Magister Educationis - MEd / Learners in mainstream schools have diverse learning needs and experience a variety of learning barriers. Many of the learners struggle to read and write, and are therefore in need of assistance to enhance their academic performance. In addition, schools and teachers tend to assess leaners predominantly through writing methods and prefer text-based approaches in the form of writing over numerous other forms of assessment methods prescribed in the National Policy Pertaining to the Programme and Promotion Requirements (NPPR) (DBE: 2012). However, there are other ways through which learners can be assessed. This study explored the use of scribes as an alternative method to assist learners with learning barriers. The study examined the challenges relating to alternative methods of assessment within the inclusive education paradigm which seeks to accommodate different learning needs in South African schools. The study investigated factors that influence the implementation of alternative assessment to assist learners with diverse learning barriers. This study was conducted within the framework of a qualitative case study research methodology. Data collection methods included the use of questionnaires, document analysis and semi-structured interviews with teachers in Cape Town at a primary school (which constituted the case). The research eek answers to the following research question to understand why the phenomena exist; What factors influence the use of alternative assessment methods such as the use of scribes? The research also aimed to understand teachers‟ views and perceptions regarding the implementation and processes of alternative assessment methods.

The focus of this thesis is a series of seven papers published in peer-reviewed journals over the last eleven years. The thesis takes the form of a critical appraisal of published work linking the data collected and conclusions drawn under an overarching critical framework: ‘Building relationships for learning: the role of professionals and paraprofessionals in supporting pupils’ learning and social inclusion.’ In this thesis I argue that the development of positive relationships is at the heart of learning, teaching and social inclusion and I identify two strands in my research which have investigated this issue. Strand One consists of three publications which explored the use of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Whitney, 1999) to investigate and improve working relationships in the classroom. Doveston 2007- Paper 3, reported on my first classroom based action research project implemented in 2003 which identified key themes which were subsequently developed in research carried out in 2004 reported in Doveston and Keenaghan 2006- Papers 1 and 2: solution rather than problem focused exploration of capacity for change and growth, collaborative consultation, and skill development. Paper 1 applied the principles of Appreciative Inquiry to propose a theoretical framework for exploring and developing working relationships in the classroom whilst Paper 2 discussed the findings and implications from classroom projects that had utilised the approach. In the second strand, four publications investigated the development of professional and paraprofessional roles to support learning and social inclusion using semi-structured interviews and surveys. Traditionally relationships in the classroom were forged between pupil and pupil, or pupil and teacher. The evolution of the paraprofessional roles of Teaching Assistant, Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA), Learning Mentor and the professional role of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo), have positioned the pupil within what can sometimes be a complex web of relationships. The research uncovered a shared commonality of experiences related to the status and recognition, deployment, and preparedness for the role of the SENCo and paraprofessionals explored in Rose and Doveston 2008- Paper 4, Jones, Doveston and Rose 2009- Paper 5, Devecchi et al., 2012- Paper 6, and Brown and Doveston 2014-Paper 7, which affect their ability to support pupils and teachers. The research was located within a qualitative paradigm and three distinct research methodologies are discernible within the seven papers submitted for PhD by published works: Appreciative Inquiry, Narrative Research and Mixed Methods. The principles of Social Constructionism (Gergen, 1973) underpinned the use of Appreciative Inquiry reported in Strand 1 and Narrative Research (Elliott, 2005) in three papers from Strand 2: Rose and Doveston 2008-Paper 4, Jones, Doveston and Rose 2009-Paper 5, and Devecchi et al., 2012- Paper 6. These research methodologies enabled the gathering of rich qualitative data from pupils and the adults who supported them to illuminate and generate new insights into the complex interplay of factors impacting on learning and social inclusion in school and classroom environments. Two further papers (Devecchi et al., 2012-Paper 6 and Brown and Doveston 2014Paper 7) employed a mixed methods approach although Devecchi et al., also employed semi-structured interviews in Phase 2 of the research project. The generation of both qualitative and quantitative data was pertinent in these two studies. Devecchi et al., 2012- Paper 6 was commissioned research and the funding body required quantitative data to help inform their understanding of how HLTAs were currently employed and deployed. Brown and Doveston 2014-Paper 7, used a survey as a starting point for an evaluation of a training programme whose first cohort contained 97 participants. It was the free text responses, however, which proved the most useful in highlighting issues relating to role and status that impacted on the capacity of SENCos and HLTAs to support learning and social inclusion.

