Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006 / The study focuses on the identification and development of teaching strategies and the factors that impact on the strategies when supporting learners with learning difficulties in mainstream Foundation Phase classes. The study was carried out by interviewing a focus group of Foundation Phase teachers from public schools in the Cape Metropolitan area. The findings from the focus group discussion was verified and amplified by responses from Heads of Department, Foundation Phase within the same area. The research methodology was that of a two-stepped investigation. Firstly, a focus group discussion was conducted using an open ended question framework with the intent of exploring how mainstream Foundation Phase teachers develop teaching strategies and what factors impact on these strategies when supporting learners with learning difficulties. The data collected was analyzed and a qualitative questionnaire compiled for Heads of Department: Foundation Phase to verify and amplify the data collected during the focus group. The study indicated that past and recent teacher training does not equip teachers with the necessary skills to support learners with learning difficulties in mainstream classes. The study also found that current workload levels inhibited further self study. The research findings contributed to the fund of knowledge with regard to the training of Foundation Phase teachers to support all learners, regardless of the degree of learning difficulty, in mainstream classes in public schools.

Dissertation (Magister Educationis(Education Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / The Policy Document, Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001) states that all learners irrespective of their barriers to learning and development, have a right to be educated in ordinary schools, together with their peers. The inclusion of learners who are deaf/hearing impaired in mainstream Further Education and Training (FET) classrooms means that these learners are no longer being taught by special educators who are trained to cater for their special needs. In this study the learners are taught in regular classrooms by non-special education subject teachers who have had no formal training in how to teach learners with special needs specifically learners who are deaf/hearing impaired. A qualitative exploratory design with multiple methods for data collection (questionnaires, informal discussions, nonparticipant classroom observations and video footage) was employed in this study. A non-random purposive sampling which consisted of three non-special education subject teachers who teach two learners who are deaf/hearing impaired in the Further Education and Training phase at two mainstream educational institutions participated in the research. The aim of this study was to explore the kind of strategies these teachers use when they mediate learning in classrooms where there are deaf/hearing impaired learners. The study has indicated that while the educators might express a lack of confidence in their abilities, they do cater for the needs of deaf/hearing impaired learners who experience barriers to learning albeit in different ways.

Thesis (DTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. / Multi-grade teaching is a worldwide phenomenon. Meeting the basic needs of rural people in developing countries is a major challenge to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the Education for All programmes. Situation analyses carried out by Little (1995, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005), Juvane (2005), Taylor and Mulhalll (1997) and Atchoarena and Gasperini (2003) indicate that multi-grade schools are common in impoverished, low population settlements such as remote areas and small villages. Researchers like Berry (2001), Pratt (1986) and Bryk (1994) report evidence that multi-grade schools can be positive places for learners and teachers. Observations done by Rao (2004), McGinn (1996) and McEwan and Benveniste (2001) show that successful models of multi-grade teaching already exist. Examples of addressing the isolation of multi-grade settings are found in Finland and Greece, where ICT is utilized to address this challenge. The "active" pedagogy which researchers like Little (1995, 2003 and 2005), Juvane (2005), Miller (1999) and McEwan and Benveniste (2001) promote for multigrade schools expects teachers to guide activities to be completed, and allows for free activities, which require application of the knowledge gained. It also involves creative exploration and application of regional-specific knowledge and relies upon learners to acquire and construct knowledge for themselves, guided by the teacher. Atchoarena and Gasperini (2005:6) believe in an integrated learning concept which bases its focus on the notion that effective learning is not limited to the classroom, but that, through use of community resources the curricula can "come alive."The "active" pedagogy and the expected participation of communities in the teaching and learning process should not only be for the benefit of the multi-grade class but should also be applicable to teaching and learning in mono-grade classes. This contributes to Bingham's (1995:6) view that a natural community of learners is inclusive of experiences outside school boundaries in the larger world. According to the Ministerial Committee on Rural Education (2005:12), South Africa's first ten years of democracy, are after 1994, characterized by an overwhelming commitment to equality, to treat everyone in the same way no matter what his or her differences are. Hence, the management and funding of rural schools are similar to the principles and formulas of those of urban schools. So too, curriculum and pedagogies of rural schooling are planned to be the same as those found in rural settings. Emerging Voices (2205:12) and Joubert (2005:3) agree that rural education has to provide the means to enable generations to break out of the recurring cycle of unskilled labour and resultant poverty. State education must deliver learners who are able to read, write and are numerate and furthermore deliver trained teachers for the multigrade Irural school system. In the literacy reviewed, it is clear that curricula, learning materials, teacher education and assessment are necessary components of an integrated strategy for learning and teaching in multi-grade settings. Surrounding these strategies is the need for national policies for curriculums, materials, teacher education and assessment that recognize, legitimate and support learners and teachers in multi-grade settings. The researcher identified two interventions, which addressed the above mentioned multi-grade phenomenon in South Africa, namely the Kgatelopele project of the Limpopo Education Department launched in 2000 and the Multi-grade Rural School Intervention (MGRSI) in the Western Cape Province launched in 2001. Both these interventions focused on the needs of multi-grade schools, and ways to address those needs. The MGRSI was structured according to a logic model, which provided the objectives of the intervention and the strategy, which it intended to follow in order to reach the stated outcomes. This study provided the opportunity to do a case study, which revealed the successes and the challenges of the intervention implemented from 2001 to 2006.

