A Dissertation Presented to The Division of Specialized Education The University of the Witwatersrand In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) / The policy of mainstreaming and the provision for learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the regular classroom is being promoted in many countries. The rationale for this study lies in the pivotal role of teacher educators In facilitating the success of mainstreaming. ( Abbreviation abstract ) / AC2017

Thesis (M.Ed. (Educational Psychology))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Education, 1998. / This study investigated the attitudes of professional staff members at schools in Gauteng towards the implementation of mainstreaming/inclusion of Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN). Three hundred and sixty professional staff members from nineteen schools answered the Questionnaire on Special Educational Needs of Pupils, which was designed to assess the perceived competence and the attitudes of teachers the mainstreaming of LSEN. Nineteen urban schools in Johannesburg participated in this study; namely, five dual medium (English and Afrikaans) government remedial education schools, six government schools with an aid class, four private remedial education schools and four private regular education schools. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version]

Over the past fifteen years the integration of students with impairments from "special schools" into regular schools has been common practice in most western countries. Here in South Africa, the policy of integration is only just beginning to be formally legislated and implemented. One such integration project is currently underway in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The initiative, organised between Clare Estate School and Dr. A. D. Lazarus Secondary, began in 1992. This study investigates the experiences of nine students with physical impairments. They form a part of a group of fourteen students presently integrated into Dr. A. D. Lazarus Secondary. The experiences of the students are examined from the perspectives of the students themselves, their teachers and their parents. All the differing viewpoints were gathered through semi-structured interviews and observation. As a framework within which to analyse the findings, a social model of disability was explored. The social model advocates that people have impairments and not disabilities. A disability arises when environmental factors exacerbate the existence of an impairment. The factors which could exacerbate impairment within the school setting range from physical inaccessibility to overdependency in an environment designed solely for able-bodied people. An environmental obstacle that hinders a person with an impairment is referred to as a 'disabling barrier.' The study revealed that unpreparedness for integration can result in many 'disabling-barriers' within the school context. These obstacles create hindrances not just for the students with impairments but for all students, teachers and parents. The researcher identified the disabling-barriers in order to highlight the many challenges that face the school. It was hoped that by gathering information, predominantly from the perspective of students with physical impairments, one is able to evaluate the experiences from their own personal perspectives. Furthermore, both the schools involved in the project are challenged into turning the identified "disabling-barriers" into more enabling environments for students with physical impairments. Finally, looking beyond integration towards an inclusive system of education is the ultimate challenge recommended for this particular context. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Durban, 1996.

Bibliography: pages 252-280. / Special Education encompasses a wide field. It is an expensive form of education and is often criticized for its shortcomings. One part of Special Education is remedial teaching for children with learning disabilities. In order to provide good quality services, it is necessary to evaluate what is currently being offered and what is envisaged as desirable for the future. This study focusses on those two factors by examining the perceptions of remedial teaching as held by educators (principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers themselves) in fifty-two schools of the Department of Education and Culture - House of Representatives (DEC-HR). Current service provisions and the desired role of the remedial teacher are thus examined to determine whether educators perceive these as adequate and desirable. A study of the literature was undertaken and guided by those insights a questionnaire was drawn up. This was distributed to educators and the information was verified and augmented by personal interviews with remedial educators. Three hundred and twenty questionnaires were distributed. The views of principals, regular class teachers and remedial teachers were surveyed in those primary schools served by a remedial teacher. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to arrive at both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the position of Remedial Services in the Department of Education (House of Representatives). The study revealed a strong correspondence between the three groups of educators regarding their perception of remedial services. The author endeavours to illustrate that the lack of consensus about criteria for definition and classification of Learning Disability and consequently Remedial Education, leads to confusion of the role(s) remedial teachers are expected to fulfil. This affects the provision of adequate and effective remedial services to pupils in need of such specialised educational facilities. Results from this study led the author to draw up a proposed structure for Specialised Education, in particular, Remedial Education, in a unitary Education System in South Africa.

Learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach are currently included in ordinary schools in South Africa. By default, most educators are not adequately trained to include these learners successfully. Transformation and train-ing, specific to the context of inclusive education, is thus undeniable. Therefore, in order to address the development of full-service schools to include learners who are deaf and who are using the auditory oral approach, a literature study on the nature of inclusive education with the focus on full-service schools to include the mentioned learners, took place. A qualitative study was conducted and data was gathered by interviews with six, learners, parents and educators. The findings were corroborated with the literature study with a view to addressing learner and system needs in order to include these learners successfully in a full-service school. Based on the findings, recommendations are made to address the development of full-service schools to include the mentioned learners. / Educational Studies / M. Ed.