Orientador: Claudia Regina Mosca Giroto / Banca: Rosimar Bortolini Poker / Banca: Silvia Regina Ricco Lucato Sigolo / Resumo: O Brasil passa por mudanças em seu contexto educacional, a fim de garantir educação a todos no ensino regular, particularmente no que diz respeito aos alunos público-alvo da Educação Especial: alunos com deficiências; transtornos globais do desenvolvimento (TGD); e altas habilidades/superdotação, conforme as políticas educacionais vigentes. Tais políticas delinearam a reorganização do sistema educacional, de maneira que a educação especial assumiu caráter transversal e de suporte ao ensino regular, desde a educação infantil ao ensino superior. Nesse sentido, os sistemas de ensino precisam se organizar na perspectiva da educação inclusiva, sendo que tal organização deve contemplar a oferta dos serviços dessa área em todas as etapas e níveis de escolarização para seu público-alvo. Comunidade, família, escola, funcionários, aluno, professor, gestores, secretarias municipais, estatais, federais, entre outras, são algumas relações que a Educação se vincula de forma que se faz necessário entende-las e como são estabelecidas para atender a heterogeneidade encontrada na sociedade. Tal reorganização deve estar comtemplada nos planos municipais de educação (PME) e, nesse sentido, a gestão municipal de educação tem papel fundamental na sistematização das ações pedagógicas propostas frente aos princípios da educação inclusiva, para a garantia de uma educação de qualidade a todos. Assim, o presente estudo teve por objetivo verificar como ocorre a organização e a gestão dos serviços da edu... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Brazil undergoes changes in its educational context in order to guarantee education for all in regular education, particularly with regard to the target public students of Special Education: students with disabilities; developmental disorders (TGD); and high skills / giftedness, according to the current educational policies. These policies outlined the reorganization of the educational system, so that special education assumed a transversal character and support to regular education, from kindergarten to higher education. In this sense, education systems need to be organized in the perspective of inclusive education, and such an organization must contemplate the provision of services in this area in all stages and levels of schooling for its target audience. Community, family, school, employees, student, teacher, managers, municipal, state, federal secretaries, among others, are some relationships that Education is linked in a way that it is necessary to understand them and how they are established to meet the heterogeneity found in society. Such a reorganization must be contemplated in the municipal education plans (PME) and, in this sense, the municipal education management has a fundamental role in the systematization of the pedagogical actions proposed against the principles of inclusive education, to guarantee a quality education to all. Thus, the present study aimed to verify how the organization and management of special education services occurs in the 14 municipaliti... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment for the degree of Masters of Education by coursework and research report. Johannesburg, March 2016 / Educators at full-service schools in South Africa are required by policy, to respond to the diversity of learners in the classroom by means of differentiating the learning environment, teaching methods employed and the manner in which the learners are assessed. Within the South African context, three studies relate specifically to differentiated instruction and multi-level teaching: Nel, Kempen and Ruscheinski (2011); de Jager (2013); Walton, Nel, Muller and Lebeloane (2014). The above research was concerned with using differentiated instruction to modify the curriculum of the ‘Learn Not To Burn’ Programme to make it accessible for learners at a special school, challenges with regard to implementing differentiated learning activities within a high school context and investigating responses of educators at a full-service school in the long term, to training they had undergone in multi-level teaching. The topic of this study aims to explore and describe Grade 7 Mathematics and English First Additional Language educators’ understanding, knowledge of and ability to apply differentiated instruction in relation to inclusive teaching and learning within a full-service school. The research was conducted at two, full-service schools in Gauteng, over the course of three weeks. There were six participants in total, including three Grade 7 Mathematics and three Grade 7 English educators. A qualitative research methodology was adopted. Data was collected by means of an initial questionnaire, a preliminary interview, classroom observations, document analysis (analysis of lesson plans and assessment tasks) and post-observation interviews. The patterns which arose from the data analysis were determined by initially summarising the data at an individual level for each participant and then comparing the six participants’ responses with each other in relation to the codes. An analysis of the GPLMS lesson plans indicated that the lesson plans specified core concepts of the curriculum, essential questions relating to the topic were evident, where the topic was divided into specific units to be covered in a particular order. Curricular strategies in relation to content, process and product were stated. However, a key pattern to emerge was that there is an over-reliance on GPLMS lesson plans as opposed to independent planning for differentiation. During classroom observations, the Grade 7 Mathematics and English educators identified big ideas when covering the curriculum, visual supports were evident; the educators varied the format of their instruction and demonstrated sensitivity to the learning needs of individual learners that had been identified during the lessons. While ‘common sense’ inclusive practices were observed, they cannot be described as differentiated instruction per se. The third pattern to emerge was that assessments were not differentiated optimally, as the focus was centred too heavily upon curriculum coverage and ensuring performance on the Annual National Assessment (ANA) exams. Results from this research suggest that at a basic level, some aspects of differentiated instruction are being included in Grade 7 Mathematics and English classrooms in full-service schools in Gauteng. This is not at a sufficient level to facilitate transformation and inclusion. (Key Words: Transformation, inclusion, differentiated instruction, full-service school, GPLMS lesson plans, curricular strategies, assessment tasks).

A presente dissertação tem como objetivo geral propiciar uma reflexão sobre as mudanças na educação a partir do olhar de profissionais especializados da Rede Municipal de Ensino de São Paulo que atuaram na inclusão de alunos com surdocegueira. Os objetivos específicos eram: pontuar elementos das histórias de vida das colaboradoras que participaram da pesquisa e sobre a sua atuação profissional, principal-mente na EMEBS; problematizar as escolhas e ações durante o exercício de sua profissão, visando com-preender seu olhar sobre o objetivo da educação; analisar os relatos dessas profissionais sobre as mu-danças metodológicas, buscando reunir informações sobre esse processo. As questões que nortearam o estudo foram: Como se deu a chegada de alunos com surdocegueira nessas unidades? O que essa che-gada causa nos professores especialistas? Como compreender a educação especial em uma perspectiva inclusiva, frente a uma escola bilíngue para Surdos? Qual o papel dos profissionais envolvidos nesse processo e qual a relevância de um espaço especializado? Optou-se pela abordagem qualitativa e as fontes primárias para a realização da pesquisa foram as histórias de vida de quatro colaboradoras, todas mulheres, todas da mesma unidade educacional. A coleta foi feita por meio de entrevistas orais e os critérios utilizados para a escolha das participantes foram: profissionais que atuassem ou tivessem atu-ado nas EMEBS; que soubessem Libras; que tivessem atuado direta ou indiretamente na inclusão de alunos com surdocegueira nessas unidades; e que tivessem interesse em contribuir, voluntariamente, com o estudo. Após da realização das entrevistas, todo o material em áudio foi transcrito, mas apenas parte das informações foram utilizadas em uma discussão que teve como base teórica as obras de Arendt, Adorno e Horkheimer. Foi possível propor e aprofundar algumas reflexões sobre a educação a partir da inclusão de alunos com surdocegueira. Pudemos constatar que a chegada desses alunos provocou, em um primeiro momento, resistência por parte de alguns profissionais. Entretanto, ações coletivas garan-tiram a entrada e a permanência desses alunos, com qualidade, na rede municipal de ensino. As reflexões seguiram duas categorias de análise: a concepção de educação dessas profissionais especializadas e a questão de como a ideia de normalidade comparece na EMEBS. Foi possível propor palavras-síntese para representar o olhar dessas educadoras: direito, acolhimento, respeito e responsabilidade. A soma desses diferentes olhares propiciou a inclusão, libertando esta palavra de sua origem etimológica, que remete à ideia de clausura. A reestruturação das EMEBS, a opção pelo exercício da profissão na rede pública e as experiências passadas dessas educadoras, favoreceram o estabelecimento de um repertório que permitiu a formulação de respostas novas. Foi possível perceber que a EMEBS é um lugar que tem estabelecido teias de relações, não apenas com outros profissionais da rede municipal de ensino, como também com pessoas da Comunidade Surda e pessoas com surdocegueira adultas, constituindo-se como um espaço bicultural. Essa reflexão passou a apresentar-se como chave para a compreensão da perspec-tiva inclusiva. Este trabalho também buscou registrar uma versão que se afasta do discurso do fracasso da educação pública / The general objective of the present dissertation is to propitiate a reflection on the changes in education from the view of specialized professionals who took part in the process of the inclusion of students with deafblindness in the municipal education network of São Paulo. Its specific goals are to point out the cooperators life history and their professional performance, especially in the EMEBS (Municipal School of Bilingual Education for the Deaf); question their choices and actions as professionals, in order to comprehend how they understand education; analyze their stories on the methodological changes, trying to gather information about this process. The guiding questions of this study were: How do the students with deafblindness get to these educational units? What do their arrival cause in the specialized profes-sionals? How can we understand the special education in an inclusive perspective, facing a bilingual school for the Deaf? What is the involved professionals role and whats the importance of a specialized space? Weve chosen the qualitative approach and the primary sources for the execution of the research were the life histories of four cooperators, all women, all from the same educational unit. The collection was done through oral interviews and the criteria for the selection of the participants were: professionals who work or had worked in the EMEBS; who knew Libras; who had worked directly or indirectly in the inclusion of students with deafblindness in these units; and who had the interest to contribute, vol-untarily, with this study. After recording the interviews, all the audio material was transcribed, but only part of the information was used in a discussion that had as a theoretical basis the studies of Arendt, Adorno and Horkheimer. It was possible to propose and to deepen some of the ideas related to the education from the inclusion of students with deafblindness. We could ascertain that the arrival of these students caused, in a first moment, resistance of some of the professionals. However, collective actions guaranteed the entrance and the permanence of these students, with quality, in the municipal education network. The reflections followed two categories of analyses: the notion of education of the specialized professionals and the question of how the idea of normality is present in the EMEBS. It was possible to propose some synthesis-words to represent the point of view of these educators: right, welcoming, respect and responsibility. The sum of these different views fostered the inclusion, making this word get free from its etymological origin, that refers to the idea of enclosure. In the very structure of the EMEBS, the option to work as a professional in the public schools, and the past experiences of these educators, promoted the establishment of a repertoire that enabled the shaping of new answers. With the reflections, it was possible to comprehend that the EMEBS are places where a web of relations are being settled, not only with other professionals of the municipal education network, but also with adult people from the Deaf Community and adult persons with deafblindness, arising as a bicultural space. These thoughts became a key for the comprehension of the inclusive perspective. This research aimed to register a version that gets apart from the failure discourse of public education

Magister Educationis - MEd / School admission policies are powerful tools that can sometimes contain provisions that are in conflict with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and other legislation and policies which regulate education in South Africa. Provisions relating to fees, documents required for admission and specific admission practices may have the effect of excluding certain learners from admission to schools. Such practices include charging application fees, charging registration fees, administering admission tests and demanding only specific documents for proof of address. On the face of it, these practices may seem unproblematic, but in effect, they exclude certain learners. This may be contrary to South African Law. Section 36 of the Constitution allows for the limitation of rights. Differentiation or discrimination may be permissible; however, it is unfair discrimination that is prohibited. Consequently the constitutionality of these policies and practices investigated are measured against the protection afforded by the Constitution. This study identifies some of these exclusionary provisions and practices at schools and proposes possible ways to eradicate and combat them. Because the exclusion of learners, whether through school admission policies or practices, may unjustifiably encroach upon the rights of such learners, this is an investigation into a legal issue and a legal theoretical lens must, therefore, be used to address this phenomenon. This qualitative study thus determines whether or not, and if so, how school admissions policies function to exclude learners from schools. The research is based on the comparative analysis of various public documents including the Constitution; legislation; judicial decisions; awards of cases of the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) and policies of the Western Cape Education Department school admission policies and practices from five high schools and five primary schools in the Western Cape were sampled and analysed. The focus of the research is public schools in the Western Cape Province including specialised schools referred to as focus schools.

No description available.

Commitment to a single, inclusive education system has been the aspiration of reform in education in a democratic South Africa. The dilemma facing the democratically elected government was to write educational policy which, when translated into practice, would improve the educational standards offered to students in impoverished schools while at the same time allow the maintenance of the high standards achieved in schools which had been privileged under the apartheid system. There was, furthermore, the challenge of providing a curriculum that would be meaningful to students from diverse backgrounds bearing in mind the socio-historical moment within which education found itself.Research on inclusive education in the developed world has been extensive. There has been less research completed in developing world countries. Situated in the Pietermaritzburg area of KwaZulu‐Natal (KZN), South Africa, a developing world country, participants in the current study were parents of children with disabilities, aide workers, regular and special educators, managers who made decisions affecting the education of these children, and the children themselves. The research is positioned in the theory of interpretivism which provided the opportunity to give a voice to the participants, to interpret how they made sense of their world. The methodology used was qualitative description with an evaluation component. Qualitative description allowed the discovery and understanding of "a phenomenon, a process, or the perspectives and worldviews of the people involved" (Merriam, 1998, p. 11). Data are presented so that the participants' point of view could be understood and made explicit (Artinian, 1988). Using qualitative description, this current study explored the beliefs about disability and inclusive education specifically of stakeholders in the education of disabled children. The evaluation component provided the means of ascertaining the extent to which disabled students were having their educational needs met, and the extent to which the policy ideals of inclusive education, as articulated in White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001), were being achieved.Inclusive education in this present study is viewed as a multifaceted construct which shares a reciprocal relationship with various theoretical determinants. The determinants considered in the present study are (a) concept of other, (b) disability discourse, (c) equity, (d) reconceptualist/incrementalist approaches to inclusive education, and (e) prerequisites for regular and special educator buy-in.Findings revealed that there was evidence of inclusive education beginning to be implemented in KZN in that barriers to learning for many students were being addressed and removed. The specific provision in policy documents directed towards children with disabilities was behind