I, Thinavhuyo Gladys Muvhango, am conducting research with Dr J. NYONI who is a senior lecturer in the Department of Educational Leadership and Management for a Master’s degree at the University of South Africa. He can be contacted at 0846886226. I am currently engaged in a research project entitled, “Learners’ perceptions of feeding schemes programmes at secondary schools in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Limpopo Province.”
The Purpose of the study is to understand learners’ perceptions of the feeding scheme programmes in secondary schools in the Nzhelele East Circuit so that the objectives of the programme are met and to find out how best school feeding contributes to their learning performance and to reducing hunger and absenteeism. The possible benefit of the study is the improvement of the school feeding scheme at secondary schools.
The researcher needs to conduct focus group interview to collect data concerning the learners’ perceptions of the feeding scheme programme in secondary schools in the Nzhelele East Circuit so that the objectives of the programme are met. I am requesting permission to include your child in this study because she/he is knowledgeable about the phenomenon I wish to investigate.
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Each interview will last for approximately 30 to 45 minutes and will be recorded and transcribed verbatim by the researcher and a qualified independent coder who will verify the findings. I expect to have 11other children (learners) participating in the study.
Your child is requested to be one of 12 participants who will participate in the focus group interview at a specified time at their respective school. Two principals and four educators will also be interviewed individually. Your child is, therefore, requested to be one of the 18 participants who will participate in interviews individually (6) or as a group (12). Your child is kindly invited to participate in a study entitled, “Learners’ perceptions of the feeding scheme programme at secondary schools in the Nzhelele East Circuit, Limpopo Province.” I am undertaking this study as part of my Master’s research at the University of South Africa.
The information gathered from the study will be used for the purpose of research and it will contribute to an understanding of the importance of the school feeding programme in public secondary schools as a measure to promote learner attendance; to reduce the school dropout rate; to increase the pass rate; and to reduce absenteeism. An empirical study of this project may offer a deeper understanding of the impact of the feeding programme on school attendance in rural areas and it is intended that the results of this study will lead to the improvement of the feeding programme at secondary schools. The immediate benefit of the study is that learners’ perceptions of the feeding programme will be communicated in terms of the provision of quality education at public schools. The information may also be used for presentations at conferences and for the preparation of an article in an educational journal
Participants will be selected using purposeful sampling. I will request educators who have been appointed as school feeding programme coordinators at the sampled school to select 6 learners from Site A and 6 learners from Site B to participate in the research (for focus group). Learners will be given assent form to confirm their participation in the research. They are likely to be knowledgeable and informative about the phenomenon the researcher wishes to investigate. The sample is likely to answer the research questions for this study.
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There are no foreseeable risks to your child participating in the study. Your child will receive no direct benefit from participating in the study. Any information that is obtained in connection with this study and that can be identified with your child will remain confidential and will only be disclosed with your permission. His/her responses will not be linked to his/her name, your name or the school’s name in any written or verbal report based on this study. Such a report will be used for research purposes only.
Your child’s participation in this study is voluntary. He/she may decline to participate or to withdraw from participating at any time. Withdrawal or refusal to participate will not affect him/her in any way. Similarly you may agree to allow your child to be part of the study now and change your mind later without any penalty. The study will take place after school with the prior approval of the school and your child’s teacher.
In addition to your permission, your child must agree to participate in the study and your child will also be asked to sign the assent form which accompanies this letter. If your child does not wish to participate in the study, he/she will not be included and there will be no penalty. The information gathered from the study and your child’s participation in the study will be securely stored on a password locked computer in my locked office for five years after the study. Thereafter, records will be erased.
Should you have questions about this study please asks me or my study supervisor. My supervisor is Dr J. NYONI , Department of Educational leadership and Management College of Education, University of South Africa. My contact number is 082 222 0742 and my e-mail is [email protected] e-mail of my supervisor is [email protected] and he can be contacted on 0846886226.
If you would like additional information concerning the study before, during or after it is complete, please feel free to contact me by telephone or email. You will receive summary of the research findings and recommendations of my research after final approval by the university. The University of South Africa has developed research ethical guidelines and it is responsible for ethical approval before the researcher can embark on the collection of data from the participants.
147 Thank you for your support.
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Thinavhuyo Gladys Muvhango
Parental consent for participation of minor in the research project
I (surname and initials) --- acknowledge that I have read and understood the rationale and purpose of the study. I have received a copy of the consent form to keep.
--- --- --- Parent /guardian’ name (Print) Signature Date
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