Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / During apartheid, black learners with disabilities experienced difficulties accessing education. At this time very few special schools existed and admissions were limited, as they were restricted according to certain segregation criteria. In 2001, the Education White Paper 6 was published, demarcating that South African education should shift into the international trend of inclusion. Inclusion, relating to mainstream schools, encourages the schools to review their structures, approaches to teaching, student grouping and promote schools to meet the diverse needs of all students. Research indicated that inclusive education has been promoted in primary schools. However, there is limited research regarding inclusive education in secondary schools in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of inclusive education in secondary schools for learners with special needs. The research study used an exploratory qualitative methodology with an interpretivist approach. Participants included the principal, teachers and learners from a secondary school which has an inclusive approach. Purposive sampling was used to identify participants. There were 12 participants who partook in the study and data was collected through a focus group discussion and individual interviews. The focus group consisted of 6 non-disabled learners who participated in the study. Data were analysed through the use of thematic analysis. The results suggest that learners with special needs should be taught in this mainstream secondary school. Teachers and non-disabled learners accept learners with special needs in their classroom and at their school. However, there are a number of barriers such as access, awareness, lack of training, that hinder the full participation of teachers when assisting learners with special needs.

The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) called upon all governments to implement inclusive education, ensuring that all learners with barriers to learning are included in the educational system. South Africa as a cosignatory to this global call responded with the implementation of the South African Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) where the principles and foundations towards inclusive education were stipulated. It was expected of teachers to be able to accommodate learners with barriers to learning in their classrooms (Dednam, 2009, p. 371), although Ntombela and Green (2013, p. 2) state that teachers are not equipped to work with learners with specific disabilities. Learners present with various barriers to learning and these barriers pose problems and challenges in the classroom. One of these problems in the classroom is learners presenting with Auditory Processing Disorder. This qualitative study employed phenomenology as the research design. Through the use of memory work, drawings and focus group discussions as data production tools, the five Foundation Phase teachers’ experiences regarding learners presenting with Auditory Processing Disorder in the inclusive classroom, were explored. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model was used to make meaning of the findings of the study. The findings of the study indicate that teachers are torn between the expectations of global and national policies regarding inclusive education and the management and support of learners presenting with Auditory Processing Disorder in their classrooms. Various challenges and problems arise with the inclusion of learners presenting with Auditory Processing Disorder in the classroom. The findings of the study were used to formulate guidelines to support Foundation Phase teachers working with learners presenting with auditory processing problems as well as policy suggestions for the Department of Basic Education. The Department of Basic Education should revise the implementation of CAPS to include the necessary adaptations for learners presenting with Auditory Processing Disorder; and also provide teacher assistants in Foundation Phase classrooms to enable the full inclusion of all learners.

Despite the current widespread implementation of inclusive education into the South African educational system, it appears that little, if any, studies have been undertaken as to whether South African educators are adequately equipped to manage the changes that will be required with the implementation of this new approach to education. More specifically, whether our educators would be more aptly prepared for the many adaptations should they be in possession of a remedial qualification. This study is aimed at providing a detailed account of the implications of introducing inclusive education into the South African school system, with particular focus being placed on learners who present with barriers to learning as well as the essential curriculum, classroom and teaching adjustments required in order for these learners to reach their full potential within a mainstream classroom environment. The sample for this study firstly comprised of educators’ perceptions regarding their capabilities in coping with the demands of inclusive education. The viewpoints of 122 educators, within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area of the Eastern Cape, were recorded through the completion of individual questionnaires and interviews. Secondly, the files of 111 learners, from a remedial practice, who presented with barriers to learning were analysed to determine the effectiveness of appropriate remedial intervention in overcoming the respective barriers. The major findings of the present study were as follows: Many classroom modifications, changes in teaching styles and curriculum adaptations would have to be implemented to adjust to the demands of inclusive education; Educators would have to be trained regarding the different categories of learners with barriers to learning and their special educational needs; The majority of Eastern Cape educators do not feel suitably qualified to cope with the demands of inclusive education; Educators in positions of authority (principals, deputy principals and heads of department) indicated their inadequacies regarding coping and assisting parents and fellow educators with the demands of inclusive education; A large percentage of the responding educators indicated that they would be better suited to cope with the demands of inclusive education with a remedial qualification and were prepared to register at a tertiary institution to obtain such a qualification depending on certain incentives offered by the Education Department. In view of the findings of this study, recommendations have been made to enhance the current qualification levels of educators, to specifically include a remedial qualification, of which guidelines have been provided. This approach should vastly assist educators in coping with the demands of inclusive education and will ensure that they are suitably empowered to meet the needs of learners with barriers, who have been thrust into this system. Guidelines are also offered for a proposed remedial course that could be offered to education students as well as to those educators who are presently in the employ of the Education Department.

