abstract: The purpose of this action research study is to examine the effect of an innovation that includes staff coaching, curriculum adaptation, and researcher reflection on increasing staff effectiveness in supporting students with complex communication needs. This study included four participants (two special educators and two speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Preschool Special Education (PSE) classrooms within a public school district. The study was conducted while navigating a global pandemic and emergency remote learning. Through the use of curricular noticing and an approach inspired by a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) framework, an innovation of a staff coaching model combined with adapted curriculum resources was designed to support staff members using the Big Day for PreK curriculum. Analysis of the data indicates that supporting staff through staff coaching and adapted curriculum materials increased their use and own adaptation of the curriculum. In addition, providing a staff coach with the opportunity to document and reflect on experiences can increase the use of curricula and coaching effectiveness. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2020

South Africa has recently made a significant move towards support for deaf learners in inclusive education settings. Educators in inclusive classrooms are considered primary resources for the development of the strengths and competencies of these learners. Successful inclusion of deaf learners often depends on the skills of classroom educators. Nevertheless, educators often have little or no knowledge regarding support for deaf learners in inclusive classrooms. The experiences of deaf learners were investigated in order to understand the unique needs of these learners. The aim of the research was to add bottom-up approaches to the range of curriculum adaptations necessary to support deaf high school learners within inclusive education in South Africa. A mixed methods approach was employed, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in a triangulation research design. The findings that emanated from the quantitative research served to complement the findings from the qualitative study. The results of the empirical study were supported by the literature review to formulate practical guidelines for assisting educators to accommodate the curriculum in order to support deaf learners. These guidelines might enable educators to respond positively to the needs of deaf learners and ensure that their inclusion in the regular school is successful. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

South Africa has recently made a significant move towards support for deaf learners in inclusive education settings. Educators in inclusive classrooms are considered primary resources for the development of the strengths and competencies of these learners. Successful inclusion of deaf learners often depends on the skills of classroom educators. Nevertheless, educators often have little or no knowledge regarding support for deaf learners in inclusive classrooms. The experiences of deaf learners were investigated in order to understand the unique needs of these learners. The aim of the research was to add bottom-up approaches to the range of curriculum adaptations necessary to support deaf high school learners within inclusive education in South Africa. A mixed methods approach was employed, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches in a triangulation research design. The findings that emanated from the quantitative research served to complement the findings from the qualitative study. The results of the empirical study were supported by the literature review to formulate practical guidelines for assisting educators to accommodate the curriculum in order to support deaf learners. These guidelines might enable educators to respond positively to the needs of deaf learners and ensure that their inclusion in the regular school is successful. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Submitted by Livia Mello (liviacmello@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-10-04T20:10:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMTSM.pdf: 3395631 bytes, checksum: cc2018be7c59656fcb226f7850e56fb2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T18:51:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMTSM.pdf: 3395631 bytes, checksum: cc2018be7c59656fcb226f7850e56fb2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T18:52:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMTSM.pdf: 3395631 bytes, checksum: cc2018be7c59656fcb226f7850e56fb2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-20T18:52:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMTSM.pdf: 3395631 bytes, checksum: cc2018be7c59656fcb226f7850e56fb2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-11 / Não recebi financiamento / School inclusion is not represented only by the registration of intellectual disabled children, but their stay and ensuring an effective education that should happen from kindergarten. Considering this need, the research aimed to describe and analyze the process of intervention between the professor of Early Childhood Education of the common class and the teacher of Special Education with a view to training based on collaborative learning and adaptation activity. The specific objectives were: a) analyze the Child Education teacher knowledge of common teaching and teacher of Special Education before and after training on collaborative learning and adaptation activities; b) describe and analyze as teacher of Early Childhood Education of the common teaching and teacher of Special Education develop teaching practice with children