The effect of trauma on student's learning in post genocide secondary school in Rwanda, a case of Kabuga high school

KIGALI INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

THE EFFECT OF TRAUMA ON STUDENTS' LEARNING IN

POST GENOCIDE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN RWANDA

A case of Kabuga High School

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of Bachelor's Degree in Sciences with Education

SUBMITTED BY: HABYARIMANA Kalisa Maurice
Reg. N^o: 1973/04

Comb. : BGE

SUPERVISOR: Kaleeba Ali and Julie Angitso

Kigali, August 2008

To the Almighty God
To my beloved parents,
Brothers and sisters

DEDICATION

AKNOWLEDGMENT

The completion of this research is the result of joint efforts from different people. First and foremost, I express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Mr. Kaleeba Ali and Julie Angisto for their support and guidance.

I would like to express my appreciation to the lectures of KIE, head teachers, staff and students of all schools for their support. Without their cooperation and help, I would not have succeeded in my academic pursuit.

I appreciate the comments, advice, and cooperation and support of my fellow students especially Mrs. Ndokoye pancreas and my classmates (BGE and BCE the 6^th promotion) Fabaceae group; Jado, Bony, Jeff and Jeici at KIE.

I also thank al those who offered a distant encouragement by mail, prayer and calls.

Habyarimana Kalisa Maurice

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

APA : American Psychological Association

BGE : Biology-Geography and Education

DSM III : Diagnostic and Statistical Manual [of Mental Disorders] 3^rd Revision

EDP : Educational Psychology

HIV/AIDS : Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/ Aquired Immuno Deficieny Syndroms

HKS : Kabuga High School

KIE : Kigali Institute of Education

MINEDUC : Ministry of Education

PTSD : Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Reg. N° : Registration Number

UNESCO : United Nations for Educational Scientific and Cultural

LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Students' questionnaire Appendix 2: Teachers' questionnaire

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Sample of the students 23

Table 2: Sample of the teachers and other school staff 23

Table 3: Identification of the students 25

Table 4: The students' view about occurrence of trauma at their school 26

Table 5: Students most affected by trauma 26

Table 6: The time students with trauma take before attending normal classes 27

Table 7: The effect of trauma on other students 27

Table 8: Students' views about whether trauma interrupts the teaching-learning process in their classrooms 28

Table 9: Teachers' responses about trauma counseling 29

Table 10: Teachers' views about the occurrence of trauma in their school 29

Table 11: Teachers' views about who help traumatized students 30

Table 12: Teachers' views about the time students with trauma take before attending normal classes 31

Table 13: Teachers' view about how traumatized students affect others 31

Table 14: The teachers' view about trauma crisis and interruption of courses 32

Table 15: Trauma among teacher 33

TABLE OF CONTENT

DEDICATION i

AKNOWLEDGMENT ii

LIST OF ABBREVIATION iii

LIST OF APPENDICES iv

LIST OF TABLES v

TABLE OF CONTENT vi

ABSTRACT ix

CHAPITRE: 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1

1. 1 Background of the study 1

1. 2 Statement of the problem 2

1. 3 Research objectives 2

1. 4 Research questions 3

1. 5 Significance of the study 3

1. 6 Scope of the study 3

1. 7 Organization of the study 3

1. 8 Definition of important terms 4

CHAPITRE: 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5

2. 1 Introduction 5

2. 2 Trauma 6

2. 2. 1 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 6

2. 2. 2 PSTD related Trauma 7

2. 2. 3 A brief history of PTSD 7

2. 2. 4 PTSD and other Stress 8

2. 3 Causes of trauma 8

2. 3. 1 Varieties of Man-Made Violence 9

2. 4 Symptoms of trauma 11

2. 4. 1 Common reactions to trauma: 11

2. 5 Responses to trauma 12

2. 5. 1 Normal responses to traumatic events 12

2. 5. 2 Difference in responding to traumatic events 13

2. 5. 3 How childhood trauma affects adult relationships 13

2. 6 Barrier to identify and address the needs of traumatized children 14

2. 6. 1 Cultural barriers 14

2. 6. 2 Social barrier 14

2. 7 Effects of trauma 15

2. 7. 1 Common personal and behavioral effects of trauma: 16

2. 7. 2 Common effects of trauma on interpersonal relationships: 16

2. 8 Effect of trauma on learning 16

2. 8. 1 Effects on students 16

2.8.1.1. Effects on preschool students 17

2.8.1.2. Effects on elementary school students 17

2.8.1.3. Effects on middle and high school students 17

2.8.1.4. Variations among students 18

2.8.1.5. Effects of trauma on the ability to learn 18

2. 9 Mitigation of PTSD 18

2. 10 Helping the child with PTSD 19

CHAPITRE: 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21

3. 1 Research design 21

3. 2 Research instrument 21

3. 2. 1 Questionnaire 21

3. 2. 2 Documentation 21

3. 3 Area of the study 22

3. 4 Population 22

3. 5 Sample size and sampling techniques 22

3. 6 Validity and reliability of instrument 23

3. 7 Data processing 24

3. 7. 1 Editing 24

3. 7. 2 Tabulation 24

3. 7. 3 Data analysis 24

CHAPITRE: 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 25

4.	1		Students' views about the effect of trauma on learning		25
	4.	1.	1	Identification of students	25
	4.	1.	2	Views of students about trauma and its effect on learning	26
	4.	1.	3	Occurrence of trauma at school and the most affected	26
	4.	1.	4	The effect of trauma on other students	27
4.	2		Teachers' perception on trauma		29
	4.	2.	1	Teachers' views about training in trauma counseling	29
	4.	2.	2	Teachers' views about who help traumatized students	30
	4.	2.	3	Teachers' views about the time students with trauma take before attending normal