It is clear that the concept of inclusive education implies that learners experiencing barriers to learning should, wherever possible and with suitable support, be educated with others in a regular school setting and through a regular curriculum. It is assumed that suitable facilities, resources and assistance, where needed, will be available. An adaptable curriculum that accommodates the specific learners who experience barriers to learning is also essential for inclusive education. The focus on providing equal educational opportunities for learners experiencing barriers to learning means that the traditional roles and responsibilities in education will inevitably change. Teachers have to modify their views of themselves, their teaching methods and the roles that they have to play during the implementation of inclusive education. Teachers will have to be adequately trained to effectively and confidently provide appropriate education to learners experiencing barriers to learning. The primary goal of the study is to explore the experiences, perceptions and needs of teachers regarding inclusive education. The secondary goal is to develop a training model to equip in -service teachers better for inclusive education. The research process was structured by the application of a qualitative research approach within a theory generative design, utilising five steps of theory generation in order to reach the objectives of the study. The qualitative approach was selected, as it is exploratory in nature. Founded in this exploratory research, a central concept was identified, with the aim of developing a model to assist teachers in implementing inclusive education. ABSTRACT (xvii) The research was conducted in two phases. The first section of the research comprised an exploration of the experiences, perceptions and needs of teachers regarding inclusive education. It embraced several decisions relating to data collection and analysis processes, such as defining the population and selecting the sample procedure and the data collection method, namely personal interviews with teachers, in order to determine their experiences, perceptions and needs. Concepts in the transcripts were categorised into themes and sub-themes and were verified by a literature review. A central concept was identified ( of the theory-generative research design) that can be further analysed in the second section of the research. The second section of the research was based on the findings of the research and the work of Chinn and Kramer (1995) in order to develop a training model to assist teachers in implementing inclusive education. The following additional steps of model design were employed: - Step Two : Concept definition and classification - Step Three : Construction of relationship statement - Step Four : Description and evaluation of the model - Step Five : Model operationalisation After data analysis was completed, the research established that the participating teachers were not in favour of inclusive education and therefore perceived it negatively. They also viewed themselves as not suitably equipped to work in inclusive settings. They were also discontented and experienced an intense feeling of incompetence. The researcher identified the in teachers as the central concept, which served as the foundation of the design of a model for teachers with regard to inclusive education. The essential criteria of the concept were identified and linked to each other by means of relationship statements. The model was described and evaluated according to the five criteria of clarity; simplicity; generality; accessibility; and significance, as proposed by Step One revitalisation of competence Chinn and Kramer (1995). The researcher also reflected on the limitations inherent to this research study and presented guidelines and recommendations for the operationalisation of the model in practice, to guide future research and in-service training programmes.

Prior to the advent of the new democratic political dispensation in 1994, South African education had laboured under racially motivated discriminatory practices of active exclusion of the majority of learners. The authoritarian system located educational problems in the perceived deficiencies of the learner rather than in the repressive, top-down, non-participative, unreflective and uninclusive practices of the prevailing educational orthodoxy of the time. After 1994, the broader reconceptualisation of South African education sought to redress the imbalances of the past by creating equal opportunities for all learners, irrespective of race or creed. However, the difficult conundrum was how such a complex systemic change could be driven by teachers who had not only been trained in a heavily segregated educational system but formed part of it. Therefore, the aim of the thesis was to determine how teachers conceptualised inclusive teaching, explore the teaching practices that were believed to be effective in promoting inclusion in the South African secondary classrooms, and determine how they could be developed. The two-dimensional research study firstly took the form of a qualitative collaborative action research project conducted with a team of fifteen teachers at a single South African secondary school. The project was non-positivistic, critical, emancipatory and allowed the participants jointly to define the constructs of inclusive education, inclusive teaching and inclusive class; to identify practices of inclusion through observation; to adopt other practices in their classes; to determine the effect of such practices on inclusive teaching and learning; and finally to draw conclusions about the specific practices that were clearly effective in the context of their school. Secondly, an inductive analytical framework was used by the researcher to determine the theoretical contribution the study would make to the notion of developing inclusive teaching practices and determining the way this could be achieved within the South African school context. Data were collected through a series of meetings, participant observations, focus-group interviews, and one-on-one semi-structured interviews during the action-research stages of planning, action and reflection. Limitations were the teacher-researchers' lack of experience in conducting research and the limited time the research team had to complete the research tasks. The findings indicate that, at the time of the research, the conceptualisations of inclusive teaching and inclusive pedagogy were varied and continued to be influenced by the former special-needs education system. Moreover, the findings show that, while the inclusive practices identified by the teachers in this study are popular in the international literature, they need to be contextualised in and made relevant to the South African situation. However, it is clear that the teachers' experience of participating in the action-research process had raised their awareness of the importance of inclusive teaching, promoted a sense of emancipation, and held out the prospect of successful and possibly lasting change. These findings clearly imply that the reconceptualisation of inclusive pedagogy should always take place within a specific context, and that South African teachers in particular should form communities of inquiry to reflect on and develop their inclusive practices. The study has captured the essence of inclusion within the South African school context and has identified areas that need further research, for example the impact of different cultural beliefs on both teachers and learners in relation to inclusion. In conclusion, the study has demonstrated the unique contribution of action research in promoting continuous reflection, revision and intervention as indispensable procedures in the process of improving inclusive teaching and learning.

