Student Number : 9604227E - MEd research report - School of Human and Community Development - Faculty of Humanities / This study investigates the needs of Foundation Phase teachers within an inclusive education system. The policy of inclusion in education is currently being promoted in many countries and has over the last decade been part of the new educational movement in South Africa. The rationale for this study lies in the pivotal role of teachers in facilitating the success of an inclusive system. The study utilises a sample of eighteen female teachers in the Foundation Phase of six different township-based mainstream primary schools in Gauteng. The schools share similar socio-economic backgrounds, and are all dual medium of instruction (English and Afrikaans), co-ed schools. The participants range in age from 26-59 years old, having a tertiary qualification in education and a range of teaching experience from 1 year to over 10 years. The teachers were asked to participate in a guided interview that was designed to examine 1) their perceptions of what they need in order to be effective within their classrooms, 2) their perceptions of their competency in managing diversity within their classrooms, and 3) their perceptions of support services with regard to in-service training programmes, district-based support teams, school-based support teams, and within school resources. The findings revealed that the major needs of teachers within an inclusive setting relate to: smaller class size, less administrative paperwork, specialised support from professional experts within the field of education (e.g. psychologists, remedial teachers), greater support from support teams, and training programmes aimed at directly addressing their difficulty in adequately meeting the individual needs of learners. Further, the teachers feel that they do not possess the necessary skills that are needed to cope with meeting the demands of learner diversity within their classrooms. The results of this study provide reasons for concern regarding teachers who are viewed as the key role-players for the successful implementation of inclusive education. The research findings suggest that unless the needs of teachers are acknowledged and addressed through effective interventions, the implementation of inclusive education could encounter serious obstacles. The limitations of the present study are discussed and directions for future research are made.

The problem statement for this study is, "an investigation towards the experience of intermediate phase educators in the George district of the implementation of inclusive education in their schools". Firstly a literature review was perfomed on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa and overseas, which revealed a diversity of opinions about the implementation of inclusive education, and that the various countries experience varying demands and successes in the implementation thereof. The empirical research performed thereafter was qualitative in nature, to explore the experience of intermediate phase educators in the George district of the implementation of inclusive education in their schools. The results of the empirical research indicate that the educators experience various barriers themselves regarding the implementation of inclusive education in their schools, inter alia a great diversity of learners in their classes which puts demands on their time and attention to those learners, a number of factors that hamper the learning process, lack of parental involvement, insufficient learning support materials to fulfil the needs of learners, and most of all the experience of a lack knowledge and skills in themselves to identify and support barriers to learning in learners. The study concludes with a summary and recommendations. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The problem statement for this study is, "an investigation towards the experience of intermediate phase educators in the George district of the implementation of inclusive education in their schools". Firstly a literature review was perfomed on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa and overseas, which revealed a diversity of opinions about the implementation of inclusive education, and that the various countries experience varying demands and successes in the implementation thereof. The empirical research performed thereafter was qualitative in nature, to explore the experience of intermediate phase educators in the George district of the implementation of inclusive education in their schools. The results of the empirical research indicate that the educators experience various barriers themselves regarding the implementation of inclusive education in their schools, inter alia a great diversity of learners in their classes which puts demands on their time and attention to those learners, a number of factors that hamper the learning process, lack of parental involvement, insufficient learning support materials to fulfil the needs of learners, and most of all the experience of a lack knowledge and skills in themselves to identify and support barriers to learning in learners. The study concludes with a summary and recommendations. / Thesis (MEd (Learner Support))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

The South African government has developed various policies to promote equality and inclusivity in education. Despite all the efforts, Grade R in-service teachers seem unable to cope with inclusive education and it appears that they are not adequately prepared for inclusive education. The purpose of this study is to explore Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education in South Africa, with a view to add to existing knowledge on this topic and propose guidelines that can be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory formed the theoretical foundation for this study. Qualitative approach was used to understand Grade R in-service teacher preparation for inclusive education. A sample group of eleven Grade R teachers were selected to provide “information-rich” data. Interviews, observations and document analysis were selected as data collection techniques. Data analysis and interpretation was a qualitative and inductive process. The findings revealed that Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes are inadequate to prepare them for inclusive education; and they have difficulty coping with inclusive education because of insufficient translation of theory into practice and insufficient knowledge on the use of available resources for inclusive education. Curriculum differentiation should form an important aspect of teacher training. It is recommended that there should be a consultative process between all stakeholders who are involved in training of Grade R teachers. Guidelines were also proposed that could be used to enhance Grade R in-service teacher preparation programmes for inclusive education. These include preparing Grade R in-service teachers to apply curriculum differentiation in practical situations, and using teacher trainers who are knowledgeable about inclusive education in the context of the Grade R classroom. The researcher proposes that Grade R teachers be prepared so they are skilled, knowledgeable and confident to transfer knowledge and skills among themselves, even in cluster meetings. / Inclusive Education / Ph. D. (Inclusive Education)

Using a qualitative case study method, this study sought to understand parents’ perceptions of the implementation of inclusive education that their learning disabled children experienced at independent schools when compared to the guidelines for implementing inclusive education as provided for by the Department of Education’s Guidelines for Responding to Learner Diversity in the Classroom through Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements 2011. In line with universal human rights movements and South African law, the inclusion of learners with learning disabilities or learning barriers into mainstream classrooms is necessary to enable them to succeed. South Africa adopted a policy of Inclusive Education in 2001 with the policy document, ‘The Education White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education’. This document paved the way for new approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. To achieve the intentions of the Department of Education (DoE) the Department of Basic Education has published numerous guidelines for addressing inclusion in the classroom. This research focused on the most recent guideline entitled ‘Guidelines for Responding to Learner Diversity in the Classroom through Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements 2011’ by focusing on curriculum differentiation and accommodation for learners with learning difficulties Independent schools maintain that they are not obliged to follow the DoE’s policy documents and guidelines because they are independent. The question is, do they have their own protocols in place to replace those of the DoE? However, the argument is that independent schools should be held accountable for the effective learning support of learners in their schools that experience barriers to learning by having the same or similar policies and guidelines as those of the DoE. The researcher used the guidelines provided by the DoE as a benchmark for the implementation of support measures in inclusive education to study the practices and specific support offered to learners experiencing learning problems in independent schools. The research revealed that the absence of explicit guidelines at independent schools creates uncertainty among parents. The researcher concluded that when independent schools do not deliver the anticipated appropriate support, parents are powerless to demand more effective support for their children. The opinion of the parents was that the implementation of inclusive education at independent schools can be advanced by the adoption of guidelines that are similar to those in use at public schools. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

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