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / In South Africa today, inclusive education, as it relates to the inclusion of a child with a disability in a main steam classroom, is practised increasingly. Effective inclusion requires both collaboration between and mutual support for all the role players involved. The South African Schools Act of 1996 and the Education White Paper 6 of 2001 recognise parents' right to choose an appropriate school for their child in the local community. The White Paper 6 provides the framework for developing an inclusive education and training system and recognises the important role that parents play in developing inclusive schools and practices. Parents can play an important part not only in the success with which their child is included but also in the determination of the social validity of inclusive education in the South African context. It is therefore important to consult with parents as potential partners and to acknowledge their perceptions on inclusive education for their children. This is necessary in order to inform the theory and establishment of inclusive schools and to further enhance parent-school partnerships. Research on inclusive education in South Africa has mainly focused on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and relatively little research has been done on parents' perceptions of including a child with a disability in a mainstream school. The purpose of this research investigation i.? therefore to contribute to the . knowledge base that could promote parent-school partnerships in an inclusive education system. The inquiry into the perceptions of parents of a child with a disability in a mainstream school demanded the use of a basic interpretive qualitative study. This approach was chosen primarily due to the fact that the study was aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of parents' perceptions. Eleven 'information rich cases' were purposefully selected for focus group interviews and a semistructured individual interview, and these formed the primary sources of data. Secondary sources of data included participant observation and field notes as well as the use of a document, in the form of a biographical questionnaire.

M.Ed. (ICTS in Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Much emphasis has been placed on democracy, equality and human rights since the dawn of the democratic South Africa in 1994. Efforts to align the South African education system with the democratic principles of the Constitution, not only in terms of eradicating past racial divides, but also in terms of accessibility to learners who experience barriers to learning are eminent. The South African Government issued various policies to ensure quality, equitable and accessible education for all, irrespective of ability. Theoretically, no learner should therefore being discriminated against on any basis. In practice, however, thousands of learners, especially those who experience barriers to learning are denied the opportunity to receive meaningful development opportunities in many mainstream primary schools, resulting in their early drop out from school without having acquired the basic skills and knowledge to become self sustainable members of their communities. With the adoption of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model as theoretical framework for this study, the primary aim of this qualitative investigation was to investigate and describe how effective learners who experience barriers to learning are managed in mainstream primary schools and to develop a framework for the creation of more sustainable management systems to ensure that the needs of all learners are met. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that most learners who experience barriers to learning are currently not managed effectively in mainstream primary schools due to factors situated across the whole education system, to the detriment of learners who experience barriers to learning. Based on the findings of the empirical investigation, this study proposes a framework which will ensure the effective management of learners who experience barriers to learning in mainstream primary schools. The framework include recommendations to be implemented across all layers of the ecological system.

Inclusion is about the organizational change within schools to improve the educational system for all learners. It means changes in the curriculum, changes in how teachers teach and how learners learn, as well as changes in how learners with and without special needs interact with and relate to one another. The quality of leadership makes a significant difference to educator participation in accommodating all learners. However, for this we as educators must ensure that we are fully capable of delivering this service irrespective how old we are or what our qualification levels are. It is my objective to understand the role the school management team plays in facilitating the process of changes, as change cannot be forced and the fear of change must be acknowledged and faced. The qualitative research paradigm and more specifically the participatory action research approach, which is, applied research that treats knowledge as a form of power and designates with the line between research and social action particularly assisted me in answering my research question. xiv used to describe school management team members’ understanding and experiences pertaining to inclusive education and why they are procrastinating. After data analysis of the first step was concluded, the research established that the participant educators were not in favour of inclusive education and for that reason perceived it negatively. Educators are not enthusiastic about inclusivity. Step 2 was the action plan of my research study on which the school management team members decided collective as a method to restructure their thinking towards an implementation programme for inclusive education for their school. The researcher also reflected on the limitations inherent to this study and presented guidelines and recommendations for implementing and maintaining inclusive education.

