Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Since 1994 the South African government has been committed to the transformation of the education system, including higher education. Higher education institutions have been encouraged to include individuals representing groups that had been excluded on the grounds of age, race, gender and, more specifically, students with disabilities. Within this transformation process, some of the biggest challenges higher education institutions face are policy changes, flexible curriculum delivery, alternative assessment procedures, the physical accessibility of the campus and the provision of support services for students with disabilities or special needs. Although policy development is an important stepping-stone, the reality is that proper practice, adequate awareness, and positive attitudes are required to effectively support and accommodate the diverse needs of students with disabilities. The primary objective of this study was to obtain an in-depth understanding of how students with disabilities experience support and barriers to their development at Stellenbosch University. The study was also based upon the assumption that it is important to hear the voices of students with disabilities before any recommendations in terms of the existing strategy can be suggested. This study was conducted by means of qualitative research, and the methods of data collection consisted of individual and focus group interviews as well as a literature review. The research findings may be described as follows: · Students with disabilities experienced both internal and external support and barrier factors and processes that impacted on their development. · Internal support and barrier factors and processes include emotional, behavioural, beliefs, physical and cognitive aspects. · External support and barrier factors and processes include peers, the faculty and department, university accommodation, the classroom and the university. · Four overarching themes that emerged from the data of the participants, namely attitudes and awareness, communication, level of inclusion, and advocacy, were outlined. The findings of the study have important implications for the support practices and training of academic staff and all role players at Stellenbosch University. Recommendations are also made to improve support services and the campus climate at Stellenbosch University to ultimately embrace diversity in order to offer an inclusive environment where the principles of equal opportunities, full participation and non-discrimination are dear to the heart of all the relevant role players involved in teaching, learning, service provision and policy making at Stellenbosch University.

Benefiting from the process of globalisation and becoming an information and knowledge society, has become the vision for many governments throughout the world. However, as it has been demonstrated in this thesis, becoming an information and knowledge society is much easier for developed countries that already possess some of the prerequisite criteria, such as an efficient and effective ICT infrastructure. By investing in such an infrastructure, the interaction and exchange of data, information, and knowledge from a local knowledge system with the global knowledge system is enabled. Through this two-way flow of information, the other criteria these countries have to comply with are stimulated, making it much easier and faster for these countries to achieve their goal. However, for the developing countries that are still in the grip of the digital divide, the goal of becoming information and knowledge societies seem nearly unattainable. Owing to this digital divide that is experienced by developing countries, combined with other barriers such as the social barriers that include the overall health and education level of citizens, the citizens of these countries cannot take part in the interaction and exchange process. Thus, this interaction and exchange process cannot aid these countries in complying with the other criteria needed to become information and knowledge societies, and in this way, the progress of developing countries towards becoming information and knowledge societies are seriously hampered. How does the interaction and exchange of data, information, and knowledge between developing countries’ local knowledge systems and the global knowledge system contribute to their development and positive participation in the global information and knowledge society? This is the research question that has guided this thesis. To get an answer to this question the author addressed the following issues:<ul> <li>The author sketched the theoretical foundation of this thesis by providing a brief historical perspective of the Information Science domain. This provided a better understanding of concepts such as data, information, knowledge, global-, western-, and scientific knowledge as well as indigenous-, traditional-, and local knowledge as applied in this thesis. The underlying relationship between these concepts were also explored. Furthermore, the phenomenon of the global information and knowledge society was discussed as one of the opportunities presented by globalisation.</li> <li>The author then analysed the criteria of the information and knowledge society as discussed in Chapter 3, and identified indicators that the stated criteria are constructed from. To investigate whether developed countries are information and knowledge societies, these indicators were applied to Norway and the USA. It was concluded that both countries comply with the stated criteria and are thus information and knowledge societies. </li> <li>The author followed the same method of investigation and applied the indicators identified in Chapter 4 to two developing countries, namely Niger and South Africa. It was concluded that both these countries do not comply with the stated criteria and, thus, are not information and knowledge societies. Furthermore, barriers were identified by the author that inhibit these countries from becoming information and knowledge societies.</li> <li>Lastly, the author discussed proposed solutions and recommendations that can be used to overcome the various barriers that inhibit the progress of developing countries becoming information and knowledge societies. </li></ul> / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Information Science / DPhil / unrestricted

After the democratic election of 1994, a new and integrated education system was developed in South Africa in accordance with international trends and the stipulations of the South African Bill of Rights with regard to equality, human dignity, basic education and equal access to education. According to the inclusive education system, learners with learning and developmental barriers should be accommodated within the mainstream of education. In order for inclusive education to succeed, a network of support was developed on departmental, provincial, district and school level. At school level, the school-based support team is directly responsible for supporting learners with learning and developmental barriers, educators and parents/caregivers. The effectiveness of these school-based support teams will, eventually, determine the quality of this inclusive education approach. The question which guided this research, is: How effectively does the school-based support team fullfil its function in the teaching and learning of learners with learning and developmental barriers within the framework of inclusive education? A qualitative research design was chosen which is exploratory, descriptive and explanatory. After an initial literature study in which international and national trends in this field were investigated, five primary mainstream schools were selected in the Western Cape according to certain criteria. A pilot study was conducted in another school to refine data collection strategies. Information was then gathered in the five schools by means of structured questionnaires, individual and focus group interviews, field notes and the study of appropriate documents. In order to evaluate these teams, eleven criteria were designed to serve collectively as an evaluation instrument. The effectiveness of the school-based support teams in the five schools were subsequently assessed and placed in various categories according to a conceptual framework. It was found that the school-based support teams function relatively effectively in most areas. The composition of the teams is effective. However, the teams function ineffectively with regard to the orientation and training of their members, as well as of the teachers and parents/caregivers of learners with learning and developmental barriers / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted