Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Aug. 29, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2006. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Sept. 25, 2006). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Inclusive education has become a global trend in the 21st century and is seen as a way of addressing barriers to learning for children with diverse backgrounds, needs, abilities and learning styles. The key to the success of the implementation of inclusive education lies in teacher education as this is where teachers are trained. Teacher education is thus expected to equip pre-service teacher trainees with relevant and effective strategies to enable them to implement inclusive education effectively in the schools in response to learner diversity. This study therefore focused on assessing the strategies for implementing inclusive education that teacher educators equip their pre-service trainees with in the primary teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe. The research was grounded in the pragmatist paradigm and the mixed method approach was employed. Data were collected from two primary teacher training colleges in Zimbabwe and in primary schools in the Harare Metropolitan Province. The participants were lecturers (teacher educators), pre-service trainees in the final phase of the course and qualified teachers who trained with the two colleges and are teaching in the Mbare-Hatfield District of the Harare Metropolitan Province. The study found out that most of the lecturers, pre-service teacher trainees and qualified teachers knew about inclusive education although some had a narrow view of the extent to which learner diversity entails. Therefore, this could affect the way these educators perceive inclusive teaching strategies in the implementation of inclusive education. The main finding was that the teaching strategies that pre-service trainees were equipped with were not quite effective for inclusive classrooms. The study also unveiled that lecturers in the primary teacher training colleges were aware of different teaching strategies with which pre-service trainees can be equipped and exposed to in order for effective teaching and learning to take place. They, however, did not differentiate between those strategies for regular classes and those for inclusive ones. Although the lecturers were aware of inclusive teaching strategies, they did not do much to equip their trainees with these due to challenges which include lack of coordinated programmes in lecturing in the different subject areas; lack of integration in topics taught in the different subject areas; loaded timetables in the teacher education curriculum; the nature of the teacher education curriculum which is not flexible as it focuses on examinations; inadequate resources and high lecturer-student ratio in the colleges; and high teacher-pupil ratio in the primary schools where the pre-service trainees do their teaching practice. The researcher made some recommendations from the conclusions drawn from the research findings. The recommendations included that there is need for adequate teacher preparation and training to enable teachers to be flexible, accommodative and reflective in their practice in terms of employing teaching strategies. The researcher also recommended a review of the primary teacher education curriculum in its entirety to accommodate fully the teaching of inclusive education.

D.Ed. / To understand the concept of inclusive education in the South African context it is important to reflect on the history of the education system. Prior to 1994 the Education Department had been divided into eighteen different departments which were differentiated in terms of race and ethniticity. Each department had its own policies regarding learners with barriers to learning. Some of these departments made no provision for these learners, consequently they were marginalised, especially in rural communities. Extreme disparities existed in the provision of education and virtually no black children with learning barriers had access to education. In the departments that did however provide for learners with learning barriers, psychologists evaluated these learners by means of the medical model. This model took into account only barriers that were intrinsic and which may have an effect on learning. The medical model labeled, categorised and stigmatised, learners and they were accordingly placed in special schools. Not only did this labeling negatively influence learners' self-esteem and self-worth, but that their learning barriers were seldom addressed and the required support was hardly forthcoming. After the first democratic election in South Africa in 1994, a single education department was established. Legislation has subsequently changed and every learner now has the right to equal education with the development of White Paper 6: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System. This study focused on a specific rural school and examined the implementation of inclusive education in this school. The contextual and cultural aspects of the school were considered using a case study with elements of ethnography, taking into account and how the school has accepted, implemented and promoted inclusive education. The need for change and context as well as culture was investigated, showing how this has influenced the implementation of inclusive education in this school.

Childhood brain tumours affect more learners in our schools today than is generally the perception. The late effects of the tumours and their treatments on the learner that has to cope at school are legion and often leads to individuals being excluded from educational activities. It is incumbent that these children have to be accommodated within our current educative system. The possible way in which a child with a brain tumour could be accommodated within an inclusive schooling community thus became the focus of this study. Prior to considering the ways in which a learner with a brain tumour can be accommodated within current schooling communities, the possible needs of learners with brain tumours in general were first investigated. From an ecosystemic approach the late effects of brain tumours and its influence on all the systems in an individual’s life were studied and possible support strategies within an inclusive whole school paradigm were investigated. Within this framework the investigation on a single learner with a brain tumour and the way in which she was accommodated within her schooling community was initiated. A case study was launched to investigate the ways in which a schooling community addressed the needs of a young girl with a brain tumour inclusively. Data was collected from various sources to substantiate the findings. Findings have revealed that the schooling community effectively accommodated the girl by ascertaining and meeting her individual needs, as well as the needs of her other systems, for example family and educators. Within a narrative these accommodations were identified and highlighted for the reader. The researcher recommends that the inclusive accommodative strategies implemented by her schooling community effectively addressed this learner’s physical, cognitive, emotional and wider systemic needs. / Mrs. J.V. Fourie

Education support provision underwent a complete metamorphosis with the adoption of Education White Paper 6: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System in 2001. Within this new paradigm, learners who experience Mild intellectual barriers to learning are understood from a culture of inclusion and accommodation within mainstream education, alongside their non disabled peers. Another important development within Inclusive Education is the recognition of parents as important role-players in their children’s education. This bold transformation implies that teachers and parents need the necessary support from health professionals and support staff at District Based Support Teams (DBSTs) attached to the local Education Support Centres, in order for them to support their children who experience Mild intellectual barriers to learning. As a result of the radical overhaul of the education system to accommodate learners who experience Mild intellectual barriers to learning in mainstream schools, the main aim of the study is to establish the implications for teachers and parents who deal with such learners. The researcher employed a qualitative research design within an interpretive paradigm from a phenomenological perspective, in order to capture the organic richness of the participants’ perceived experiences with regards to the phenomenon under investigation. The researcher made use of a combination of convenience, judgement and purposive sampling. The sample group included teachers and parents from two primary schools who deal with learners who experience Mild intellectual barriers to learning. The learners had previously been assessed psychometrically by Educational Psychologists and identified as fulfilling the criteria for Mild intellectual barriers to learning. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and separate interview schedules were drafted for teachers and parents. Data was analysed using Tesch’s eight step data analysis procedure to identify common themes which emerged from the participants’ responses. The findings of the research indicated teachers and parents had different perceptions about their roles in regards to the children whose learning they support. It also indicated that teachers experience challenges in their attempts to support their learners who experience Mild intellectual barriers in their classes, and with understanding the philosophy of Inclusive education. Furthermore, both parents and teachers experience a lack of support from health professionals and Inclusive Education specialists at the DBSTs within Bronfenbrenner’s eco-systemic framework, which formed the theoretical foundation for this study. Consequently, strategies to support teachers and parents to address these challenges were proposed.

The purpose of the study was to assess the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education and also the factors that influence such attitudes in Junior Secondary Schools in the Butterworth Education District (BED) in the Eastern Cape Province. The study was mainly focused on circuit 7 in which most urban and rural schools existed. Quantitative research methods were used. Survey design was used to conduct the study. The population of teachers of circuit number 7 was three hundred and forty eight (348). Then thirty percent (30%) of that population was calculated to form the sample. The sample was constituted by 104 teachers. Stratified sample was used to select the sample. This means that there were 52 male teachers and also 52 female teachers in the sample. Questionnaires which were designed by the researcher were used to gather data from public Junior Secondary School teachers. The questionnaires had Likert scale of 4 points to allow participants to express their extent of agreement or disagreement with the statements. The questionnaires consisted of 3 sections, biographical information of the participants, 30 statements about inclusive education and the last section consisted of one open-ended question. The questionnaires were pilot tested using the sample which was constituted by 12 teachers, 6 were males and 6 were females. Distribution and collection of questionnaires to and from teachers took five weeks. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 17 for Microsoft word. The nominal and ordinal scales were used to code the data. The analyzed data were presented in the form of numbers in tables. The researcher interpreted the data. The findings of the study showed that the majority of teachers were positive about inclusive education although they cited lack of training, resources and facilities for inclusive education.

This study investigated challenges encountered by schools in the implementation of inclusive education in the Eastern Cape. It was a Survey Study carried out in Ngcobo District. School principals of randomly-sampled mainstream schools and special schools participated in this research project. The key research question that the study sought to answer was: What are the challenges encountered by schools in the implementation of Inclusive Education in the Ngcobo District of the Eastern Cape Province? The following were the sub-research questions: (a). How does the lack of specialized or in-service, trained human resource personnel challenge or hinder the implementation of Inclusive Education? (b). How is the implementation of Inclusive Education affected by available infra-structure? (c). How do the attitudes of stake holders such as learners, educators (ILST) and parents (SGB) affect the implementation of inclusive education? The findings of the study revealed that: There is a gross shortage of educators qualified in inclusive education or related streams, and in some schools none at all. Institution Level Support Teams (ILSTs) in some schools have not been established and some of those that are established are not functional. Needed specialists such as psychologists and occupational therapists are not available in special schools. Workshops or in-service training for educators generally are held for to ILSTs only instead of all educators and SMTs. School buildings and toilets have not been adapted for when inclusion is to be implemented and there are no specific, funded departmental projects to rectify this. Assistive devices for learners experiencing barriers to teaching, learning and development are rarely found. There are no clear departmental budgets to ensure the policy is implemented in ordinary schools. Negative attitudes of some parents, teachers and learners toward inclusion still exist. The following recommendations were made for consideration in order to facilitate the smooth implementation of Inclusive Education in the schools. There should be adequate provision of human resource training and development Educators have to further their studies in Inclusive Education. There should be provision of a specific budget for buildings. Maintenance funds ought to be used to renovate school buildings so as to be Inclusive Education friendly. Advocacy and awareness programmes for different stakeholders should be conducted.

Early childhood development (ECD) centres in townships often face environmental challenges concerning the implementation of the rights of children with learning difficulties to receive an education at a school within their local community. These environments have an influence on the behaviour(s) of children that will later influence their role in society. It is essential that all children, regardless of their dis/ability are included in this foundational plan, which will offer them the opportunity to integrate into society with the same opportunities as their peers. Within the field of environmental psychology, environmental challenges hindering the development of children with learning difficulties include the spatial legibility of an environment as well as the efforts of spatial and object design to reduce the effects of environmental stress on the user. The study examines the extent to which children aged five and six, with learning difficulties are able to interact with the physical environment of a mainstream ECD, specifically Sunshine Nursery School, Hammanskraal. The study further examines the implication that the design of the classroom environment might have on the individual developmental needs. The four crucial areas of child development: perceptual-motor, intellectual, social and emotional, are considered in examining the meaning of space and the classroom. A theoretical enquiry is undertaken to propose an effective learning environment for all children, in which their social and physical needs are met, regardless of their learning ability. / Mini Dissertation (MInt (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Architecture / MInt (Prof) / Unrestricted