Bibliography / Thesis (MEd))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMIMG: Die transformasie vanaf ʼn tradisionele onderwysstelsel na ʼn inklusiewe stelsel het ʼn perspektiefverandering tot gevolg gehad. Die verandering in perspektief het ʼn verskuiwing weg van ʼn klem op individuele diagnose en voorskriftelike terapeutiese intervensies deur professionele persone, na ʼn groter klem op die ontwikkeling van samewerkende en konsulterende verhoudings tussen onderwysers, professionele persone en ouers meegebring. Hierdie verandering in denke het ʼn invloed gehad op die rolle van onderwysers, skoolhoofde en ondersteuningspersoneel. In hierdie studie word daar spesifiek gefokus op die rol- en praktykomskakelings van die eertydse remediërende onderwysers na leerondersteunende onderwysers (leerondersteuners). Navorsingstudies het getoon dat die rol van die leerondersteuner tans baie meer omvattend is as vroeër, met die gevolg dat die volgende navorsingsvrae ontstaan het: Wat is die rol van leerondersteuners binne inklusiewe onderwys en watter ervarings het hulle gehad tydens hul rol- en praktykomskakelings? Die doel van hierdie generiese interpretatiewe navorsingstudie was om vier leerondersteuners wat voorheen as remediërende onderwysers gewerk het se ervarings van hul rol- en praktykomskakelings te analiseer, te beskryf en te verduidelik. Die studie is gedoen vanuit die interpretatiewe paradigma wat die kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp gerig het. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde en fokusgroeponderhoude asook dokumente van die Wes-Kaap Onderwysdepartement gegenereer. Die onderhoudsdata is getranskribeer en verwerk. Bevindinge het getoon dat al die leerondersteuners unieke ervarings gehad het. Daar was egter ʼn ooreenkoms in die ervaring van ʼn klemverskuiwing wat plaasgevind het vanaf remediërende onderwys na leerondersteuning. ʼn Belangrike aspek wat uit die data voortgespruit het, was dat leerondersteuners se daaglikse take en verantwoordelikhede by hul spesifieke skole grootliks van mekaar verskil het, vanweë die verskillende skoolkontekste. Daar is verder bevind dat daar ʼn leemte is in die ondersteuning wat leerondersteuners aan onderwysers bied. Voorstelle is gemaak om ondersteuningsnetwerke te vorm binne die verskillende sisteme van die leerder se konteks, sodat skole omgeskakel kan word na inklusiewe gemeenskappe. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The transformation from a traditional education system to an inclusive education system implies a change in perspectives. Perspectives in education support that have traditionally focused on the so-called medical deficit approach have since changed to a model that focuses on inclusive education. An inclusive education system moves away from an approach that focused on diagnosis and treatment, to a system where the removal of stumbling blocks within society and the participation of all people, especially those with differences, in the everyday life of society, are recognised. The change in perspective requires the transformation in the roles of education support professionals. This study focuses specifically on these role conversions that the former remedial teachers have to make in becoming learning support teachers. Research has shown that the role of learning support teachers is more comprehensive within an inclusive system. This led to the following research questions: How do learning support teachers experience their role conversion? Because studies proved it to be problematic to define the role of the learning support teacher, due the influence of the context on their work, a second question arose: What is the role of the learning support teacher within an inclusive education system? The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to analyse, describe and explain the experiences of four remedial teachers during their role conversion to learning support teachers. The study was conducted within an interpretive paradigm which guided the qualitative research design. Data was generated by means of semi-structured and focus group interviews and included relevant documents from the Western Cape Education Department regarding the role of learning support teachers and inclusion. The interview data were transcribed and analysed. The findings show that all the learning support teachers had unique experiences during the role conversion. An important aspect that resulted from the data was that the day-to-day operations and responsibilities of learning support teachers differed from one another, due to the difference in the school contexts. vi An additional outcome of the analysis identified a lack of support for teachers. Recommendations are made to create support networks within the different systems of the learner‟s context to ensure that schools are converted to inclusive communities

