The onset and rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in school closures in many countries around the globe, affecting over 1.7 billion students according to UNESCO statistics (Zhao et al., 2022). Learners had varied experiences, depending on the socio-economic status of the home environments. The level of loss or sustenance of learning in the home environment depended on parental income and education level (Andrew et al., 2020; Zhang, Lu & Du (2022). Many parents experienced loss of jobs, psychological and physical health challenges and even loss of life, consequently impact financial resource levels of households. Learners in these households experienced more disruptions, including lack of access to learning resources, compared to their counterparts from more-resourced households (Andrew et al., 2020; Izci et al., 2022; Mathrani, Sarvesh & Umer, 2022). These varied levels of access to learning resources impacted the psycho-social wellbeing of the learners. Lack of basic needs, safety needs, uncertainty over return to school in order to experience learning normalcy all manifested as psychosocial stressors for learners in scarcity environments (Gittings, et al, 2021). Learners surrounded by supportive parents and friends adapted better to negative emotions and so had lesser psychological difficulties (Cui & Chi 2021). The converse was the case for learners who had inadequate social support, leading to feelings of loneliness and seeking of “safe, calm” environments in negative experiences such as use of drugs (Cui & Chi 2021), early marriages (ADEA & APHRC, 2023). Resilience, which is the process of overcoming the negative effects of risk exposure, coping successfully with traumatic experiences, and avoiding the negative trajectories associated with risks (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005), is supported by both risk and promotive factors. Learners successfully navigate traumatizing events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic if promotive factors are present, such as the individual’s internal disposition including competence, coping skills and self-efficacy. Externally, presence of parental support, adult mentoring, or community organizations, promote resilience (Fergus & Zimmerman, 2005). This study sought to explore the promotive and risk factors that impacted the psycho-social wellbeing of learners in Kenya’s schools during the 2020 school closures with the onset and rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study was anchored on Richardson’s (2002) resiliency framework. He posits that when people experience planned disruptions or react to life events, they have the opportunity to consciously or unconsciously determine the outcomes of these disruptions. At the pre-disruption stage, people are at a state of biopsychospiritual homeostasis in which they are physically, mentally and spiritually in sync with themselves. This is what is known loosely as the “comfort zone” (Richardson, 2002). Disruptions to this biopsychospiritual homeostasis can be due to internal or external life prompts resulting in varied reactions across individuals. Resilient individuals are able to deal with these disruptions and revert back to their biopsychospiritual homeostasis. This is resilient integration and is characterized by a coping process that results in growth, knowledge, self-understanding and increased strength of resilient qualities (Richardson, 2002). For non-resilient individuals, disruptions result in negative outcomes since the individuals are in a state of helplessness, lacking hope, motivation or drive to effectively manage the demands from these life prompts (Richardson, 2002). Their reintegration is therefore characterized by dysfunction that is manifested in destructive behaviors in their attempts to deal with these disruptions. According to Richardson, the latter group require therapy to fill gaps they have in their introspective skills.

This was a cross-sectional qualitative study that was conducted between 2021 and 2022 across diverse schools in Kenya: primary, secondary, public, private, girls only, boys only, mixed day, mixed boarding, rural, and urban schools. Participants included 8 teacher Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) totalling 56 teachers across 8 schools. One FGD discussion consisting of 7 teachers, was conducted in each school for a total of 8 schools. 19 principals were interviewed across 19 schools. This consisted of principals from the 8 schools where the teacher FGDs were held and additional 11 principals from other schools. Being a qualitative study, sampling was purposive to ensure schools that participated in the study were a representation of the diversity nature of Kenya’s schools. The participants were a mix of gender: both female and male teachers and principals. Initial contacts were made with the school principals to break the ice and build rapport. Once this was established, the researcher set up a date and time for the FGDs and the principal interviews. Each FGD lasted slightly over one hour, while each interview lasted between 45 minutes to one hour. Given that movement continued to be limited in schools, especially in 2021, the FGDs and interviews were conducted virtually using Google Meet. The researcher provided internet bundles to the participants to enable them have internet connectivity. The study was guided by the following research questions: When the students were home, how did the school know if learning was taking place? 2) Were there students who did particularly well during this period? If so, who were they and why? 3) Were there students who had a particularly difficult time during this period? If so, who were they and why? 4) How was the psychosocial and emotional being of your students during the school closure? Data from the FGDs and interviews was analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. The data was transcribed, then uploaded in the NVivo qualitative analysis software and coded to determine prevalent patterns and themes in line with the research questions.

Results showed that some learning did take place. Resourced households were able to provide learning gadgets to their children including smartphones and tablets. Teachers indicated that these learners had discipline, were self-motivated, were happier, had parental supervision and support, and collaborated better with the school, thus seemed to perform better on assignments. The learners from the less-resourced households relied on national radio programmes and the EDU TV that offered some lessons to learners in an effort to provide learning continuity. Life events resulting from the pandemic such as increased levels of family poverty due to parental job loss, domestic violence and parental drinking reduced these families’ resource capacity to support their children’s learning while at home such as accessing reading spaces, technology, and network connectivity. The teachers indicated that being isolated from their friends and the school environment, learners felt afraid. These events had a huge psycho-social impact on the learners, creating in them a lot of anxiety and stress. This led some learners to disengage from learning, drop out of school, indulge in drug use, and engage in employment resulting in child labor. Girls were especially susceptible to teenage pregnancies. The findings agree with the literature that promotive factors-including self-motivation, home and school support- increase the learner’s capacity to effectively deal with disruptions (risks) and thrive. Learners who lack these supports on a personal, family, and/or community level slide into destructive behaviors due to their reduced resilience. It was recommended that sustained tripartite engagements-the learner, home, and school- are critical in strengthening the psycho-social wellbeing of learners. The capacity building programs and trainings should be accorded to parents, learners and educators on matters mental wellbeing. To ensure such programs succeed, they should be institutionalized in policy and included in the annual school, county and national education budgets.

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