schedule, however, and there was little evidence of full inclusion of students with disabilities in regular education. Reasons for this were multiple and were explored in relation to criteria at a macro- and micro-level, distilled from the literature, which seem to be necessary for the successful inclusion of students with disabilities.The most significant macro-level factors were (i) the legacy of apartheid and the democratic process, moving towards a liberal democracy, still being in progress; (ii) the discourse around disability espoused by the majority of the population resulting in high levels of ostracism of the disabled; and (iii) the disabled becoming lost in the wide definition of need in the barriers to learning approach to inclusive education.The most significant micro-level factors were (i) regular educators being reluctant to embrace the inclusive education initiative because of problems they had encountered with another recent initiative, the implementation of Outcomes Based Education; (ii) special educators fearing for their students if they were to be included without the requisite preparation and support; and (iii) some parents lacking the efficacy to access education of any sort for their disabled children.These macro- and micro-level findings exist within a multifaceted array of factors, an intricate web of nuances and complexity.

Inclusion is the practice of serving the needs of all students, with a full range of abilities and disabilities, in the general classroom with appropriate in-class support. Using qualitative case studies, this thesis explores the inclusive placement of three students with a hearing impairment. The students came from non-English speaking backgrounds, used hearing technology to access the class program and were eager to attend their local primary school. They had different types of hearing losses and were the only hearing-impaired students enrolled at their school. Five variables were examined which influenced the success of the inclusive placement. These included the student's academic, social and physical performance, the school environment and parental/family support. The constant comparative method was used to analyse data collected in each case study. Findings from the case studies identified strengths and weaknesses in the students' inclusive placement, and also provided data for future research and discussion on inclusive education / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Inclusive education is a recent phenomenon in the education system in Papua New Guinea. It is about giving equal educational opportunities to all children, whether with disabilities or not in the regular school or classroom. Schools are considered as social institutions that should endeavour to enhance all children's lives through appropriate teaching and learning practices. However, the school culture, which is generally defined as 'how things are done here' is vital for the promotion of inclusive practices. The main aim of this study was to identify the school cultural features and practices that influenced or did not influence inclusive education, and the impact on inclusion. Teachers and school administrators appeared to play a vital role in enhancing inclusive practices through their practices. The study was based on an interpretive/naturalistic research paradigm, the qualitative research approach and the case study methodology. Four schools were studied and categorised as rural and urban settings. The main purpose of categorisation was to identify some similarities and differences in terms of how inclusion was promoted in these schools. Teachers and school administrators were chosen as the main participants. The primary source of data collection was semi-structured interviews. Interview questions were developed for both teachers and school administrators respectively. A non-participant observation method was used as a support instrument to collect more data from selected research participants based on the preliminary interview data. The results suggested the existence of four broad school cultural features and practices. These included staff understanding of special and inclusive education concepts, leadership and organisation, school cultural features/practices and implications for staff, and policies. Teachers and school administrators appeared to have limited knowledge and understanding about what constitutes special and inclusive education practices. However, the school leadership, collaboration and inspection practices minimally influenced inclusive practices. At the same time other school cultural features such as the outcomes-based education curriculum and ecological assessment seemed to have the potential to influence the outcomes of the process of inclusion. The results suggest the value of Callan Services as a school support service agency to influence inclusive education in the Southern Highlands Province. It was noted that children with disabilities were already part of the education system. Though the teachers and school administrators claimed this to be inclusive education, according to the literature this was a manifestation of functional mainstreaming practices. The teachers and school administrators and the Department of Education at the provincial and national levels appeared to take less responsibility in disseminating information pertaining to inclusive practices. The teachers and school administrators received limited support and information from the national and provincial Departments of Education. Therefore, the special education policies developed at the national level had not trickled down to the school level. This situation created a gap between inclusive education policy and practice. One of the major channels of communication and connection was through the inspectors and their inspection practices, but this appeared to have been under-utilised.