This thesis is a comparative case-study of how teachers in England and Portugal conceptualise and respond to pupil diversity in the context of individual planning. The purpose is to compare the processes and underlying assumptions in the two countries, in order to understand the impact of cultural aspects and of system characteristics on the phenomenon of individual planning. The research was conducted through a nested case-study approach in 10 schools in England and six schools in Portugal. The methods used were interviews with practitioners and analysis of individual planning documents. This study was done by following the cases of 41 pupils, who were identified by their teachers as ‘needing individual planning’, over a two-year period. The most common form of individual planning mentioned in educational policy are Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for pupils with ‘Special Education Needs’ (e.g. UK SEN 2001 Code of Practice, Portuguese Law 3/2008). Despite the apparent similarities, what is meant by IEPs in educational policy varies significantly. In this study, a comparative analytical cultural-historical framework (Artiles & Dyson 2005) and a ‘societal approach’ (Hantrais & Mangen 2007) were useful theoretical resources to overcome these challenges. This thesis presents an original approach to individual planning by looking beyond ‘special needs’ and national boundaries. The research identifies responses associated with individual planning and problematizes this practice as a solution to the challenges posed by student diversity to schools. This process is done with reference to the unstated assumptions about normality and difference proposed by Minow (1990).The study concludes that teachers conceptualise and respond to pupil diversity through a formulaic problem-solving approach. This approach is based on limited repertoires that are underpinned by contextual factors such as educational policy. These repertoires are wider and more flexible in England than in Portugal.

Orientador: Eliana Marques Zanata / Resumo: A presente pesquisa tem por objetivo elaborar um objeto virtual de aprendizagem em formato de um sinalário ilustrado interativo para o ensino da Libras para os alunos surdos e ouvintes dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, com apresentação do léxico do espaço físico e dos objetos que compõem o cenário das dependências do ambiente escolar. Tem por objetivos específicos: 1) mapear e nomear os ambientes escolares dos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental de um município de pequeno porte do interior paulista; 2) levantar a demanda de alunos surdos matriculados nas escolas municipais; 3) mapear e analisar a percepção dos alunos surdos sobre a concepção e nomeação dos ambientes escolares em Libras e; 4) desenvolver o sinalário virtual de aprendizagem. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, organizada em dois estudos, sendo que o Estudo 1 se refere ao mapeamento do espaço escolar e levantamento da compreensão dos alunos surdos e o Estudo 2 se refere ao planejamento e elaboração do objeto de aprendizagem, tendo por foco alunos surdos que ingressaram na Educação Infantil e nos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Os participantes para a coleta de dados foram 4 alunos surdos que ingressaram na rede municipal de ensino fundamental, que não dominam ou têm pouco conhecimento da comunicação em língua de sinais. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida no ambiente de 3 escolas de um município de pequeno porte do interior paulista. Como instrumento para registro da coleta de dados, foi elabo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This research aims to develop a virtual learning object in the form of an interactive illustrated sign for teaching Libras for deaf and hearing students in the early years of elementary school, with the presentation of the lexicon of the physical space and the objects it comprises the scenario of dependencies, the school environment. Its specific objectives are: 1) to map and name the school environments of the early years of elementary school in a small municipality in the interior of São Paulo; 2) raise the demand for deaf students enrolled in municipal schools; 3) map and analyze the perception of deaf students about the design and naming of school environments in Libras and; 4) develop the virtual learning signal. It is a qualitative research, organized in two studies, with Study 1 referring to the mapping of the school space and survey of the understanding of deaf students and Study 2 refers to the planning and elaboration of the learning object, having focus on deaf students who started early childhood and elementary education. Participants for data collection were 4 deaf students who entered the municipal elementary school system, who do not master or have little knowledge of sign language communication. The research was carried out in the environment of 3 schools in a small municipality in the interior of São Paulo. As a tool for recording data collection, a protocol for visits to schools was elaborated, where all environments and objects that compose it were observed... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

