The overall aim of this doctoral thesis is to increase knowledge and understanding of special needs education in rural schools. More specifically, the purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyse the enabling and constraining conditions in special needs education for the mission of class teachers', principals' and special educators'. To fulfil this purpose, the following research question is posed: What are the enabling and constraining conditions for special needs education and its organisation, and what meanings are given to special needs education in rural schools? In order to meet this aim four studies were conducted in a total of 58, mainly Swedish rural schools. The schools were spread out geographically and represented both public and independent rural schools. The empirical data consists of interviews, observations and questionnaires. The method of analysis was mainly qualitative content analysis. Descriptive statistics were also used. The first study (Article 1) examines class teachers' conditions for supporting pupils with special educational needs in seven rural schools in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The main results of the interview study are summarized into four themes; relationship, collaboration, distance and concern. The second study (Article II) investigates how principals in rural Swedish schools organize special needs education. A web questionnaire was answered by 45 principals. The results show that the principals balance between an individual approach to special needs and a flexible way of organizing special needs education. The third study (Article III) examines how special educators' expertise in educational consultation is utilized in order to support professional development of class teachers who work in rural schools with diverse pupil groups. Three authentic consultation sessions were observed and analysed. The results show that consultation as a support strategy enables the class teachers to support pupils with special educational needs and strengthens professional collaboration between special educators and class teachers. The fourth study (Article IV) investigates what meanings educators working as principals in independent rural schools attach to special needs education. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire with open-ended questions. According to the principals' special needs education is an activity aimed at supporting all pupils' learning and development. The results also show that the independent schools have strong ties to the surrounding community. The thematic analysis of the four studies displays two main concepts; inner force and outer pressure. These concepts illustrate the enabling as well as the constraining conditions for special needs education in rural schools. The inner force stems from relationships, familiar atmosphere, the possibilities to meet all pupils' needs, collaboration and flexible ways of organizing the educational activities, while the outer pressure stems from threats of school closure, lack of resources and unappreciative municipal authorities. Despite the constraining conditions, which make the rural school vulnerable, the enabling conditions seem to dominate, making the rural school an inclusive learning environment able to meet all pupils' diverse learning needs.

This study was conducted in multi-grade primary schools located in Limpopo Province, Capricorn District, Bochum Cluster. The main purpose of the study was to analyse the effects of the principals’ workloads on learners’ academic performance in multi-grade primary schools in Limpopo Province. Twelve schools with the most multi-grade classes were qualitatively sampled from four circuits of Bochum Cluster (Bochum East, Bochum West, Maleboho Central and Maleboho East) as the target for the study. Multi-grade schools are characterised by low learner enrolment. The departmental model of allocating teachers to schools allocates posts according to the number of learners in a school regardless of grades. The school principal is therefore compelled to teach full-time and carry out other related responsibilities such as administration, professional duties and extra-mural activities. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to achieve the research goals. The study was based on the research question How do principals’ workloads affect learners’ academic performance in multi-grade primary schools in the Capricorn district, Limpopo Province? The study findings, based on interviews, observations and documents analysis have revealed that there are some managerial, leadership, curriculum, teaching and administrative challenges that principals in multi-grade schools are faced with. These challenges collectively contribute to principals’ heavy workload that eventually affect learners’ performance negatively. The researcher therefore concluded that the principals’ workload in multi-grade primary schools have a negative impact on learners’ performance. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

The study sought to examine the challenges experienced by teachers of multi-grade classes. Multi-grade teaching has become one of the priority topics in the Teaching profession agenda. The reason for bringing this issue onboard is the recognition that multi-grade teaching has a potential to improve quality of teaching. This study therefore seeks to identify the challenges experienced by teachers of multi-grade classes. A qualitative research was conducted in Nzhelele East Circuit. Six schools with multi-grade classes were purposively sampled. Data were collected through individual interviews with five teachers of multi-grade classes and six principals of the sampled schools and focus group interviews were conducted with three groups constituted of 3 teachers each from the 3 identified schools. Data were also collected through lesson observations. Data were categorised according to themes and then analysed inductively. The study revealed that multi-grade teachers experience a number of challenges. The study thus, recommends that the Department of Education should strengthen continued professional teacher development (CPTD) in teaching in multi-grade context. CPTD should also be extended to professionals like curriculum advisors to re-skill them on their advisory roles. The Department of Education should also ensure that the number of grades in multi-grade classes should not exceed two. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

