354
Views
140
PDF Downloads
60
XML Views
Open Access
Psychosocial Effect of Grade Retention of Learners in The Foundation Phase: A South African Case Study
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose – This study to explore teachers' perceptions on the impact of grade retention on the psychosocial wellbeing of Grade 1 learners in South Africa.
Design/methods/approach – This study adopted a qualitative case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. It was grounded in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model as a theoretical framework. Data was collected through unobtrusive observation of four learners and a focus group interviews with the two teacher participants. An observation schedule was used by each teacher to record her observation and the semi-structured interview schedule was used during the focus group interview. The data was analysed using Creswell's 6 steps of data analysis using thematic approach. Through inductive process theme were identified and reported against. Ethical principles were adhered to as guided by the University of Pretoria's ethical guidelines for research. Approval for this study was obtained from the university.
Findings – The findings revealed that grade retention affected young learners behaviours, emotions, social relationships and academic performance. Furthermore, retained learners exhibited signs of academic frustration, poor self-esteem, emotional outbursts and social challenges. Participants (teachers) shared ambivalent views regarding the department's retention policy. Teachers expressed mixed feelings about policy retention while other critiqued its emotional and social toll on learners.
Research implications/limitations – The sample size was small with only two teachers and four learners, thus limiting the generalisability and transferability of the findings. A larger sample size with different grades may yield different result. Furthermore, geographically, the study was limited to only one province namely KwaZulu-Natal. Additionally, the study relied on teacher perspectives which may not fully represent the learner experiences or parental views.
Practical implications – Some of the practical implications are policy revision — it is recommended that South African policymakers reconsider the retention policy by integrating psychosocial well-being criteria. Additionally, professional development is recommended so that teachers are equipped to recognize and manage the emotional impact of retention. An alternative intervention is to introduce support mechanisms such as remedial programs or peer support systems, rather than relying on retention. Finally, there should be a shift from an academic performance-centred curriculum to one that includes life skills and emotional intelligence development.
Originality/value – This study offers a fresh perspective by highlighting the often-overlooked emotional consequences of grade retention. It adds value to the discourse by advocating for a more holistic approach to education that prioritizes psychosocial support alongside academic achievement. The study also contributes by proposing practical, systemic changes that can inform both policy and classroom practice in the South African context.
Paper type Research paper
Keywords:
Downloads
1. Introduction
Globally, education systems are increasingly being challenged to provide equitable and supportive learning environments, particularly in the foundational years of schooling. Among the debated interventions is grade retention, a practice whereby learners are made to repeat a grade if they fail to meet academic or developmental benchmarks(Gonzalez-Betancor & Lopez-Puig, 2016). While this strategy is often implemented to offer learners another opportunity to succeed, it remains contentious due to its far-reaching psychosocial implications(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022)(Merga, 2019)(Pipa et al., 2024). In the South African context, the Foundation Phase (Grades R–3) is pivotal for learners' social, emotional, and cognitive development, making grade retention in these years especially consequential(Louw & Louw, 2023). Concerns surrounding the long-term effects of retention—such as diminished self-esteem, social stigma, and elevated dropout rates—highlight the need to reassess this practice, especially for younger learners(Horwitz, 2019-08-30)(Xia & Glennie, 2005).
Extensive literature reveals that retained learners often suffer emotionally and socially, with studies indicating an increase in anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from peers(Schaack et al., 2022)(Canegem, 2022)(Wu et al., 2010). Research consistently reports that grade retention in the early years disrupts peer relationships, fosters a sense of failure, and creates a psychological burden that learners carry into later schooling years(Hill, 2023)(Merga, 2019)(Pipa et al., 2024). These psychosocial effects are compounded by learners' perceptions of being different or “less capable” than their peers, leading to low self-concept and school disengagement(Goos et al., 2021)(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022). Furthermore, evidence indicates that the transition into new peer groups after retention may exacerbate social isolation and identity confusion(Muchemwa, 2017)(Pipa et al., 2024)(Schaack et al., 2022). Despite these findings, grade retention continues to be used as a remediation strategy in numerous countries, including South Africa, often without adequate consideration of these psychosocial risks(Horwitz, 2019-08-30)(Xia & Glennie, 2005).