Includes bibliography. / The primary aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of primary school teachers in ordinary classrooms towards learners with low to medium special educational needs, and to discover under what conditions, if any, they would be willing to accommodate these learners in their classrooms. It was hypothesized that teachers are not willing to accept these students without considerable support. The secondary aim of the study was to explore individual teachers' reservations about mainstreaming and methods by which these concerns could be overcome. A research design and methodology incorporating both a quantitative and a qualitative dimension was used. The sample consisted of 113 teachers drawn from six primary schools in the broader Cape Town area. Two schools were included from each of the three ex-Education Departments. A questionnaire based on the Classroom Integration Inventory (Paul, Turnbull and Cruikshank, 1977) was developed and administered to the teachers. This provided the data for the primary investigation. The data for the secondary investigation was collected by means of semi-structured interviews which were conducted with the respondents who were least willing to accept learners with special educational needs. Contrary to the literature, the quantitative results of this study indicated that primary school teachers generally had positive attitudes towards mainstreaming learners with special educational needs. The qualitative analysis outcomes revealed that class size, a lack of skills, and the additional time and work which would be involved, were the most prominent concerns. Suggestions offered to overcome these reservations included decreased class sizes and in-service training. These findings were similar to those in the literature. This investigation was considered to be important as a policy of progressive mainstreaming is a currently debated proposal for the South African education crisis. The support of the ordinary classroom teachers would be vital for such educational reform to succeed. Although the quantitative results indicated a favourable response to mainstreaming, the data were gathered by means of questionnaires depicting a hypothetical situation, and some teachers may have supplied "politically correct" responses. Thus it was recommended that this finding be supported by further investigation.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2007. / The aim of this investigation was to establish the challenges facing educators in the implementation of inclusive education. From the literature study it emerges that inclusive education constitutes a challenge to the education system in South Africa, in particular to mainstream educators. Successful implementation of inclusive education requires educators to have a positive attitude, be flexible and critical, creative and innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. Educators are expected to have the necessary knowledge, skills, competencies and support to accommodate a wide range of diversity among learners in an inclusive classroom. They must be able to select appropriate teaching strategies to achieve specific outcomes. Effective inclusion will only stay a dream if educators do not have the necessary training, support systems and appropriate resources. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire, to be completed by educators from primary schools, was utilised. The data obtained from the completed questionnaires were analysed and commented on by means of descriptive statistics. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the literature review and empirical investigation and the following are some of the recommendations that were made: > Opportunities for in-service training regarding inclusive education must be made available to mainstream educators. > The Department of Education must provide adequate support to educators concerning all aspects of inclusive education.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Masters Degree in Technology : Operations and Quality Management - Durban University of Technology, 2014 / The study has been influenced by the experience of the researcher in inclusive education. In inclusive education, the educator is required to respond to the diverse individual needs of the learners. Since 1994, the education system has been continually changing, resulting in challenges. A number of policy documents have been published which provide scope for transformation and restructuring in education. The policy on inclusive education has resulted in major challenges in the classroom. This inclusive education policy document states that learners who experience barriers to learning should be accommodated in the mainstream school. The aim of this study was to evaluate the challenges of inclusive education in a mainstream school on the quality of teaching and learning. Primary data was collected for this study using a survey method. A questionnaire consisting of thirty items was used to gather the needed information from all foundation phase educators from fourteen selected schools in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal province. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Conclusions and recommendations were thereafter drawn from the literature and the findings of the study. The study shows that the general knowledge of the respondents about inclusive education and barriers to learning are somewhat narrow. Most of the respondents have a negative attitude towards inclusive education, which can be attributed to lack of skills and the fact that inclusive education is still in its infancy stage in South Africa. It can be inferred that many of the schools are under-resourced and the implementation of inclusive education would be difficult under these conditions. The success of inclusive education is dependent on quality teacher education and training. A substantial effort is required to successfully implement the paradigm shift towards inclusive education and change the attitude of educators.