DEd / Department of Curriculum Studies / Multi-grade teaching is a situation where one teacher teaches several grades together in one class. This phenomenon is common in both developed and developing countries. However, the problem is, in South Africa there is no multi-grade policy in place, curriculum and materials are written for mono-grade schools, pre-service and in-service training for teachers are geared at a mono-grade classroom. Consequently, teachers are not trained in appropriate multi-grade teaching and learning strategies; this may affect learner performance at such schools. It has been indicated that there is a dearth of research in the teaching and assessment practices in multi-grade setting in the literature, especially in Africa. This mixed methods study is based on the implications of peer tutoring as a teaching and learning strategy in English First Additional Language (FAL) for Grade 5 multi-grade learners’ performance. The purpose of this study was to determine implications of peer tutoring as a multi-grade teaching and learning strategy on Grade 5 learner performance in Vhembe District in Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study used mixed-methods design and concurrent Triangulation approach where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to collect data concurrently. Quantitative data were collected through quasi experimental design and surveys while qualitative data were collected using scheduled interviews. The six week one-on-one peer tutoring programme was designed to assist grade 5 learners to read and spell proficiently as a supplemental instruction. The literature review revealed that peer tutoring as a teaching and learning strategy has been effectively used mostly in monograde schools. The study sample consisted of 77 grade 5 learners from four random sampled multi-grade schools whose first language (L1) or home language (HL) is Tshivenda but learnt through English as a Second language (L2) or First Additional Language (FAL), 4 teachers and 4 principals. Two schools served as treatment group v while two served as control group. Both groups took a pre-test and post-test; only the treatment group received peer tutoring intervention. The mixed method approach involved collected quantitative data through learners’ pretests, post-tests and spelling activities during the peer tutoring intervention. This was to compare the grade 5 learners’ results of those who had participated in the peer tutoring intervention with those in the control group. Both teachers and principals and learners completed a questionnaire on multi-grade teaching and peer tutoring. The findings revealed that: 1. The peer tutoring group performed better than the control group. 2. Peer tutoring might possibly be an effective teaching and learning strategy for multi-grade teaching. 3. Both teachers and principals expressed the need for in-service training workshops in teaching and learning strategies specifically for multi-grade teaching. 4. They also revealed that pre-service training should provide training courses on multi-grade teaching to prepare prospective teachers. The study recommended the following: The Department of Education should develop a multi-grade policy. In-service training workshops should train multi-grade teachers in appropriate multi-grade teaching and learning strategies. Institutions of higher learning should provide pre-service training in multi-grade strategies, infuse some multi-grade modules into their teacher training programmes and provide short courses on multi-grade teaching.

