Since 1994, the South African education system has undergone a number of paradigm shifts culminating in the implementation of the policy of Inclusive Education as highlighted in Education White Paper 6: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System. The purpose of this research was to explore how foundation phase learners who experience severe intellectual barriers to learning are provided with high levels of support at special schools in the Pietermaritzburg district. A case study design was embarked upon as this allowed for an in-depth exploration of the above research question. Three special schools in the Pietermaritzburg district that cater for learners who experience severe intellectual barriers to learning were chosen for this investigation. Quantitative and qualitative research methods, consisting of questionnaires, interviews and observation were utilised. The findings reveal that educators at these schools do provide high levels of support to foundation phase learners who experience severe intellectual barriers to learning. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Syftet med denna studie är att utveckla kunskap om hur diskussionerna kring avskaffandet eller behållandet av särskolan som skolform i relation till Carlbeck-kommitténs arbete har förts i Lärarförbundets (LF) tidningar. Studien ingår i forskningsprojektet From Salamanca to PISA. The professionalizations of special needs educators since 1990 from a comparative perspective. Projektet bedrivs i Stockholms universitets regi, lett av Wieland Wermke och Gabriella Höstfält.  Arbetet bygger på en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av artiklar från fackliga tidskrifter. Det empiriska materialet utgörs dels av artiklar i Lärarförbundets tidskrifter Specialpedagogen och Specialpedagogik och dels av Carlbeck-kommitténs del-, och slutbetänkande. I arbetets historiska bakgrund och forskningsöversikt identifieras två historiska spår gällande synen på organisation av undervisning för elever med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning. Arbetets resultat påvisar att dessa historiska spår även fortlöper under den studerade tidsperioden. Vidare visar resultatet en tydlig avsaknad av engagemang i frågan om skolformens existens från professionen och fackliga företrädare. Möjliga orsaker till detta presenteras i diskussionsdelen. Studiens resultat indikerar hur särskolan blivit en säkerhetsventil för att avlasta den starkare målstyrda grundskolan. En av de slutsatser som framkommer i arbetets diskussion är att Carlbeck-kommitténs arbete utgjorde ett försök att föra samman Salamancadeklarationens tanke om en skola för alla med PISA:s mer målinriktade intention. / The aim of this study is to develop knowledge of how the discussions about the abolition or retention of special school in relation to the Carlbeck Committee have been conducted in the Swedish Teachers' Association's (LF) magazines. The study is part of the research project From Salamanca to PISA. The professionalizations of special needs educators since 1990 from a comparative perspective . The project is run under the auspices of Stockholm University, led by Wieland Wermke and Gabriella Höstfält.  This study is based on a qualitative content analysis of articles from LF member magazines. The empirical material consists partly of articles in LF member magazines Specialpedagogen and Specialpedagogik and partly of the Carlbeck Committee's partial and final report. In this study's historical background and research overview, two historical traces are identified regarding the view of the organization of teaching for students with intellectual disabilities. The results of the study show that these historical traces also continue during the studied period. Furthermore, the results show a clear lack of commitment to the issue of the existence of special schools for students with intellectual disability from the profession and union representatives. Possible reasons for this are presented in the discussion section. The results of the study indicate how the special school has become a safety valve to relieve the stronger goal-oriented primary school. One of the conclusions that emerges in the discussion of the work is that the work of the Carlbeck Committee was an attempt to bring together the Salamanca declaration's idea of a school for all with PISA's more goal-oriented intention. / From Salamanca to PISA. The professionalizations of special needs educators since 1990 from a comparative perspective .