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Educational provision to all the peoples of South Africa comes with political baggage. Educational provision in South Africa is entangled in the political system and restricted by financial constraints. This research report shows the fragmented history of educational provision to five groups of learners, namely the previous four racial groupings, but also the fifth grouping, those learners with special and/or specific educational needs. The research report recounts the adaptation and progress of a disabled pupil in a mainstream school. The specific needs of the learner are researched, but the part that the educators play, who often have very little or even no knowledge of learners with special needs, are also researched and the findings reported. The role that the support teams play in the progress of these learners progress are researched and formulated. The part the school manager plays and the acceptance of the responsibility by the school to provide schooling of maximum quality for the disabled learner are weighed up against the acceptance of the disabled learner by fellow learners of the school. The case study is about one disabled learner in a mainstream school, and no conclusions or recommendations are made. The story is told so that educators who are confronted with a disabled learner will not feel threatened by the presence of such learner. They should also not be concerned about the influence that a disabled learner could have on learners in an ordinary class. The educators of the learner in this study however found that they had to keep the disabled learners' specific needs in mind when they did their planning. This was never done to the detriment of any of the other learners. These educators rather found that all learners benefited by the inclusion of the disabled learner at this particular school. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die voorsienmg van onderwys aan alle mense van Suid-Afrika kom met politieke bagasie. Onderwysvoorsiening in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis is verstrengel met die politieke bestel en word deur finansiële beperkings aan bande gelê. Hierdie werkstuk fokus op die gefragmenteerde geskiedenis van onderwysvoorsiening aan vyf groepe leerders, naamlik die voormalige vier rassegroepe, maar ook 'n vyfde groep, daardie leerders met spesifieke en/of spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Die verslag boekstaaf 'n leerder met gestremdheid se aanpassmg en vordering in 'n hoofstroomskool. Ondersoek word ingestel na dié leerder se spesifieke onderwysbehoeftes, en die rol wat die opvoeders speel. Dit is ongelukkig so dat opvoeders min of selfs geen kennis het van leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes nie en hierdie probleem sal dus ook ondersoek en bespreek word. Verder word die rol wat ondersteuningsgroepe ten opsigte van die vordering van leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes speel, ook ondersoek en bespreek. Die rol van die skoolbestuurder en die bereidwilligheid van die skool se bestuur om skoolbywoning 'n maksimale ervaring vir die leerder met gestremdheid te maak word teen medeleerders se ervaring en aanvaarding van hierdie leerder opgeweeg. Hierdie gevallestudie handeloor een leerder met gestremdheid in 'n hoofstroomskool en geen bevindinge of aanbevelings word gemaak nie. Die verhaal word vertel sodat ander opvoeders wat met leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes gekonfronteer word, nie onseker hoef te wees oor die invloed wat 'n leerder met gestremdheid op onderrig in 'n klas sal hê nie. Die opvoeders van hierdie leerder het welondervind dat die leerder met gestremdheid se onderwysbehoeftes in hulle daaglikse beplanning in ag geneem moet word, maar dit was nooit ten koste van enige ander leerder nie. Hierdie opvoeders se ervaring was eerder dat alle leerders voordeel getrek het uit hierdie leerder se insluiting in hierdie betrokke skool.

After the first democratic elections in 1994 the South African government was faced with the enormous challenge of blending a sophisticated First World education system for the minority with an underdeveloped Third World education system for the majority. The government committed itself to the principles of an inclusive education approach in order to provide equal quality education for all learners. The focus of the inclusive education will be to provide education for all learners (not only for the disabled) who for one or more reasons were discriminated against under the previous education policy. The aim of this study was to investigate the educators’ perceptions and experiences of inclusive education in schools where it is being implemented in Pietermaritzburg. The study also looked at the nature of concerns and attitudes held by these educators. Both a literature and empirical study were executed. The quantitative and qualitative approaches were used and data were collected by semi-structures questionnaires administered to thirty educators from schools where inclusive education is being implemented. Quantitative data was analysed using the descriptive statistics. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyse qualitative data. The results were presented against the central themes that emerged and include: inclusive education is challenging by its very nature; negative attitude towards inclusive education and learners with barriers to learning; negative perception towards adapting the curriculum to learners with barriers to learning; availability / lack of resources and support needed in inclusive classrooms; areas of needs in working with learners with barriers to learning; and many learners’ needs are not being met, while educators’ workload and stress have increased. A general sense of negativity was found with regard to the educators’ perceptions and attitudes towards inclusive education. They indicated that they were not well prepared for inclusive education. Recommendations were made to facilitate improving the preparedness or readiness of the educators, for inclusive education in inclusive schools in the Pietermaritzburg area. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