There is a growing phenomenon of employing facilitators in support of learners with learning disabilities in schools offering inclusive education; however there is a scarcity of literature internationally regarding the decision-making models used to make this critical decision. Furthermore, there is also no research done in South Africa regarding facilitators, nor on decision-making models used to determine the need for facilitators or how they should be hired. In spite of the benevolent intentions of parents and teachers who assign facilitators to learners with disabilities, research shows that facilitators are employed according to perceived needs rather than real needs. The research conducted in this study is qualitative in nature; the narrative case study explores the deliberation process of employing facilitators in a manner that provided a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. The study focused on three different schools (Remedial school, Traditional private school and Montessori) that perceive themselves as inclusive primary schools. The purpose of the study was to understand the decision-making process of the various stakeholders (parents, teachers, and facilitators) involved in making the decision to employ facilitators. Through the case the three respective schools were categorised into proactive, reactive or passive, based on their approach to appointing facilitators for special needs learners. It is evident from the case studies that the proactive school (Remedial school) had better success with facilitators than either the reactive (Montesorrri School) or the passive school (traditional private school). The pro-active school displayed a more coherent successful system amongst all stakeholders in the decision to employ a facilitator, while the passive school was somewhat functional mostly because the stakeholders understood the needs of the child. However the system employed by the reactive school was chaotic as all stakeholders were dissatisfied and the learners who were being facilitated suffered the most. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

Despite numerous studies into inclusive education in schools, little is known about how school management teams motivate and support teachers who teach in inclusive private schools in Johannesburg, South African. How the School Management Teams motivate teachers who teach learners whose behaviour and or educational needs differ from the norm, is explored in this case study. Two private primary schools were involved in the research. The two schools consist of learners from; diverse family, cultural, racial and religious backgrounds, varied socio-economic backgrounds with different academic abilities and needs. The case study generated data through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants which consisted of both School Management Teams and teachers. The main research question focuses on what is being done to support and motivate teachers who work with children who have varying and at times challenging needs in one classroom. This is further explored through research into what intervention strategies are being used at the case study sites. The data generated links to motivational strategies and is discussed in relation to two specific avenues of motivation based on Herzberg's Motivation theory. The factors explored are those that influence teacher motivation and those that are necessary for job satisfaction. The study discusses possibilities for further research with practical recommendations that may be implemented at other schools to help the teachers and effectively promote teacher motivation and efficiency. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Schools globally are characterised by an increasingly diverse learner population in terms of age, gender, language, socio-economic background, cultural practices and learning abilities. The diverse needs of learners in schools have implications for teacher training, as it demands a shift from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to a more inclusive approach. Because teachers play a significant role in addressing diversity among all learners, several teacher-training programmes have been implemented worldwide since the inception of inclusive education. The main purpose of these programmes is to ensure that teachers acquire the relevant knowledge and skills to meet the learning needs of all learners in schools. One of these skills pertains to curriculum differentiation for making the curriculum accessible to all learners irrespective of their abilities. This research investigation was rooted in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model. Situated in the interpretative paradigm, the study adopted a qualitative approach. A multiple case study research design was employed to investigate nine Foundation Phase teachers from rural, township, and former Model C full-service schools. All of them had completed the BEd (Hons) in Learning Support programme at one of South Africa’s major universities. Semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews were conducted, and a document analysis was used to explore participants’ understanding and implementation of curriculum differentiation. The analysis of the study revealed that teachers who had completed the BEd (Hons) in Learning Support programme had the necessary theoretical knowledge of the concept of curriculum differentiation. However, most of them faced difficulties regarding the understanding and implementation of curriculum differentiation. The study also showed that teachers did not make use of official documents that guide and explain the differentiation of school curriculum to meet the diverse needs of learners in full-service schools. In the light of these findings, five sets of recommendations were made in ensuring the effective implementation of curriculum differentiation in schools in order to make the curriculum accessible to all learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Early Childhood Education / PhD / Unrestricted