Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The special needs community is in the midst of a philosophical and physical shift from a segregated system to an integrated system, not only in placement, but more importantly, in terms of learning and affording learners with special needs access to mainstream curricular materials. Mathematical modelling, or challenging mathematics problems solved in small groups, is part of the Australian mainstream curriculum. The purpose of the study was to investigate the way special needs learners learn mathematics from a modelling learning environment. To do this, it was necessary to identify the critical characteristics of the best practice in teaching and learning for learners with special needs, and the critical features of modelling. One theory of learning that has the capacity to promote special needs learners' interaction with mathematical modelling is Feuerstein’s theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability. A hypothetical learning trajectory was designed for special needs learners at middle school according to general design principles from theory, which was adapted to the learning characteristics of the class. The learning environment comprised of three challenging modelling tasks, together with recommended implementation and support conditions in the classroom. Specifically, the research sought to investigate the ways in which special needs educators can support the higher reasoning processes of special needs students during modelling through design in general, and through mediation specific to each learner. The research took the form of a qualitative study, combining the phases of design-based research with a multiple case study approach. Three cases were analysed in depth. Empirical data were collected through a range of qualitative methods, which included data from student files, field observations, video and audio recordings, focus group interviews with students, and the input of various collaborators across the different phases of planning, design, implementation, and revision. Data were coded and analysed inductively according to emerging patterns and themes. Findings suggest that the use of modelling was successful when implemented with certain characteristics defined in the literature, and that it enabled learners to learn mathematics and also to develop additional outcomes such as social skills and language. During this study, learners' higher-order reasoning was supported through dynamic assessment and subsequent mediation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderwysgemeenskap vir leerders met spesiale behoeftes bevind hulle in die middel van filosofiese en fisiese verskuiwings van 'n geskeide sisteem na 'n geïntegreerde sisteem. Dit omvat die plasing van leerders, maar meer belangrik ook die bemoontliking van toegang van hierdie leerders tot hoofstroom kurrikulêre materiale. Wiskundige modellering, en uitdagende wiskundeprobleme wat deur leerders in klein groepies opgelos word, is deel van die Australiese hoofstroomkurrikulum. Die doel van die studie was om die wyse te ondersoek waarvolgens leerders met spesiale behoeftes wiskunde in 'n modelleringsomgewing leer. Dit is gedoen deur die belangrike kenmerke van beste praktyk vir onderrig en leer in spesiale onderwys, asook die kritiese kenmerke van modellering, te vind. Een leerteorie wat die interaksie van leerders met spesiale behoeftes met wiskunde bevorder, is Feuerstein se teorie van Strukturele Kognitiewe Modifieerbaarheid. 'n Hipotetiese leertrajek was ontwerp vir leerders met spesiale behoeftes op middelskoolvlak. Empiriese data is deur 'n reeks kwalitatiewe aksies: data van studentelêers, veldwaar-nemings, video en klankopnames, fokusgroeponderhoude met studente, asook die insette van verskeie medewerkers oor die verskillende fases van beplanning, ontwerp, implementering en hersiening gegenereer. Die spesifieke leerkenmerke van hierdie leerders volgens algemeen-teoretiese en lokaalgekontekstualiseerde ontwerpbeginsels is nagekom. Die leertrajek het bestaan uit drie uitdagende modelleringsprobleme met aanbevole implementering en ondersteuningsriglyne in die klaskamer. Die navorsing het spesifiek gesoek na wyses waarop hierdie leerders se hoër beredeneringsvaardighede deur hul onderwysers, volgens elkeen se eie behoefte gedurende modellering, deur ontwerp in die algemeen en mediasie in die besonder, ondersteun kan word. Die navorsing, 'n kwalitatiewe studie, was gekombineer met fases van ontwikkelingsgebaseerde ontwerp wat uitgespeel het in 'n veelvuldige gevallestudiebenadering. Drie gevalle is in diepte ondersoek. Data was induktief gekodeer en geanaliseer volgens ontluikende patrone en temas. Bevindinge wys uit dat die gebruik van modellering suksesvol was wanneer die implementering volgens spesifieke kenmerke in die literatuur was. Dit het leerders instaat gestel om wiskunde te leer asook om addisionele uitkomste soos sosiale vaardighede en taal te ontwikkel. In hierdie studie is hoër-orde denke ondersteun deur dinamiese assessering en voortspruitende mediasie.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Education supporting factors is of great importance for children who are growing up in very challenging circumstances. The challenge of poverty affects people differently and people also react differently towards it. If educators can understand why certain children can withstand certain risk factors such as severe contextual backlogs, whilst others cannot, they will have a better understanding where to intervene, and also how to put preventative measures in place. (Garmenzy, 1991). This resilience who is intrinsic amongst children, acts as protective factors against certain developmental factors to which children might be exposed to. The different supportive structures who is critical for the learners, acts as extrinsic protective factors. The stronger the protective factors are, the better the parents can resist the pressure from poverty (Ross,1995). This study therefore aimed to understand what education supporting factors exist for learners who are growing up in challenging circumstances. The researcher worked from an interpretive paradigm. The study’s orientation is a basic qualitative research and included the following: purposive sample selection to identify research participants, open questionnaires to gather their biographic information, individual interviews and field notes to generate data, and content analysis to analyse data. Research findings indicate that the encouragement and extensive support that the learners enjoy plays a huge role in their lives. The study also highlighted that if the learners’ intrinsic resilience can be further developed and when the extensive support is sustainable, the learners can be successful and handle life’s challenges. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Onderwys ondersteunende faktore is van groot belang by kinders wat in uitdagende omstandighede groot word. Die uitdaging van armoede raak mense op verskillende maniere en mense reageer verskillend daarop. As opvoeders kan verstaan waarom sommige kinders risiko faktore soos erge kontekstuele agterstande kan weerstaan, terwyl ander nie kan nie, sal hulle ’n beter kans staan deur te weet hoe om in te gryp, en hoe om voorkomende maatreëls te tref (Garmenzy, 1991). Hierdie veerigtigheid wat inherent onder leerders is, tree as beskermende faktore op teen ontwikkelingsfaktore waaraan die kind blootgestel kan word. Die verskillende ondersteuningsnetwerke wat kritiek is vir die leerders, tree op as eksterne beskermende faktore, want hoe sterker die ondersteuning is, hoe beter kan ouers die druk wat deur armoede veroorsaak word weerstaan (Ross,1995). Die studie het dit ten doel om te verstaan en insig te bekom met watter faktore onderwys ondersteun, vir leerders wat in uitdagende omstandighede grootword. Die navorser het binne ’n interpretivistiese paradigma gewerk. Die studie se orientasie is ’n basiese kwalitatiewe navorsing en het die volgende ingesluit: doelbewuste seleksie om te bepaal wie die deelnemers was, oop vraelyste om hul biografiese inligting te bekom, individuele onderhoude en veldnotas om data te genereer, asook inhoudsanalise om die data te analiseer. Navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat die aanmoediging en uitgebreide ondersteuning wat die leerders geniet ’n groot rol in hul lewens speel. Uit die studie was dit duidelik dat as die leerders se inherente veerkragtigheid verder ontwikkel word en die uitgebreide ondersteuning is volhoubaar, kan die leerders suksesvol wees en die alledaagse uitdagings met gemak hanteer.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) put many interventions in place to provide quality education to all schools, but barriers still remained in low-income communities. Most barriers developed due to inadequate resources such as: poor teacher training, lack of community involvement, lack of transportation, poor service delivery and sustainability within the community. Numerous communities suffered discrimination in the form of unjust distribution of social benefits and resources. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), however, expects all learners to follow the same curriculum and achieve the same type of quality education. This is impossible when schools have inadequate resources. The aim of the research was therefore to explore how teachers understood the concept of quality education through their lived experiences at a low-income school. This exploration took into account what teachers viewed as contributing to or hindering a quality education, both at personal and interpersonal levels in the school. It also considered how the school system, the WCED and the social environment contributed to positive or negative outcomes regarding quality. This was important as teachers were seen as the key agents towards change in quality education. Social constructionism and a social justice approach provided the foundation of this research and enabled the voices of previously disadvantaged communities to be heard. In keeping with the theoretical frameworks of the study, a qualitative, interpretivist research approach was used. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and focus group discussions as well as individual interviews were used to generate data. Digital audio recordings were made of the group and individual sessions, which were then transcribed. The data collected in this study were analysed through thematic analysis. The research findings indicated that teachers experienced numerous barriers with regards to contextual factors and unjust distribution of resources. Furthermore, teachers reflected that with good pedagogy they were able to maintain quality education, by teaching a curriculum that was relevant to the context of the learner, even when resources were limited. This process was very time-consuming and not cost-effective. However, even though teachers were able to recognise the barriers present in their school they insisted that there were many positive aspects to working in a low-income school. These findings led to recommendations that were centred largely on meeting some of the support needs of teachers in low-income communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement (WKOD) het baie intervensies in plek gestel om gehalte-onderrig te verskaf aan alle skole, maar baie hindernisse was steeds teenwoordig in lae-inkomste gemeenskappe. Baie van die hindernisse het ontstaan as gevolg van onvoldoende hulpbronne soos: swak onderwysopleiding, gebrekkige gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, onvoldoende vervoer, swak dienslewering en volhoubaarheid in die gemeenskap. Daar was teen talle gemeenskappe gediskrimineer in terme van ongelyke verspreiding van sosiale voordele en hulpbronne. Die Kurrikulum- en Assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) verwag egter dat alle leerders dieselfde kurrikulum volg en dieselfde tipe gehalte-onderrig behaal. Dit is onmoontlik om te bereik indien skole onvoldoende hulpbronne het. Die doel van die navorsing was dus om onderwysers se konsep van gehalte-onderrig te verstaan deur hulle beleefde ervaring in ʼn lae-inkomste skool te ondersoek. Die ondersoek het in ag geneem wat onderwysers beskou het as ʼn bydrae of ʼn hindernis tot gehalte-onderrig, op sowel persoonlike as interpersoonlike vlak in die skool. Daar is ook gelet op watter positiewe of negatiewe invloede die skoolsisteem, die WKOD en die sosiale omgewing op gehalte-onderrig het. Dit word as belangrik geag omdat onderwysers gesien word as die belangrikste agente vir verandering in gehalte-onderwys. Sosiale konstruksionisme en ʼn sosiale geregtigheidsbenadering is die grondslag van hierdie navorsing en stel die stemme van voorheen benadeelde gemeenskappe in staat om gehoor te word. In ooreenstemming met die teoretiese raamwerke van die studie is ʼn kwalitatiewe, interpretivistiese navorsingsbenadering gebruik. Die deelnemers is deur middel van doelgerigte steekproeftrekking geselekteer en fokusgroepbesprekings en individuele onderhoude is gebruik om data te genereer. Digitale klankopnames is gemaak van die groep- en individuele sessies, wat toe getranskribeer is. Die data wat in hierdie studie ingesamel is, is ontleed deur middel van tematiese analise. Die navorsing het aangedui dat onderwysers talle struikelblokke ondervind het met betrekking tot kontekstuele faktore en onregverdige verspreiding van hulpbronne. Verder het onderwysers weerspieël dat hulle met goeie pedagogie in staat was om gehalte-onderwys te beoefen deur die kurrikulum binne die konteks van die leerder te onderrig, selfs wanneer hulpbronne beperk was. Hierdie proses het egter baie tyd in beslag geneem en was nie koste-effektief nie. Selfs al was onderwysers in staat om die struikelblokke in hul skool te herken, het hulle steeds die positiewe aspekte van werk in ʼn lae-inkomste skool uitgelig. Hierdie bevindinge het gelei tot aanbevelings wat grootliks handel oor ondersteuning van die onderwysers in lae-inkomste gemeenskappe deur vervulling van hulle behoeftes.

This thesis concerns the profession of the school special educational advisorr working in a mainstream primary school and his acting in favor of pupils with learning difficulities. The theoretical part describes the group of pupils with whom the school special educational advisor works and possibilities of this work, the cooperation with other partners (teachers, professionals and institutions outside the school and pupils' parents ) in supporting those pupils and the three-stage model of care for pupils at risk in school development. The practical part in the form of qualitative research examines how school special educational advisors acting in primary schools in Prague see themselves in their profession. KEY WORDS: School special educational advisor, school counseling centre, three-stage model of care, special education needs, prevention, diagnostics, intervention

This thesis explains the concept of progressive muscular disease. Describes the development of the disease, different types and methods of treatment. It also deals with the problems of the educational opportunities of children with limited mobility in the Czech Republic. The thesis is divided into four parts. The first chapter deals with the definition of the concept of progressive muscular disease. The second part describes the laws on education and educational facilities for children with disabilities in our country. It also deals with special educational needs and support in the educational process. The third part describes the family as a determinant in the choice of school. Determining what factors and to what extent, affect parents in deciding on the future of education.

The specific learning disabilities with the primary focus on dyslexia as one of the special educational need are characterised in the thesis. The theoretical part provides thorough clarification of the individual disabilities as well as the enumeration and explanation of the re- educational approaches towards the specific learning difficulties aimed at the process of teaching English as a foreign language. The qualitative research conducted on the second stage of the basic school constitutes the empirical part of the thesis. The major aim of tracing the needs of the learners with dyslexia was achieved by combining the results of the analysis of the textbooks and the self-created worksheets, observations from the lessons and the interviews with the participants. The main research question, discussing the degree of appropriateness and suitability of the created material in opposition to the regularly used textbooks, was answered in favour of the designed worksheets. Moreover, the thesis provides well-structured and comprehensive summary of the recommendations to enhance the learning process of the learners with dyslexia. Key words Dyslexia, foreign language teaching, lower secondary level, re-education, special educational needs, specific learning disabilities

This diploma thesis is divided into a theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part, the author derives from the historical findings of Educational Counselling Facilities in the Czech Educational system. Furthermore, she focuses on the definition of Educational Counselling Facilities before the introduction of the new concept of Individual Integration in 2016, including the working methods of school guidance counsellor. The author defines the terms of Individual Integration in detail and deals with the amendment and its consequences in the work of school guidance counsellors and teachers. The practical part includes an empirical research based on semi-structured interviews with school guidance counsellors. The author summarizes the findings of her questionnaire survey carried on among schoolteachers. In the final part, the author specifies the changes in the working methods of school guidance counsellors after the implementation of the new concept of Individual Integration starting from 1st September 2016. The author also clarifies the impact of the Individual Integration concept on the everyday responsibilities of the teachers and the educational facilities from their point of view.

In der vorliegenden Dissertation wird untersucht, wie die Beschulungsart mit den schulischen Kompetenzen und der schulischen Motivation von Schülerinnen und Schülern mit sonderpädagogischem Förderbedarf (SPF) in der vierten Jahrgangsstufe zusammenhängt. In der ersten Teilstudie wurde geprüft, ob die Kompetenztests im IQB-Ländervergleich 2011 geeignet sind, die schulischen Kompetenzen von Kindern mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen reliabel und valide zu erfassen. Die Messeigenschaften der Kompetenztests waren zwischen den Schülergruppen mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen vergleichbar. Jedoch zeigten sich Einschränkungen in der Testgüte für die Kompetenztests im Fach Mathematik für Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen. In der zweiten Teilstudie wurden die schulischen Kompetenzen in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik zwischen Kindern mit SPF in Förderschulen und allgemeinen Schulen miteinander verglichen. Kinder mit SPF in allgemeinen Schulen erzielten in beiden Fächern höhere schulische Kompetenzen als Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen mit vergleichbaren Lernvoraussetzungen und Hintergrundmerkmalen. Insbesondere Kinder mit dem Förderschwerpunkt Lernen profitierten von einer Beschulung in allgemeinen Schulen. In der dritten Teilstudie zeigte sich, dass die fähigkeitsbezogene Klassenkomposition unter Berücksichtigung individueller Hintergrundmerkmale und Schulart positiv mit den schulischen Kompetenzen von Kindern mit SPF zusammenhing. In der vierten Teilstudie wurden Zusammenhänge zwischen der Beschulungsart und Merkmalen der schulischen Motivation untersucht. Kinder mit SPF in Förderschulen wiesen ein höheres akademisches Selbstkonzept in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik sowie fächerübergreifend eine höhere Lernfreude auf als Kinder mit SPF in allgemeinen Schulen. Diese motivationalen Unterschiede konnten auf die geringere Leistungsstärke in Förderschulen im Vergleich zu allgemeinen Schulen zurückgeführt werden. / The present dissertation examines the relation between the educational placement of students with special educational needs (SEN) in special education schools or regular schools and their school achievement and achievement motivation at the end of fourth grade. In the first study, we investigated if the achievement tests in German and mathematics assess SEN students’ proficiencies reliably and validly. Overall, the interpretation of the test scores was comparable between students with SEN in special education schools and regular schools. Comparability of the achievement tests in mathematics, however, was constrained for SEN students in special education schools compared to students without SEN. In the second study, we compared SEN students’ school achievement in German and mathematics between special education schools and regular schools. SEN students in regular schools had significantly higher test scores across both domains than comparable SEN students in special education schools. In particular, students with special needs in learning benefitted from an education in regular schools. In the third study, we found a significant positive relationship between the average cognitive abilities at the class level and SEN students’ individual school achievement in German and mathematics after accounting for students’ achievement-related characteristics and educational placement in special education schools or regular schools. The fourth study focused on the relation between SEN students’ educational placement and their achievement motivation. SEN students in special education schools reported higher academic self-concepts in German and mathematics as well as more enjoyment of learning than SEN students in regular schools. Placement differences could be explained by the lower class-average achievement in special education schools compared to regular schools.