with intellectual disabilities; c) describe the process of intervention with children's activities to adapt with intellectual disabilities in order to promote learning; d) describe and analyze the limits and possibilities of collaborative proposal in kindergarten teacher's view of the common teaching and teacher of Special Education. The participants were a teacher of Special Education who served in the collaborative proposal and a common room teacher of stage 6 of Early Childhood Education who had enrolled in his room a child with intellectual disabilities. Under the qualitative approach, this research was characterized as a collaborative research aimed at contributing to ongoing training of teachers, reflections of teaching practices and production of co-knowledge. For this, there were 11 meetings with teachers and researcher. For data collection was used five instruments: initial semi-structured interviews, observations script, script meetings, field diary and semi-structured interview guide end. Data were analyzed by means of elaboration of categories, with consideration of three judges, in view of the reliability of the analysis. The treatment of the data was qualitatively done through thematic categories. The results revealed the need for more information on the themes of co-teaching and adaptation activities on the part of teachers, for dissemination and implementation in practice. The use of pedagogical practices that consider the characteristics and ways of access to the knowledge of the child with intellectual disabilities and the constant reflection of the same. The importance and necessity of planning done by the teacher of the common room and expert. The need for structuring and regulation of co-learning in the city studied. Also show that collaborative learning and adaptation contribute to the improvement of participation and focus on activities, encouraging the development of intellectual disabled children in kindergarten. / A inclusão escolar não se configura apenas pela matrícula da criança com deficiência intelectual na rede regular de ensino, mas sim pela permanência e a garantia de uma escolarização efetiva que deverá acontecer desde a Educação Infantil. Considerando tal necessidade, a pesquisa teve como objetivo geral descrever e analisar o processo de intervenção entre o professor de Educação Infantil da classe comum e o professor de Educação Especial, com vistas a formação baseada no ensino colaborativo e na adaptação de atividade. Os objetivos específicos foram: a) analisar o conhecimento do professor de Educação Infantil do ensino comum e o professor de Educação Especial antes e depois da formação sobre o ensino colaborativo e adaptação de atividades; b) descrever e analisar como o professor de Educação Infantil do ensino comum e o professor de Educação Especial desenvolveram a prática pedagógica com a criança com deficiência intelectual; c) descrever o processo de intervenção com adaptação de atividades para criança com deficiência intelectual com vistas a favorecer a aprendizagem; d) descrever e analisar os limites e possibilidades da proposta colaborativa na visão do professor de Educação Infantil do ensino comum e do professor de Educação Especial. Participaram da pesquisa uma professora da Educação Especial que atuava na proposta colaborativa e uma professora da sala comum da fase 6 da Educação Infantil que tinha matriculado em sua sala uma criança com deficiência intelectual. Sob a abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa caracterizou-se como uma pesquisa colaborativa que visa contribuir para formação continuada dos professores, reflexões das práticas pedagógicas e produção do co-conhecimento. Para isto, foram realizadas 11 reuniões com as professoras e pesquisadora. Para coleta de dados foram utilizados cinco instrumentos: roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada inicial, roteiro de observações, roteiro das reuniões, diário de campo e roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada final. Os dados foram analisados por meio de elaboração de categorias, contando com apreciação de três juízes, tendo em vista a fidedignidade da análise realizada. A forma de tratamento dos dados foi feita de qualitativa por meio de categorias temáticas. Os resultados revelaram a necessidade de maiores informações sobre as temáticas de coensino e adaptação de atividades, por parte das professoras, para difusão e realização na prática. O uso de práticas pedagógicas que considerem as características e maneiras de acesso ao conhecimento da criança com deficiência intelectual e a reflexão constante das mesmas. A importância e a necessidade do planejamento feito pelo professor da sala comum e especialista. A necessidade de uma estruturação e regulamentação do coensino no município estudado. Evidenciaram-se também que o ensino colaborativo e adaptação contribuem para a melhora da participação e permanência nas atividades, favorecendo o desenvolvimento da criança com deficiência intelectual na Educação Infantil.