Lived experiences of access and support to online learning in marginalised early childhood settings in Buhera district, Zimbabwe

Abstract

For decades, face-to-face teaching and learning had been the global standard across all educational levels. However, the evolving technological landscape and the global crisis, such as pandemics and natural disasters, have made the shift to digital forms of learning inevitable. Online learning ensures continuity of learning during crisis times, yet its adoption in marginalised communities remains problematic. These communities already faced several exclusions, shifting to digital learning risks further marginalising them. The study explored the lived experiences of access and support to online learning for young learners in marginalised early childhood settings in Buhera District in Zimbabwe. A conceptual framework was developed to inform the study processes, drawing from theories such as the Actor Network Theory, Post-colonial Theory and Cognitive Dissonance to address the study’s complexity. The study adopted a qualitative approach and multi-sited design within the interpretive and critical theory paradigms. Data were generated through interviews with six school heads and twelve early childhood development educators. Observations and document analysis were used to triangulate the findings. Data generated was transcribed and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s (2021) Reflexive Thematic Analysis model. The study findings confirmed that existing policies lack specific provisions for supporting online learning access for young learners in marginalised ECD settings. The findings also show that teachers’ beliefs have an influence on how they perceive and implement online learning initiatives, yet their beliefs are normally under-supported. Additionally, the study reveals that learners on the margins face systemic challenges rooted in both colonial and contemporary structures that continue to sustain digital exclusion. These systemic barriers reinforce inequitable access and deepen the divide between privileged and marginalised communities. The study further stresses that multiple actors within young learners’ online learning environments often fail to be proactive in improving access due to contextual and structural barriers. To address this, all forms of systemic segregation need to be dealt with through developing policies that prioritise digital access for all young learners. A gap in teacher training emerged as one of the key findings and the need to transform the teacher training landscape. Thus, the study informs teacher training practices. The findings supported the development of the Mapuranga Framework for Action, which is a support model for improving online learning access for young learners facing digital marginalisation. This framework is the study’s original contribution to knowledge and to the field of digital learning. This framework opens new opportunities for future research, particularly studies for validating the proposed framework.