The purpose of this study is to examine how teachers at secondary special school, national programs describe their work to get students to understand and reach the curriculum requirements and grades in theoretical knowledge. The study shows teacher's description to help students to fulfill the theoretical goals, how teachers perceive “understanding of requirements and grades” within the theoretical knowledge as well as the teachers' conception of theoretical knowledge requirements. The study analysis is based on curriculum theory. The study is based on interviews with six teachers, at three schools in upper secondary schools national programs. Qualitative approach with interviews is used. Analysis of the study, based on a curriculum theory perspective, gives a picture of how the curriculum shape what and how theoretical knowledge are to be taught. A curriculum is always intelligible within its written contexts - a historical document. In the curriculum perspective the frame factor theory is prominent. The frame factor theory describes the outer limits which affect the conditions for the student to be able to reach the skills the curriculum requires. One finding is that upper secondary school is perceived to be as similar to ordinary secondary schools as possible. That curriculum and grading criteria are formed within equivalence perspective. Further results show that teachers find difficulty of teaching students in theoretical subjects. Partly because it is perceived difficult for students to understand the theoretical knowledge, and because the student groups are showing variation in levels of understanding. Further findings show how teacher´s creates opportunities for students to perform. The teachers show an image of being flexible and inventive. Teachers also expresses that students need more time to solve their tasks and do not always perform on the level of the subjects’ requirements. Teachers present the experience of the student not showing greater understanding of their grades or of their implications. Regarding the theoretical knowledge, the teachers' perception is that it is not the most primary skills for the student to reach or to get use from. Students described more use from substances or from parts directly useful in life. The teachers believe that it is important that the student feel self-confident in ones own identity, and not always have to be like everyone else. The teachers perceive difference as something positive. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur lärare på gymnasiesärskolans nationella program beskriver sitt arbete med att få eleven att förstå och nå upp till läroplanens teoretiska kunskapskrav och betyg. Studien visar lärares beskrivning av hur de skapar förutsättning för elevens väg mot måluppfyllnad, hur lärarna uppfattar elevens förståelse för de teoretiska kunskapskraven och betyg samt lärarnas föreställning om teoretiska kunskapskrav. Studien analyseras utifrån läroplansteorin. Studien är en intervjustudie med sex lärare på tre olika skolor där nationella program inom gymnasiesärskolan finns. Den metod jag använt mig av i studien är kvalitativ metod i form av intervjuer.  Analys av studien utifrån ett läroplansteoretiskt perspektiv ger en bild av lärarens föreställning kring läroplanens vad och hur inom undervisning och teoretiska kunskapskrav. En läroplan är alltid tolkningsbar utifrån sitt upphovssammanhang – ett tidsdokument. Ramfaktorteorin är framträdande inom läroplansperspektivet. Ramfaktorteorin beskriver de yttre ramar som påverkar förutsättningar för eleven att möjliggöra läroplanens kunskapskrav. Resultat ur studien är att gymnasiesärskolan uppfattas sträva efter att vara så lik vanliga gymnasieskolan så möjligt. Att läroplan och betygskriterier formats utifrån likvärdighets-perspektiv. Ytterligare resultat visar att läraren upplever det som en svårighet i att undervisa eleven i teoretiska ämnen. Dels för att det uppfattas svårt för eleven att förstå teoretiska kunskaper och dels för att det inom elevgrupperna är en sådan skillnad i förkunskapsnivå.  Fler slutsatser visar hur läraren skapar möjligheter för eleven att nå kunskapskraven. Lärarna visar en bild av att vara flexibla och uppfinningsrika. Samtidigt uttrycker läraren att eleven behöver mycket tid på sig för att lösa sina uppgifter och inte alltid hinner de moment kunskapskraven uttrycker. Lärarna menar att eleven inte visar större förståelse inför sina betyg eller vad de används till. Angående de teoretiska kunskaperna är lärarnas föreställning att det inte är de mest primära kunskaper för eleven att tillgodogöra sig eller ha användning för. Eleven beskrivs ha mer nytta av ämnen eller moment vilka är direkt användbara i livet. Lärarna anser att det är viktigt att eleven får vara den person den är och att man inte alltid måste vara så lik alla andra. Olikhet ser de som något positivt.