Studies also show divergent global perspectives on grade retention, reflecting national education policies and cultural values. In Nordic countries such as Norway and Iceland, grade retention is virtually banned, based on the belief that children should progress with their age cohort(Education & A, 2011)(Goos et al., 2013)(Muchemwa, 2017). Conversely, in countries like South Africa, retention is implemented under specific promotion criteria and developmental benchmarks, particularly in the Foundation Phase(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022). In Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, retention practices differ significantly, reflecting variations in national education agendas and socioeconomic contexts(Education & A, 2011)(Eyasu, 2017)(Muchemwa, 2017). These global inconsistencies underscore the importance of localised research, particularly in underrepresented contexts like South Africa, to assess the impact of retention on learner wellbeing and educational outcomes.
In addition to cultural and policy differences, previous research has illuminated the complex psychosocial challenges learners face post-retention. Teachers often observe emotional distress, diminished classroom engagement, and behavioural issues among retained learners(Hung & Lin, 2025)(López-Montón et al., 2025)(Merga, 2019)(Wu et al., 2010)(Wu et al., 2025). These behavioural patterns include aggression, social withdrawal, and non-participation, frequently misinterpreted as disinterest rather than signs of underlying emotional trauma(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022)(Maloney et al., 2024)(Rosa et al., 2025)(Sharafi et al., 2025)(Stein et al., 2025)(Canegem, 2022)(Loon-Dikkers et al., 2025). Furthermore, retention disrupts the continuity of peer relationships, which are crucial during early childhood for building confidence, communication skills, and social identity(Hill, 2023)(Louw & Louw, 2023)(Schaack et al., 2022). Studies also indicate that such early negative experiences can create a cyclical pattern of disengagement, lowered expectations, and eventual school dropout(Giano et al., 2022)(Horwitz, 2019-08-30)(Jimerson, 2001)(Martins et al., 2024).
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory offers a useful framework for analysing how retention affects young learners, positioning them within interconnected systems that shape their development(Bronfenbrenner, 1979)(Louw & Louw, 2023). At the microsystem level, classroom dynamics, peer interactions, and teacher support critically influence the learner’s daily psychosocial experience(Merga, 2019)(Pipa et al., 2024)(Venketsamy et al., 2021). The mesosystem involves teacher-parent relationships and the home environment, which may either mitigate or exacerbate the learner’s psychological response to retention(Giano et al., 2022)(Ouidani et al., 2022)(Xia & Glennie, 2005). Institutional policies within the exosystem—such as retention guidelines and assessment practices—also indirectly shape learners’ psychosocial wellbeing(Education & A, 2011)(Gonzalez-Betancor & Lopez-Puig, 2016). Finally, the macrosystem and chronosystem frame how societal values and long-term exposure to educational practices affect developmental trajectories over time(Bronfenbrenner, 1989)(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022)(Xia & Glennie, 2005).
Despite the breadth of literature on grade retention, there remains a paucity of research focusing specifically on the psychosocial dimensions of retention in early grades within the South African context. Prior studies have largely concentrated on academic outcomes, often neglecting nuanced teacher observations on learners’ emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, and peer relationships(Hadebe & Moosa, 2022)(Pipa et al., 2024)(Xia & Glennie, 2005). Furthermore, existing research is limited in its exploration of how retention impacts learners' day-to-day classroom experiences and long-term identity formation(Hill, 2023)(Canegem, 2022)(Wu et al., 2010). The lack of qualitative insights from teachers—who observe these dynamics firsthand—presents a significant gap in the discourse, particularly regarding emotional development in the Foundation Phase(Merga, 2019)(Schaack et al., 2022)(Venketsamy et al., 2021). This omission
Article Details
How to Cite
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process. It can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Harvard University Press.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological Systems Theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of Child Development (Vol. 6, pp. 187–249). JAI Press.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (8th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315456539
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage Publications.