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:33:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Clementina Terezinha de Jesus Monfardini.pdf: 473375 bytes, checksum: edf40dae3e17e45d8d6b100d774675a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-10-29 / This Masters Thesis is inscribed under the research approach named: University and preparation of teachers for Elementary and Middle school levels. Analyzing two state elementary schools 1st to 4th grades) in the state of So Paulo, this project discusses the challenges and dilemmas set before the preparation of educators, considering the complexity of the educational context, where various assessment strategies often result in the production of failure, as seen in signs of exclusion and discrimination, both in special education, and in regular education. While focusing on strategies and mechanisms schools use to move children from regular education to special education, and vice-versa, we are able to perceive how discrimination grows, leading to failure in school. This issue underlines the need to promote teacher training in a mode that avoids classification, selection and discrimination processes of children who are mostly from underprivileged classes. In the case of the schools we studied, such crystallized processes are evident in the sending of students to the SAPEs (Specialized pedagogical support services), a governmental program. Throughout the ten months we followed the assessment procedures, we were able to show that decisions about sending special classes and resource classes are defined beforrehand, by the school team or health care specialists. This investigation indicates that teacher preparation is one of the major pathways for meaningful change of this landscape that along with changes in working conditions, teacher salaries and higher value for teaching as a career choice. / A presente disserta??o insere-se na linha de pesquisa "Universidade e Forma??o de Professores para o Ensino Fundamental e M?dio". Objetiva analisar, por meio do estudo de duas unidades escolares de 1a a 4a s?ries da rede estadual de ensino do Estado de S?o Paulo, os desafios e dilemas postos para a forma??o dos educadores, em fun??o da complexidade dos contextos escolares. O foco recai principalmente sobre as formas de avalia??o que, muitas vezes, resultam na produ??o do fracasso escolar, expresso em suas marcas excludentes e discriminadoras, tanto para a Educa??o Especial como para o Ensino Regular. Ao atentarmos para as estrat?gias e mecanismos utilizados pela escola, quando se colocam "crian?as em tr?nsito" do Ensino Regular para a Educa??o Especial e vice-versa, percebemos a reprodu??o de formas de discrimina??o, j? mencionada, configurando a produ??o do fracasso escolar. Esta problem?tica aponta para a necessidade de se promover uma forma??o docente que rompa com os processos de classifica??o, sele??o e discrimina??o de crian?as, em sua maioria, origin?rias das camadas populares. No caso dessas escolas, esses processos perpassam, inclusive, pelos procedimentos estratificados de encaminhamento dos alunos para os Servi?os de Apoio Pedag?gico Especializado (classes especiais e salas de recursos) SAPEs criados pelo poder p?blico. No decorrer de dez meses de acompanhamento dos mecanismos de avalia??o, evidenciou-se que as decis?es sobre o encaminhamento dos educandos para a classe especial e sala de recursos s?o definidas a priori pela pr?pria equipe escolar ou pelos especialistas da ?rea de sa?de. Esta investiga??o vislumbra a forma??o de professores como uma das vias mais importantes para altera??es significativas desse quadro, aliada ?s mudan?as na condi??o de trabalho e de sal?rio do educador e na valoriza??o da carreira do magist?rio.

The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the role of special education teacher at elementary school in the present condition. It's concerned especially with the position at school, with the activities and methods of the work and with the professional relationships. The theoretical part focuses on the development of the special education and mainly on the contemporaray special arrangements. This master thesis describes the groups of pupils who need the arrangement from the school and other school institutions. The text shows the charakteristics of individual eduactional plans and of school consultancy services, including the special education teacher and the particular aspects of this profession, based on scientific literature. The empirical part is based on the mixed research. It schows the examples of the practice, the issue is the analysis of five interviews with special education teachers from the basic schools. These interviews illustrative the current role and activities of this profession. Subsequently I analyse data of the questionnaire of forty respondents, directors of basic schools, who described their experience with special school teachers. The master thesis tries to show the objective point of view of the special education teacher at basic schools. The present text can be...