Daten der amtlichen Statistik deuten auf eine Überrepräsentation von Kindern mit ausländischer Staatsbürgerschaft an Förderschulen hin. Dies wird in der Literatur häufig als Hinweis auf eine Benachteiligung von Kindern mit Zuwanderungshintergrund (ZHG) gedeutet. Hier anknüpfend geht die vorliegende Arbeit in drei Teilstudien der Frage nach, inwiefern die Diagnose eines sonderpädagogischen Förderbedarfs im Schwerpunkt Lernen (SPF-L) und die besuchte Schulart mit dem ZHG eines Kindes zusammenhängen. Teilstudie I zeigt anhand logistischer Regressionsanalysen, dass Kinder aus zugewanderten Familien unter Berücksichtigung der sozialen Herkunft, der kognitiven Grundfähigkeiten und der schulischen Kompetenzen seltener einen diagnostizierten SPF-L aufweisen und seltener eine Förderschule besuchen als Kinder ohne ZHG. Vertiefend werden zwei Erklärungen für diese Befunde näher betrachtet: Eine Erklärung für die geringere Diagnosehäufigkeit eines SPF-L liegt in der Klassenzusammensetzung. Diese bildet den Referenzrahmen für die Leistungsbeurteilung und könnte somit auch bei der Einleitung von Diagnoseverfahren bedeutsam sein. Teilstudie II untersucht daher, inwiefern die Diagnose eines SPF-L mit der zuwanderungsbezogenen, der sozialen und der leistungsbezogenen Klassenzusammensetzung assoziiert ist. Logistische Mehrebenen-Regressionsanalysen weisen auf entsprechende Zusammenhänge hin. Zur Erklärung des selteneren Förderschulbesuchs von Kindern mit ZHG könnten Schulwahlmotive von Eltern beitragen. Teilstudie III zeigt daher anhand von Strukturgleichungsanalysen, dass sich Schulwahlmotive nach Schulart und ZHG unterscheiden und dass diese Motive den Zusammenhang zwischen einem ZHG und der besuchten Schulart vollständig mediieren. Die Dissertation leistet einen Beitrag zur empirischen Fundierung der Diskussion über Objektivität bei der Einleitung von Diagnoseverfahren und die Relevanz von Hintergrundmerkmalen für die Diagnose eines SPF-L und Schulartentscheidungen. / Data from official statistics indicate that children with migrant background are overrepresented in special schools. In previous studies this finding has often been interpreted as an indication of ethnic discrimination. The present thesis investigates in three studies whether the migrant background of a child is associated with special educational needs in the area of learning (SEN-L) and with the type of school attended. The results of logistic regression analyses in Study I indicate that controlling for differences in social background, cognitive abilities and academic achievement, children with migrant background are less likely to have diagnosed SEN-L and to attend a special school than non-migrant children. Two explanations for these findings are examined in more detail: One possible explanation for the lower frequency of SEN-L diagnosis could be found in the effects of classroom composition which forms a frame of reference for achievement assessment. This may also be relevant for the initiation of diagnostic procedures. Study II investigates whether a SEN-L is associated with the migrant, socioeconomic, and academic classroom composition. Multilevel logistic regression models confirmed the relationship between classroom composition and SEN-L. One possible explanation for the finding that children with migrant background are less likely to attend a special school in the area of learning than comparable children without migrant background could lie in parents' motives for school choice. Study III therefore uses structural equation analysis to show that the parent’s motives for school choice differ according to school type and migrant background and also mediate the relationship between migrant background and school type. The thesis contributes to the empirical foundation of the discussion on objectivity in the initiation of diagnostic procedures by examining the relevance of background characteristics for the diagnosis of SEN-L and decisions on the school type.

This research explored the perception of the incorporation of ‘future-self’ for young people (YP) moving from specialist provision for children where the Local Authority have identified the provision as Moderate Learning Difficulties and additional needs, their parent/carers views, and the perspectives of professionals supporting their transition to mainstream further education. The ‘future-self’ approach had its basis in social cognitive theory, as the creation of imagined ‘future-selves’ is thought to influence an individual’s behaviour to aid them to work towards their aspired self (Baker, 2015; Markus & Nurius, 1986; Oysterman & James, 2011). Phase one used a case study methodology using semi-structured interviews to explore the YP and their parent/carer’s experience of transition planning having included the young person’s vision of their ‘future-self’, at aged 16. Materials were designed to aid their understanding using visual support. Phase two gained the views of YP using focus groups as they approach transition out of FE at aged 19 or older into continued training, employment, and on towards adulthood, in relation to inclusion of their vision of their ‘future-self’ in this preparation. This phase also explored the perceptions of the professionals for incorporating the young person’s view of their ‘future-self’ using semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six stage thematic analysis to identify themes in the data. Focus groups were thematically analysed using Ritchie and Spencer’s (1994) five stage analysis. A number of themes were found for the YP at both stages, the parents/carers and the professionals. Findings indicated that the YP are more involved in the transition planning and a range of methods are applied to prepare the YP however there are a number of barriers still limiting the options for the YP such as: lack of choice available, protectiveness of others, low aspirations, failure to explore holistic longer term outcomes, insufficient multi-agency involvement, overreliance on parents, and the need for more effective strategic planning and awareness of the systems around the YP. The findings from this research indicate that applying a ‘future-selves’ approach for YP as a method to generate future aspirations to motivate YP’s behaviour has been effective as a tool to add to existing transition preparations. This could act as a way to overcome the currently existing poorer long term outcomes for YP with this population. Based upon this small scale project, further investigation would be required to assess the benefit for a wider population.