Dini, J. P. A. U. (2021). The Role of Student’s Parent in Shaping Home Learning Environment (HLE) for Early Childhood. Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 5(2), 1512–1535.
Education, A. and C. E. A. (2011). Grade Retention During Compulsory Education in Europe: Regulations and Statistics. Author. https://doi.org/10.2797/50570
Eyasu, N. (2017). Causes of Grade Nine Students’ Grade Retention in General Secondary Schools of Dabat Woreda in North Gondar, Ethiopia. International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies, 5(2), 84–100. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.2p.84
Giano, Z., Williams, A. L., & Becnel, J. N. (2022). Grade Retention and School Dropout: Comparing Specific Grade Levels Across Childhood and Early Adolescence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 42(1), 33–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/02724316211010332
Gonzalez-Betancor, S. M., & Lopez-Puig, A. J. (2016). Grade Retention in Primary Education is Associated with a Quarter of Birth and Socioeconomic Status. PLoS ONE, 11(11), e0166431. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166431
Goos, M., Pipa, J., & Peixoto, F. (2021). Effectiveness of Grade Retention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Educational Research Review, 34, 100401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100401
Goos, M., Van Damme, J., Onghena, P., Petry, K., & De Bilde, J. (2013). First-Grade Retention in the Flemish Educational Context: Effects on Children’s Academic Growth, Psychosocial Growth, and School Career Throughout Primary Education. Journal of School Psychology, 51(3), 323–347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2013.03.002
Hadebe, M., & Moosa, M. (2022). “I thought I was going to pass”: Learners’ experience of grade retention. South African Journal of Education, 42(3). https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v42n3a2054
Hill, S. (2023). Student Anxiety: How Does School Affect Mental Health? Helium. https://tryhealium.com/blog/why-is-school-so-stressful
Horwitz, D. (2019, August 30). The true cost of our failing education system. The Star. https://dgmt.co.za/the-true-cost-of-our-failing-education-system
Hung, T.-C., & Lin, L.-Y. (2025). Predictors and clinical implications of emotional distress on the day of discharge in hospitalized patients. Applied Nursing Research, 84, 151978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2025.151978
Jimerson, S. R. (2001). Meta-analysis of Grade Retention Research: Implications for Practice in the 21st Century. School Psychology Review, 30(3), 420–438.
Koszalka, T. A., & Whorway, D. G. (2024). Development and Validation of a Learner Interactions Behavioral Observation Checklist (BOC). American Journal of Distance Education, 39(1), 76–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2024.2303334
López-Montón, M., Aonso-Diego, G., & Estévez, A. (2025). Body dissatisfaction in older adults: The role of social media, emotion regulation, social support, emotional distress, and coping strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 245, 113282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113282
Louw, D., & Louw, A. (2023). Child and Adolescent Development. Psychology Publications.
Maloney, J. E., Whitehead, J., Long, D., Kaufmann, J., Oberle, E., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Cianfrone, M., Gist, A., & Samji, H. (2024). Supporting adolescent well-being at school: Integrating transformative social and emotional learning and trauma-informed education. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy, 4, 100044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2024.100044
Maree, K. (2020). First Steps in Research. Van Schaik.
Martins, J., Rosário, P., Cunha, J., Carlos Núñez, J., Vallejo, G., & Moreira, T. (2024). How to help students in their transition to middle school? Effectiveness of a school-based group mentoring program promoting students’ engagement, self-regulation, and goal setting. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 76, 102230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102230
Merga, M. K. (2019). “Fallen through the cracks”: Teachers’ perceptions of barriers faced by struggling literacy learners in secondary school. English in Education, 54(4), 371–395. https://doi.org/10.1080/04250494.2019.1672502
Muchemwa, S. (2017). Grade Retention at Primary School: What the Teachers in Zimbabwe Say. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 3(3), 82–93. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v3i3p82
Nieuwenhuis, J. (2016). Introducing qualitative research. In K. Maree & 2nd (Eds.), First Steps in Research. Van Schaik.
