D.Ed. (Educational Management) / The present government committed itself to the principle of placement of learners with special needs into mainstream education as a long-term goal where it is not immediately possible. The researcher has found in the line of his present functions in the Mpumalanga Education Department that the existing management practice does not make sufficient provision for the inclusion model for all learners in the education system. The above mentioned situation made the research necessary. The objectives of this research were to determine the management needs to implement an inclusive integrated education system for learners with special educational needs in Mpumalanga Province by: - ascertaining the needs and functions of the management of such an inclusive model; and - the further development of findings on management needs into strategies to implement an inclusive model of education for learners with special educational needs in the Mpumalanga Province. The traditional paradigm in which research was done on learners with special educational needs derived from a medical model. The medical model is based on a caurse effect paradigm. The latter implies that a defect is diagnosed in the medical makeup of the child and the child is placed in a learning program to suit his/her defect. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child which was ratified by the South African Government on 16 June 1995, as well as The United Nations...

M.Ed. / With the changes in the „new South Africa‟ came a change of approach in the curriculum from content-based to outcome-based, with the movement to develop inclusive education. This was necessary to accommodate a diverse range of learning needs. This required teachers to adopt a new form of teaching and a new way of thinking for which many teachers were not prepared or trained for. With this movement came the need for school-based support teams (SBST) to assist teachers to cope with the new paradigm. The focus of this paper was to study a best practice case of a school-based support team in an inclusive LSEN (Learners with Special Educational Needs) secondary school. According to White Paper 6 the key function for any SBST is to support all the learners, educators within the school environment to ensure that the full range of learning needs is met. The aim of this study was to improve the understanding of the functioning of a SBST in an LSEN environment. A case study design was chosen as it allowed for an in depth investigation into the functioning of a „supposedly best practice‟ school-based support team within an inclusive LSEN Secondary school context. One LSEN school was used in the research as it was seen by surrounding schools as a „supposedly best practice‟ SBST. Focus group interviews were conducted with school-based support team members, SBST documentation collected, SBST meetings were observed (field notes made) and document analysis was undertaken.

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Refer to document

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTERS IN EDUCATION In the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2010. / The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges facing educators’ in the inclusion of ADHD learners in the mainstream classroom. As an introduction to the study the challenges faced by educators’ in the inclusion of ADHD learners in mainstream classes were reviewed by means of a study of available and relevant literature. Educators are people who make learning and teaching possible and their own challenges in what is happening in the classroom are of crucial importance. Research done in South Africa on challenges faced by educators’ in inclusive education indicated that educators in mainstream classrooms generally express negative attitudes to mainstreaming policies and thus finds himself with many challenges. In the new education dispensation educators in mainstream classrooms have to accommodate learners with impairments, such as the ADHD child. Inclusion makes additional demands on educators because of the special educational needs of learners with impairments. The challenges facing educators in inclusion and their efficacy in meeting the special needs of learners with impairments play a determining role in the successful implementation of an inclusive education policy. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire was utilized. An analysis was done of 110 questionnaires completed by primary school educators from the Mafukezela Gandhi district on the North Coast of KwaZulu Natal. The data was processed and interpreted by means of descriptive statistics. Essentially the following were the main findings from the empirical study:  Educators lack the necessary knowledge, skills, training and experience of learners with special educational needs.  Educators have difficulty in identifying ADHD learners.  Educators needed to change their teaching methods to accommodate learners with diverse educational needs. The study concludes with a summary and findings from the literature study and descriptive statistics. Based on these findings the following recommendations were made:  The development of curricula, institutions and methods of assessments must include a variety of strategies to accommodate learners with special educational needs, such as ADHD learners.  The basic training of educators must include compulsory courses such as orthopedagogics that will enable them to cope with the demands for inclusion of learners with special educational needs.

Despite the DoE having made progress in providing training to teachers in the necessary skills, the inclusive education teachers were experiencing challenges to implementing inclusive practises in their schools and that some schools had not even commenced with implementation. They were raising a concern over their professional development, particularly its effectiveness. This study investigates the nature of professional development support offered to teachers in implementing inclusive education, in order to suggest effective strategies. The qualitative approach and multiple case study design were employed .The data collecting instruments used were: individual interviews, observation and documentation. The current professional development model used for inclusive education was not effective therefore strategies are needed to improve the current professional development. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Despite the DoE having made progress in providing training to teachers in the necessary skills, the inclusive education teachers were experiencing challenges to implementing inclusive practises in their schools and that some schools had not even commenced with implementation. They were raising a concern over their professional development, particularly its effectiveness. This study investigates the nature of professional development support offered to teachers in implementing inclusive education, in order to suggest effective strategies. The qualitative approach and multiple case study design were employed .The data collecting instruments used were: individual interviews, observation and documentation. The current professional development model used for inclusive education was not effective therefore strategies are needed to improve the current professional development. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The inclusive paradigm requires that deaf learners are educated in regular schools. In the process of implementing inclusive policies educators often feel that they lack the necessary knowledge and experience to provide effective support for deaf learners. As a result these learners are seldom effectively catered for in regular settings and frequently tend to experience frustration and failure. This research attempted to investigate the nature and manifestations of deafness in primary school learners in order to determine effective strategies to identify and address the diverse needs of deaf learners in the regular schools. A qualitative study was conducted and data was gathered by observations and interviews with three experienced educators. The results of the empirical findings were confirmed with the literature study in order to compile practical guidelines to assist educators to support deaf learners in inclusive education settings in South Africa effectively. / Educational Studies / (M. Ed. (Inclusive Education))