A qualitative case study of critical consideration for the SMT in developing inclusive schools is reported in this study. The study was conducted in one rural district in the south coast area in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The aim of the study was to determine the SMT’s understanding of inclusive education and to establish what they consider as important in ensuring that their schools are inclusive. Lastly, it sought to identify the challenges that they faced in making their school inclusive. This was a single case study. The study targeted 5 SMT members who were involved in a focus group interview. Data analysis in the study influenced by systems theory. The two concepts defined are inclusive education and school management teams. Both the theoretical framework and the theory were used as lenses to understand the critical considerations for the SMTs in developing inclusive schools. The findings gathered from the study indicate that the SMT had very limited and often distorted understanding of the policy of inclusive education. It was also clear that they are not sure of what they consider critical for them as the SMT in the process of developing inclusive schools. At the same time they were able to indicate many challenges that they are faced with in their school. The findings suggest that this might be lack or inappropriate training on inclusive education as well as misunderstandings on inclusive strategies. The study concludes that the introduction of policy processes that requires implementation should ensure that all stakeholders involved are brought on board. It is important to get buy in from other educators to embrace diversity and understand the purpose. The process of paradigm shift is difficult to individuals especially when there are so many changes in the system, people tend to resist change. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Tesis voorgelê volgens die vereistes van die M.Ed. vir die Fakulteit van Onderwys en Sosiale Wetenskappe te Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie, 2012 / Onderwys moet gesien word as ‘n sosialiseringsproses en leer in groepe as ‘n primêre leerbeginsel. Leerders moet deur interaksie hul sosiale, akademiese en geletterdheids-vaardighede verbeter. Die navorsing het gepoog om antwoorde te verkry op die volgende vrae: In watter mate word groepwerk tans in die Intermediêre Fase-multigraadklas toegepas? Wat is die faktore wat groepwerk as ‘n onderrigstrategie vir geletterdheid in die Intermediêre Fase-multigraadklas ondersteun of verhinder? Wat is die effektiwiteit van ’n intervensieprogram om opvoeders te ondersteun in groepwerk as onderrigstrategie? Hierdie navorsing wil bydra tot die implementering van geskikte groeponderrigstrategieë om goeie beplanning en organisasie in die multigraadklas te verseker. Dit wil opvoeders bemagtig om deur groepwerk multigraadklasse in die Intermediêre Fase effektief te onderrig, om sodoende verbetering in leerders se leer te bewerkstellig. Daar moet ook ‘n bewusmaking by die beleidmakers geskep word wat betref die uitdagings wat multigraad-onderwys inhou vir opvoeders. Die navorser het met dié navorsing bepaal hoe groepwerk as ‘n onderrigstrategie in multigraadklasse in die Intermediêre Fase geïmplementeer kan word. Daar is egter in multigraadklasse waargeneem dat leerders nie oor die nodige vaardighede beskik om in groepe te werk en verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer en die van ander te aanvaar nie. Die opvoeders in die multigraadklasse is ook onkundig wat betref gepaste klaskamer-organisasie, beplanning, groeperingstegnieke en groepaktiwiteite vir die implementering van groepwerk. Die ontwerpgebaseerde navorsingsmetode is in die navorsing gebruik. Dié navorsings-metode bestaan uit drie fases, naamlik: voorlopige navorsingsfase, prototipe-fase en die assesseringsfase. <p></p> ABSTRACT Education should be seen as a socializing process and learning in groups as a primary principle of learning. Through interaction learners must improve their social, academic and literacy skills. The research endeavoured to find answers to the following questions: To what extent is group work currently applied in the Intermediate Phase multi-grade class? What are the factors enhancing or hindering group work as an educational strategy for literacy in the Intermediate Phase multi-grade class? How effective is an intervention programme in supporting educators in group work as an educational strategy? This research aims at contributing to implementing suitable group work strategies to ensure good planning and organization in the multi-grade class. It wants to empower educators in the Intermediate Phase to teach multi-grade classes effectively through group work, and in so doing bring about improvement in the way learners learn. Policy makers should also be made aware of the challenges facing educators of multi-grade education. With this research the researcher determined how group work as an educational strategy can be implemented in multi-grade classes in the Intermediary Phase. It was, however, found that in multi-grade classes learners do not have the necessary skills to work in groups and take responsibility for their own learning and that of others. The educators in multi-grade classes are also ignorant concerning suitable classroom organization, planning, grouping techniques and group activities in implementing group work. The design based research method was used in this research. The research method consists of three phases, namely: preliminary research phase, prototyping phase and assessment phase.