AbstractProblemområdeFlertalet elever med diagnos utvecklingsstörning som är mottagna i grundsärskolan är i behov av stöd i lärande och kommunikationen med andra människor. Hjälpmedlen kan vara av olika slag bland annat i form av en lärplatta. Hur upplever elever, tolv till femton års ålder, i grundsärskolan interaktionen i mötet och sitt lärande vid teknikanvändning av lärplattor med mobila applikationer i klassrummet?SyfteStudiens syfte är att delge tankar och erfarenheter ur ett elevperspektiv gällande interaktionen i mötet samt elevens uppfattning om lärande vid användande av mobila applikationer i sin lärplatta. Frågeställningarna var följande:När används mobila applikationer av eleven i klassrummet?På vilket sätt upplever eleven mötet med klasskamrater vid användning av lärplattans mobila applikationer i klassrummet?På vilket sätt upplever eleven lärande i klassrummet i det digitala mötet vid användning av lärplattans mobila applikationer?Teoretisk ramStudien utgår från både Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv på social interaktion och Lev S. Vygotskys sociokulturella perspektiv på idéer om mänsklig utveckling. Inom den sociokulturella teoriramen diskuteras artefaktens betydelse för människans lärande. Utifrån Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv diskuteras intagande av roller och agerande i gruppen.MetodStudien bygger på en kvalitativ fallstudie med rötter i etnografi i vilken metodtriangulering används. Metoderna som används är en kombination av observationer, fältanteckningar och halvstrukturerade intervjuer inkluderat stimulated recall teknik.ResultatGenom ovan nämnda metoder framkommer det att studiens deltagande elever finner arbetet i skolan mer lustfyllt när de använder sin lärplatta. Det framkommer även att eleverna tycker att ett lärande infinner sig vid användandet av mobila applikationer. De har svårigheter i att sätta ord på sitt lärande och sin utveckling och har en tendens att jämföra lärande med görande. Eleverna som observeras och intervjuas använder sig av mobila applikationer för att underlätta mötet med andra elever. Dessa möten kan vara av olika karaktär men alla möten är av betydelse för eleverna.ImplikationerElever med diagnos utvecklingsstörning kan behöva stöd i såväl skolarbete som i mötet med andra människor. Lärare måste finna de sätt som individuellt fungerar bäst. För den aktuella undersökningsgruppen visar det sig att bland annat mobila applikationerna ger dem det stödet. Eleverna berättar i denna studie att användandet av mobila applikationerna gör lärandet mer lustfyllt och att möten i olika former underlättas.SlutsatsStudien visar att urvalet tycker skolarbetet är mer lustfyllt då de använder sig av lärplattans mobila applikationer. Andra synpunkter från eleverna är att de använder lärplattan som en artefakt både som hjälpmedel och i interaktionen med andra människor. I dessa påpekanden finns en samsyn hos eleverna.Nyckelordappropriering, artefakter, elevperspektiv, främre och bakre regioner, interaktion, mediering, performance (framträdande) och rollgestaltningar.

Text in Afrikaans / The goal of the research is to explore the personality profile of aggressive victims of bullying in a special school. Qualitative, applied research of an explorative and descriptive nature was followed. In order to address the problem, namely that the personality profile of children can lead to aggressive victims, the researcher undertook a literature study to describe bullying in middle childhood with the focus on aggressive victims, the Five Factor Model of Personality, bullying in special schools and organismic selfregulation within Gestalt therapy. The researcher's knowledge of the Five Factor Model of Personality enabled her to compile the interview schedules for the semi-structured interviews. Purposeful sampling was conducted to identify respondents for the interviews. The interviews were conducted with four aggressive victims of bullying, their parents, as well as their class teachers. During the analysis of data, themes were identified. These themes were verified with literature and recommendations were made. / Social work / M.Diac.(Play therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The goal of the research is to explore the personality profile of aggressive victims of bullying in a special school. Qualitative, applied research of an explorative and descriptive nature was followed. In order to address the problem, namely that the personality profile of children can lead to aggressive victims, the researcher undertook a literature study to describe bullying in middle childhood with the focus on aggressive victims, the Five Factor Model of Personality, bullying in special schools and organismic selfregulation within Gestalt therapy. The researcher's knowledge of the Five Factor Model of Personality enabled her to compile the interview schedules for the semi-structured interviews. Purposeful sampling was conducted to identify respondents for the interviews. The interviews were conducted with four aggressive victims of bullying, their parents, as well as their class teachers. During the analysis of data, themes were identified. These themes were verified with literature and recommendations were made. / Social work / M.Diac.(Play therapy)