract

Correctional educators (CEs) occupy a unique and often overlooked space at the intersection of education and incarceration, tasked with delivering learning under conditions shaped by constraint, control, and contradiction. While education is championed as a pillar of rehabilitation, little is known about CEs, particularly those providing education within South African correctional centres. Therefore, this study explored the lived experiences of CEs facilitating education programmes at a South African correctional centre. Guided by a phenomenological research design within a qualitative interpretivist framework, the study drew on the insights of eleven purposively sampled participants. Semi-structured interviews formed the primary mode of data collection, and analysis was conducted thematically through the lens of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and Freire’s Critical Pedagogy. These theoretical tools offered a dual lens, with the former capturing internal transformation and later interrogating structural constraints. Four main themes emerged from the analysed data, namely, exceeding expectations: cultivating positivity and fulfilment; perceptions of education as a powerful transformational tool; institutional red tape and resilience of correctional educators; and challenges in educational support and resource management. The findings revealed a passionate yet precarious teaching community, one that finds purpose in fostering growth and redemption among incarcerated learners but remains hindered by systematic barriers. Participants spoke of personal gratification and mutual growth, even as they navigated shortages in resources, personnel, and professional development. Their narratives painted a picture of resilience, pedagogical improvisation, and a deep commitment to humanising education in dehumanising spaces. This study contributes to correctional education discourse and scholarship by foregrounding the voices of CEs and offering practical recommendations to enhance institutional responsiveness. Key among these are a need for improved resource allocation, investment in continuous professional development, and a shift toward recognising CEs not merely as service providers, but as agents of transformation within a complex and often contradictory system.