Navigating Belonging and Learning: A Qualitative Case Study of Stepfamily Dynamics and Academic Experiences in a Tanzanian Public Secondary School

This qualitative case study explored how stepfamily dynamics shape academic experiences of secondary school students in Tanzania. Despite increasing diversity in family structures due to urbanisation, migration, and marital reconstitution, context-specific qualitative evidence from Tanzanian public secondary schools remains scarce. The study was conducted in an anonymised public secondary school in Morogoro Municipality. Anchored in Family Dynamics Theory and the Risk and Resilience Framework, the study employed a single-site qualitative case study design. Ten participants were purposively selected: eight students living in stepfamilies and two teachers with guidance responsibilities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and open-ended narrative inquiries conducted in English and Swahili and analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2022) six-phase reflexive thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through triangulation, member checking, thick description, and reflexive journaling. Seven themes emerged: perceived academic underperformance and disengagement; chronic emotional stress from family conflict; identity confusion, loyalty binds, and not belonging; breakdown in communication and parental involvement; competing home responsibilities; coping and emerging resilience; and institutional support gaps and interventions. Findings indicated that academic challenges are rooted not in ability deficits but in emotional instability, role ambiguity, and inconsistent academic support. The school was identified as a protective factor through counselling, mentorship, and empathetic pedagogy. Implications for inclusive education policy, teacher training, and school-family collaboration were discussed.