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges that are met by the teachers in selected secondary level special schools, catering for physically impaired learners in South Africa, when they teach Environmental Education. The study was qualitative in nature. In order to meet the qualities of a qualitative research, a multiple case study design was employed in this research study. The data was collected from four special schools, two from Gauteng Province and the other two from the Eastern Cape Province. The sample consisted of 5 Grade 10 teachers, teaching Life Sciences from these 4 schools. Data was collected through interviews, document analysis and learners’ books. The interviews were analysed through the phenomenological approach by Giorgi (1975). The study revealed that most of the teachers in the study did not have the relevant educational qualification to teach environmental education nor do they have adequate training in the subject, for the workshops were conducted for only three days. The study also revealed that even though the teachers welcomed the integration of environmental education into the school curricula, they experienced challenges in teaching the subject, which included curriculum related, learner related, teacher related, policy related, administration related and office based related. The study also revealed that teachers’ knowledge of EE was superficial and that they only taught in and about environmental education, they did not teach for environmental education which is the main goal of environmental education. The results also showed that the teachers were unable to translate the policies of inclusive education and by implication, they could not adapt the mainstream curriculum for special needs learners, as expected from teachers in special schools. It was also found out that the teachers lack knowledge of the philosophy that underpins the CAPS curriculum, which is social constructivism. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / D. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Scholars emphasise the pivotal role that teacher perceptions play in the success of inclusive education (IE). Using Bourdieu’s (1985-1999) three conceptual tools of habitus, field and capital as a theoretical framework, this qualitative case study was designed to investigate secondary school teachers perceptions of IE – particularly with regard to the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools in the Maseru District of Lesotho. Data were collected using rural and urban focus-groups’ interviews. After analysing the data using categorical indexing, and discourse and comparative analysis methods, seven overriding themes emerged: teacher philosophical understanding of IE, teacher inclusion experiences and challenges, teacher classroom practices, teacher opinions about IE, key elements of IE, advantages of IE, and disadvantages of IE. Both focus groups demonstrated similar, but diverse conceptualisations of IE: as an integration movement requiring students to adapt to the school environment; as a segregation movement justifying special schools for students with severe disabilities; and as an education-for-all movement requiring that schools adapt to individual learner needs. The teachers understood that IE had social benefits for learners who could not reap its academic benefits. They used their traditional nurturing approaches to teach learners with different abilities – such as by memorisation of concepts and maximising peer interactions for the purpose of peer tutoring. However, the teachers’ insistence on corporal punishment and forcing learners to speak English in schools seemed to compromise their inclusion efforts. The study also found that despite the culturally influenced, positive and nurturing instincts of teachers in relation to supporting the education of children with disabilities, they were confronted with numerous challenges. These included: lack of knowledge and skills to effectively implement IE, lack of resources, lack of collaborative support from parents and government, and lack of incentives to boost their morale. It is recommended that teachers be equipped with theoretical knowledge of IE and with practical skills to implement it. Pre-service and in-service training was recommended in this regard. It is also recommended that all stakeholders in Lesotho secondary education bring together their resources, expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm – in an effort to make IE in Lesotho both successful and sustainable. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Many learners failed at school and were often causing over identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability. A national intervention, the Foundations for Learning was regarded as a national curriculum adaptation that addressed many learning needs. The aim of the study was to investigate the responsiveness of the Foundations for Learning in meeting the mathematics educational needs of Foundation Phase learners with a mild intellectual disability who lived in a disadvantaged village in Mpumalanga Province. A survey involving 39 teachers was conducted in the village and data was collected using a questionnaire. The main findings were that the national curriculum adaptation was significantly responsive and promoted mathematics achievement of some of the learners with a mild intellectual disability. The recommendations included that teacher informal identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability needed to be followed by formal assessment by psychologists and support from the District Based Support Team. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie het die navorser die probleem van kurrikulumdifferensiasie vir Wiskunde Graad R aangespreek, sodat leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid ook sukses in Wiskunde Graad R kan ervaar. Die primêre vraag wat aangespreek is, is hoe die vereiste begrippe en vaardighede van die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV), vir Wiskunde Graad R aangepas kan word vir leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid. Die belangrikheid van die studie lê in die verskil wat differensiasie kan maak aan 'n leerder se geleentheid om sukses te ervaar volgens sy vermoë. Die doel hiervan is om leerkragte wat leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid onderrig, te bemagtig. Dit word gedoen deur aanpassings en aktiwiteite voor te stel wat tot voordeel van hierdie leerders in hul onderrigprogram geïmplementeer kan word. Dit sal daartoe bydra dat hierdie leerders die vereistes wat in die kurrikulum gestel word, in ’n beperkte mate kan bereik. Die navorsing is onderneem vanuit 'n inklusiewe perspektief aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie en kwalitatiewe navorsing (gevalle-studie) wat semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesluit het. Die resultate toon dat differensiasie wel moontlik is en dat daar verskeie aanpassings en aktiwiteite is wat leerkragte kan gebruik om hierdie leerders die geleentheid te bied om sukses te kan ervaar. / In this study the researcher addressed the challenges of curriculum differentiation for Mathematics Grade R to ensure that learners with severe intellectual disability may experience success. The primary question addressed was the manner in which the concepts and skills requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), for Mathematics Grade R can be adjusted to suit the needs of learners with severe intellectual impairment. The importance of this study lies in the significant impact that differentiation can make in providing the opportunity for a learner to experience success according to his abilities. The purpose of this study was to empower teachers of learners with severe intellectual disability with the necessary knowledge, enabling them to successfully implement adaptations. This would allow the learners to achieve the requirements of the proposed curriculum, to a limited extent. Qualitative (case study) research was conducted from an inclusive perspective using a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that differentiation is possible and that there are several adaptations and activities that could be used by teachers to offer these learners the opportunity to experience success. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)

Many learners failed at school and were often causing over identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability. A national intervention, the Foundations for Learning was regarded as a national curriculum adaptation that addressed many learning needs. The aim of the study was to investigate the responsiveness of the Foundations for Learning in meeting the mathematics educational needs of Foundation Phase learners with a mild intellectual disability who lived in a disadvantaged village in Mpumalanga Province. A survey involving 39 teachers was conducted in the village and data was collected using a questionnaire. The main findings were that the national curriculum adaptation was significantly responsive and promoted mathematics achievement of some of the learners with a mild intellectual disability. The recommendations included that teacher informal identification of learners with a mild intellectual disability needed to be followed by formal assessment by psychologists and support from the District Based Support Team. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie het die navorser die probleem van kurrikulumdifferensiasie vir Wiskunde Graad R aangespreek, sodat leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid ook sukses in Wiskunde Graad R kan ervaar. Die primêre vraag wat aangespreek is, is hoe die vereiste begrippe en vaardighede van die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV), vir Wiskunde Graad R aangepas kan word vir leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid. Die belangrikheid van die studie lê in die verskil wat differensiasie kan maak aan 'n leerder se geleentheid om sukses te ervaar volgens sy vermoë. Die doel hiervan is om leerkragte wat leerders met erge intellektuele gestremdheid onderrig, te bemagtig. Dit word gedoen deur aanpassings en aktiwiteite voor te stel wat tot voordeel van hierdie leerders in hul onderrigprogram geïmplementeer kan word. Dit sal daartoe bydra dat hierdie leerders die vereistes wat in die kurrikulum gestel word, in ’n beperkte mate kan bereik. Die navorsing is onderneem vanuit 'n inklusiewe perspektief aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie en kwalitatiewe navorsing (gevalle-studie) wat semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesluit het. Die resultate toon dat differensiasie wel moontlik is en dat daar verskeie aanpassings en aktiwiteite is wat leerkragte kan gebruik om hierdie leerders die geleentheid te bied om sukses te kan ervaar. / In this study the researcher addressed the challenges of curriculum differentiation for Mathematics Grade R to ensure that learners with severe intellectual disability may experience success. The primary question addressed was the manner in which the concepts and skills requirements of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), for Mathematics Grade R can be adjusted to suit the needs of learners with severe intellectual impairment. The importance of this study lies in the significant impact that differentiation can make in providing the opportunity for a learner to experience success according to his abilities. The purpose of this study was to empower teachers of learners with severe intellectual disability with the necessary knowledge, enabling them to successfully implement adaptations. This would allow the learners to achieve the requirements of the proposed curriculum, to a limited extent. Qualitative (case study) research was conducted from an inclusive perspective using a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that differentiation is possible and that there are several adaptations and activities that could be used by teachers to offer these learners the opportunity to experience success. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inklusiewe Onderwys)