Okeke, C. I. O., & van Wyk, M. M. (2015). Educational Research: An African approach. Oxford University Press.
Ouidani, Y. E., Youssef, S., & Baghdadi, E. L. (2022). Exploring problem behavior in the Moroccan EFL high school classroom: Types, causes, and coping strategies. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 7(8), 1069–1084.
Pipa, J., Daniel, J. R., & Peixoto, F. (2024). Effects of grade retention in lower secondary education on students’ self-concept, self-esteem, goal orientation and school career. Psychology in the Schools, 61(5), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23145
Podschuweit, N. (2021). How ethical challenges of covert observations can be met in practice. Research Ethics, 17(3), 309–327. https://doi.org/10.1177/17470161211008218
Rosa, I., Conti, C., Lanzara, R., Ceccato, I., Gallelli, C., La Malva, P., Domenico, A. D., & Porcelli, P. (2025). The echoes of childhood: How parental bonding and emotional trauma shape loneliness in young adults. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 21, 100938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2025.100938
Schaack, D. D., Donovan, C. V., Adejumo, T., & Ortega, M. (2022). To Stay or to Leave: Factors Shaping Early Childhood Teachers’ Turnover and Retention Decisions. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 36(2), 327–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2021.1951930
Sharafi, A., Hasani, J., Shahabi, M., & Abdolloahi, M. H. (2025). The relationship between childhood trauma and obsession is mediated by emotional schema and reappraisal. Acta Psychologica, 254, 104860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104860
Stein, S. F., Nuttall, A. K., Gearhardt, A. N., Riley, H. O., Kaciroti, N., Rosenblum, K. L., Lumeng, J. C., & Miller, A. L. (2025). Trajectories and predictors of maternal eating behaviors across the first year postpartum: The role of women’s childhood trauma in emotional, external and restraint eating. Eating Behaviors, 56, 101946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2025.101946
Van Canegem, T. (2022). Grade Retention: Helpful or Harmful? A Contextual Study Towards the Non-Cognitive Outcomes of Grade Retention from a Cross-National Perspective [Ghent University]. https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8756872
Van der Berg, S., Girdwood, E., Shepherd, D., Van Wyk, C., Kruger, J., Viljoen, J., & Ntaka, P. (2013). The Impact of the Introduction of Grade R on Learning Outcomes. University of Stellenbosch. https://resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Grade-R-Evaluation-1-3-25-Final-Unpublished-Report-13-06-17.pdf
Van Loon-Dikkers, A. L. C., Tierolf, B., Schuengel, C., & Steketee, M. J. (2025). Linking family violence and children’s trauma symptoms through attachment and emotional insecurity. Acta Psychologica, 256, 104967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104967
Venketsamy, R., Hu, Z., & Beyers, M. (2021). Teacher Experiences of Learner Retention in the Foundation Phase and Its Effect on Learners’ Academic and Social Development (M. Chitiyo, B.-I. Seo, & U. Ugorji, Eds.; pp. 1–12). African Academic Research Forum.
Wu, T.-J., Sheih, C. S., Jou, S.-T., Lee, C.-Y., Yu, T.-Y., Liu, C.-Y., & Chen, C.-W. (2025). Effects of bibliotherapy on emotional distress, coping strategies, and resilience in adolescents with cancer: A pilot randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 76, 102900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102900
Wu, W., West, S. G., & Hughes, J. N. (2010). Effect of Grade Retention in First Grade on Psychosocial Outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(1), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016664
Xia, N., & Glennie, E. (2005). Grade Retention: The Gap Between Research and Practice. Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED492017.pdf