The role of teachers has been defined as that of providing knowledge and skills to learners, so it is imperative for them to understand their roles and responsibilities in. This extends to language teachers’ enhancing their performance in teaching reading, particularly because of the large and increasing number of learners who are having reading difficulties. Their inclusion in mainstream classrooms necessitates that teachers optimise reading to all learners who are experiencing reading difficulties. In some schools teachers are underqualified or not qualified to teach language, hence there are inadequate strategies for teaching reading skills. The study will shed light on how to help teachers in imparting reading skills to learners in KwaDukuza circuit, South Africa. It analyses the role of inclusive intermediate phase teachers in imparting reading skills, with 80% of schools in the circuit requiring training for teachers, to empower them to assist learners with reading difficulties. The qualitative method as mode of inquiry used in the study was suitable for gaining more information on and understanding of the role of inclusive teachers in teaching reading skills to learners Qualitative data elucidated the role of teachers in imparting reading skills and the study was carried out with 20 participants, comprising 10 learners, five School Management Team (SMT) members chosen because they had final accountability in teaching and learning, and five teachers selected by purposive sampling because they were either language teachers or inclusive teachers of reading in schools. Observation of actions they embarked on were made to illuminate teachers’ roles. The findings of the study determined that there was a major consensus that the ability of teachers to deliver good reading instruction was the most powerful factor in determining how well learners learn to read. Appropriate resources, adequate human resources, and material resources are an integral part of teaching of reading. The study makes recommendations and suggests further areas of research. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Education, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / This study investigated the management of inclusive education in the four selected junior primary schools in the Empangeni District, KwaZulu-Natal. Despite the fact that the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System was released in 2001, aiming at providing quality education for all learners, the implementation and management of inclusive education in schools still remain a challenge. This research, therefore, investigated possible challenges and suggested solutions that could be used for the effective implementation and management of inclusive education in schools. This study was conducted to answer the following questions: i. What are the challenges at school level that delay the implementation of inclusive education? ii. What skills do teachers and principals have or acquired in order to identify and support learners who experience barriers to learning and development? iii. What are the teachers’ perceptions regarding the inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning and development? iv. Does our education system provide teachers with relevant training to meet the challenges that come with inclusive education? An ethnographic research was conducted in four junior primary schools at the Empangeni District, KwaZulu- Natal to find out what happens in their school setting. Fifteen foundation phase teachers from four junior primary schools, four principals and six final year university student teachers participated in the study. The findings of data collected from teachers, principals and student teachers regarding their views on inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning were used to make recommendations. The findings from the study revealed the need for schools to effectively implement the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System (2001). Inclusion of learners who experience barriers to learning and development is an international initiative, which aims to provide quality education for all learners. The success of inclusion is based on the adoption and implementation of the international, national and provincial inclusive education policies, declarations and guidelines. In this study, it became evident that there is a shortage of teachers who have specialization in Special Education: Barriers to Learning. In- service teacher training and special education element should be included in all courses of initial teacher training. Ongoing professional development of teachers on inclusive education issues is also crucial. Teachers need to be provided with necessary skills to identify developmental delays and barriers to learning early. This study highlighted the importance of the establishment of the functional support structures, Institutional Level Support Team and District Based Support Team so that inclusive education is effectively managed in the education system. Provision of skills that will assist teachers to provide relevant support to learners who experience barriers to learning, lies on the existence of the support structures. The findings also revealed that schools or any other stakeholder cannot address barriers to learning in isolation. Linkages with Tertiary Institutions, Department of Health, Department of Social Development, Non-Governmental Organizations, parents/ caregivers and teacher unions need to be prioritized, in order to ensure that diverse needs of learners are met and barriers to learning and development are addressed. The positive response from the National Department of Education to the international initiatives for promoting single inclusive education system that is responsive to the diverse needs of all learners, resulted to the release of the White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education and Training: Building Inclusive Education and Training System in 2001. The need to close the gap between theory outlined in all the policies and guidelines that promote inclusive education and practice becomes evident in this study. The management of inclusive education in schools, therefore requires the School Management Team to facilitate, amongst other things, human resource development and establishment of the Institutional Level Support Team.

Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Until recently, learners with intellectual disability were legislatively marginalised from participation in mainstream education in South Africa. Since the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, legislation has been passed and education policy developed which supports the inclusion of learners with intellectual disability in mainstream secondary schools. This research was prompted by a problem situation which occurred in the Western Cape of South Africa when it became apparent that many learners described as having mild intellectual disability could not be accommodated within the School of Skills (previously a Special Secondary School) to which they had applied. The purpose of the research has been to evaluate the implementation of a programme of support developed collaboratively between various stakeholders to allow for the inclusion of these learners within six urban mainstream secondary schools. Through its guiding transformative theoretical framework and its evolving design, the evaluation of the programme has attempted to be as inclusive as possible. It has used qualitative research methods in order to seek out the views and encourage the participation of diverse stakeholders; from the learners whose social and academic wellbeing and advancement have been the central focus of this study, to individuals representing various systems surrounding these learners. In order to do justice to the complexity of the programme implementation and evaluation process and to identify and accurately represent common themes and categories which emerged over time, data transformation has been emphasised in three different ways; namely a description, an analysis and an interpretation. The observations and themes which have emerged from this evaluation have highlighted various factors which were seen to advance or impede the inclusion of learners with mild intellectual disability in the six secondary schools; the extent to which the learners' social and academic wellbeing had been advanced by the programme; and the degree to which problem solving was evident in the participating secondary schools and the local education authority. Prolonged and sustained engagement in a process of programme development, implementation and evaluation suggests that positive educational and social transformation is enabled when stakeholders are given the time and space to reflect upon their intentions and practice.