The researcher investigated the management of multi-grade teaching for optimal learning in Gauteng West primary schools. Ten participants, including school principals, heads of departments and educators participated in individual and focus group interviews and in observation of multi-grade classroom contexts. Findings revealed that educators involved in multi-grade teaching feel overwhelmed by challenging work conditions pertaining to large learner numbers and a lack of adequate didactical resources. This is exacerbated by a lack of professional development by means of tailor-made training for multi-grade teaching and the presumption that educators teaching such classes must merely change the monograde teaching format of the curriculum themselves for applicable implementation in a multi-grade teaching context. This leaves educators socially, emotionally and professionally isolated. Recommendations include the involvement of seasoned educators with expert knowledge and experience of multi-grade teaching to present training sessions constituting advice and support to inexperienced educators involved in said teaching. / Die navorser het die bestuur van meergraadonderrig by laerskole in Wes-Gauteng vir optimale leer ondersoek. Afgesien van individuele en fokusgroeponderhoude met skoolhoofde, departementshoofde en opvoeders, is waarneming in meergraadklaskamers gedoen. Volgens die bevindings bemoeilik groot klasse en ʼn gebrek aan didaktiese hulpmiddels meergraadopvoeders se taak. Meergraadopvoeders voel hulle geensins opgewasse teen hierdie werksomstandighede nie. ʼn Gebrek aan opleiding in meergraadonderrig en die veronderstelling dat opvoeders die eengraadformaat van die kurrikulum in ʼn meergraadformaat kan omskakel, vererger sake. Opvoeders is van mening dat hulle maatskaplik, emosioneel en professioneel in die steek gelaat word. Daar word aanbeveel dat gesoute opvoeders met kennis van en ervaring in meergraadonderrig onervare opvoeders oplei en adviseer. / Monyakisisi o dirile dinyakisiso ka ga go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go fihlelela bokgoni le tsebo tikologong ya go thekga dinyakwa tsa baithuti dikolong tsa phoraemari go la Gauteng Bodikela. Batseakarolo ba lesome, go akaretswa dihlogo tsa dikolo, dihlogo tsa dikgoro le barutisi ba tseere karolo ditherisanong ka botee le dihlopha tseo di nepisitswego gape le temogo dikemong tsa diphaposi tsa dikereiti tse di fapanego. Dikhwetso di utollotse gore barutisi bao ba rutago dikereiti tse fapanego ba imelwa ke maemo a modiro wo o nyakago gore ba ntshe bokgoni bja bona ka moka ka lebaka la dipalo tse ntsi tsa baithuti le tlhokego ya dithusi tsa thuto tse di lekanego. Se se thatafiswa ke tlhokego ya tlhabollo ya profesene ye ka go fa tlhahlo yeo e lebanego ya go ruta dikreiti tse fapanego le kgopolo ya go re barutisi bao ba rutago ba swanela go no fetola popego ya lenaneothuto la kereiti e tee ka bobona go re ba le dirise kemong ya go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego. Se se dira gore barutisi ba ikhwetse ba se na kgokagano le setshaba leagong, ba hloka bao ba ka llelago go bona le go se be le bao ba nago le kgahlego go profesene ya bona. Ditshisinyo di akaretsa go ba gona ga barutisi bao e lego kgale ba ruta ba nago le maitemogelo le botsebi go ruta dikereiti tse fapanego go hlagisa dipaka tsa tlhahlo tseo di fago maele le thuso go barutisi bao ba se nago maitemogelo. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Managing teaching and learning in multi-graded classrooms in Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, Free State is a study undertaken to determine how teachers manage teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms. A qualitative research design has been used. Literature review explored the origins of multi-grade teaching, its advantages and disadvantages, teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms, the use of resources, difficulties faced by teachers teaching in multi-grade classrooms and overcoming these difficulties. Data revealed that teachers struggle to manage teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms because they use curriculum policy documents which are meant for mono-grade classrooms. Teachers are overloaded with work. Peer tutoring, self-directed learning and cooperative learning help teachers to manage teaching and learning. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the teachers, PED and DBE. The findings and recommendations will help the teachers in managing teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)

Managing teaching and learning in multi-graded classrooms in Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, Free State is a study undertaken to determine how teachers manage teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms. A qualitative research design has been used. Literature review explored the origins of multi-grade teaching, its advantages and disadvantages, teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms, the use of resources, difficulties faced by teachers teaching in multi-grade classrooms and overcoming these difficulties. Data revealed that teachers struggle to manage teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms because they use curriculum policy documents which are meant for mono-grade classrooms. Teachers are overloaded with work. Peer tutoring, self-directed learning and cooperative learning help teachers to manage teaching and learning. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to the teachers, PED and DBE. The findings and recommendations will help the teachers in managing teaching and learning in multi-grade classrooms. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Didactics)