classes 31

4. 2. 4 Teachers' view about the effect of trauma on other students 31

4. 2. 5 The teachers' view about trauma crisis and interruption of courses 32

4. 2. 6 Trauma among teachers 33

Conclusion 34

CHAPITRE: 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 35

5. 1 Summary 35

5. 2 Conclusion 36

5. 3 Recommendation 36

5. 4 Suggestion for further research 37

REFERENCES 38

APPENDICES 40

ABSTRACT

The present study entitled «The effect of trauma on students' learning in post genocide secondary school» aimed at finding out the effect of trauma on secondary school students' learning.

It was guided by the following research questions:

- What is the effect of trauma on learning in post genocide secondary school? - How the problems of trauma are addressed in secondary schools?

- What can be the possible way to adjust trauma related problems in secondary schools

The study was conducted in Kigali City Province at Kabuga High School. Data was collected from 77 students and 9 teachers who were randomly sampled. In selecting the sample, 10% and 20% of the students and teachers respectively were taken.

The result of this study revealed that trauma negatively affects students' learning as well as academic achievement. It was found that trauma affect both the traumatized students and their counterparts who are not traumatized. The traumatized students fail to concentrate on studies and their counterparts in an effort to care for the traumatized hardly concentrate on studies.

CHAPITRE 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the study

In Rwanda, the 1994 genocide and war ruined the country. It did not only result in loss of one million people but also affected the socio-economic, political, and educational structures of the country. Socially, it resulted in hatred due to the fact that people who survived could not withstand seeing those who killed their relatives. However, in an attempt to rebuild the country, mechanisms to unite and reconcile people have been put for instance; National Unity and Reconciliation Commission was established with the aim of uniting people. Nevertheless, the experiences that survivors of the 1994 genocide faced become unforgettable in the sense that every year especially during the mourning week, when the whole country commemorates people who perished, cases of traumatized people are reported trough the country.

In schools, for example, many cases of traumatized students are reported. Investigations have shown that there are usually high incidences of students who become emotionally upset to the extend that the fail to attend classes. At times, traumatized students experienced difficulties in concentrating and learning at school, and engage in unusually in different behaviours. (SCPS 2006)

Furthermore, it has been reported that teachers in school face challenges in dealing with traumatized students. For instance, it was found that some teachers due to lack of knowledge about Post traumatic Stress Disorders have difficulties in differentiating between the symptoms of trauma and those of other psychological disorders. This is due partly to the fact that traumatized students at times fail to express their experiences in ways teachers who have no knowledge of trauma can readily understand. They may Lack the words to communicate their pain, they may express feelings of vulnerability by becoming aggressive or feigning disinterest in academic success because they believe they cannot succeed. Moreover they themselves may not understand why they are upset or acting out, creating a disconnect between experience, emotion, and actions (Cole, F.S et al, 2005). When teachers do not understand why a student is acting out, they are likely to focus on the behaviour not on the emotion behind it. To be able to help learners, a teacher must be knowledgeable about trauma, he/she has to understand for example that a traumatized student's disruptive behaviour often is not a matter of willful defiance, but

originates in feelings of vulnerability. Once a teacher grasps this critical insight, he will be able to work towards responding to what the student may be feeling rather than solely on the problematic behaviour.

1. 2 Statement of the problem

In Rwanda today, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among people and students in schools is attributed to the genocide of 1994 that claimed many lives of people. After the war, many people who survived students inclusive started experiencing trauma. They experienced difficulty beginning new task, blame, guilt, concern for safety, depression, inability to trust, disturbed sleep, eroded self-esteem and self-confidence, inability to concentrate. However, these symptoms were not recognized by people as signs of trauma.

In 1996, the problem of trauma in schools became very serious and it attracted the attention of the government and therefore, strategies to help students with trauma were made. A national trauma center as well as Non governmental organizations were established in order to help people with trauma. Some teachers in some schools were trained in trauma counseling and have been and still help students with trauma.

However, irrespective of the effort made to help traumatized students in schools, every year in quite number of school, classes stop for some time because of the problem of trauma among some students most especially the survivors. These occur particularly during the mourning period when they commemorate the people who perished during the 1994 genocide. This kind of situation seems to affect the teaching-learning process as well as student academic achievement. Therefore, this study intended to find out the effect of trauma on students' learning and their academic achievement.