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-03-17T11:56:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Kaciana Nascimento da Silveira Rosa.pdf: 4369844 bytes, checksum: 869ba358e383c8a91312941dcf4f9f1d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-17T11:56:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Kaciana Nascimento da Silveira Rosa.pdf: 4369844 bytes, checksum: 869ba358e383c8a91312941dcf4f9f1d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This thesis consists of an analysis of the first experiences of schooling of children's with disabilities in the 18th and 19th centuries, and beginning of 20th century. It also identifies educational principles and assumptions that can contribute to inclusive education of these children today, through the works by Jacob Rodrigues Pereira (1715-1780), Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (1774-1838), Edouard Séguin (1812-1880) and Maria Montessori (1870-1952). These educators provided conditions for special needs children to learn and develop by keeping away from the medical-clinical interventions and giving priority to the pedagogical approach. Since it is a theoretical study, it considers the theoretical production in the field of special needs education, including reading and analysis of materials (books, articles, thesis and dissertations) about the life, studies and experiences developed by Pereira, Itard, Séguin and Montessori – the secondary sources of information. Furthermore, the study mainly addresses the full texts and works of the educators investigated – the primary sources. To understand the historical meaning of the theoretical and practical materials published by Pereira, Itard, Séguin and Montessori, the analyses were based on four categories, considering life, process of academic training, theoretical inspirations and, mainly, the educational proposals of each of these scholars investigated. Finally, an analysis is made to show the common points among the works of Pereira, Itard, Séguin and Montessori. In addition, the main aspects of their work – pointing out to formation of special needs education and to the roots of socalled inclusion process – are presented / Esta tese constitui-se da análise das primeiras experiências de escolarização de crianças com deficiência nos séculos XVIII, XIX e início do século XX, bem como da identificação dos princípios e pressupostos pedagógicos que podem contribuir para o trabalho de inclusão escolar dessas crianças na atualidade, por meio dos trabalhos de Jacob Rodrigues Pereira (1715-1780), Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (1774-1838), Edouard Séguin (1812-1880) e Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Esses educadores proporcionaram condições de aprendizagem e desenvolvimento para crianças com deficiência ao se afastarem do modelo de intervenção médico-clínica, priorizando a abordagem pedagógica. Por se tratar de um estudo de caráter teórico, considera-se a produção teórica na área da educação especial, contemplando a leitura e a análise de materiais (livros, artigos, teses e dissertações) sobre a vida, os estudos e as experiências desenvolvidas por Pereira, Itard, Séguin e Montessori – fonte segundária – e, principalmente textos e obras completas dos educadores aqui pesquisados – fonte primária. Para a compreensão da significação histórica do material teórico e prático deixado por Pereira, Itard, Séguin e Montessori, as análises foram norteadas por quatro categorias, considerando a vida, o processo de formação acadêmica, as inspirações teóricas e, principalmente, as propostas educativas de cada um dos teóricos pesquisados. Por fim, é realizada uma análise que busca evidenciar os pontos comuns dos trabalhos de Pereira, Itard, Séguin e Montessori e, também, são apresentados os principais aspectos de seus trabalhos que apontam para a constituição da educação especial, bem como as raízes do processo hoje denominado de inclusão

<p>Projektet ”Radio i skolan” riktade sig till elever inom det individuella programmet på en gymnasieskola. Det pågick sammanlagt en termin. Projektet innebar ett arbetssätt där fokus låg på innehåll, att berätta om ett ämne. Uttrycksformen för detta var att göra ett eget radioprogram. Denna fallstudie behandlar detta projekt.</p><p>Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur elever uppfattade det egna lärandet i ett projekt där de fick arbeta med radioproduktion. Ett annat syfte var att undersöka hur involverade pedagoger uppfattade möjligheter och hinder för elevers lärande genom ett sådant estetiskt och ämnesövergripande arbetssätt. Frågorna rörde elevernas uppfattningar av vad de lärt sig, hur de lärt sig, utvecklande av självkänslan samt om pedagogernas roll för detta. En fråga handlade om involverade lärares syn på elevernas lärande och utvecklande av självkänsla.</p><p>Som datainsamlingsmetoder användes både enkäter och intervjuer. Intervjuer gjordes med elever och lärare. De olika resultaten jämfördes med varandra och relaterades till olika teorier.</p><p>Resultaten visar att projektet innebar ett arbetssätt som möjliggjorde lärande på olika sätt. Elever lärde sig genom att använda radioproduktion som redskap. Det innebar även lärande om hantverket, hur man gör en radioproduktion. I mindre omfattning fanns det lärande om tänkandet hur man kan uttrycka berättelser i radioform. Elevers språkutveckling kunde stimuleras i och med att de använde talet mycket. Flera elever ansåg att deras självkänsla utvecklades genom att de utmanade sig själva och vågade. Det framkom också att arbetet upplevdes svårt av flera elever. En viktig del i projektet var att det fanns tydliga mål samt stöd till eleverna i arbetet, från både lärare och en kulturarbetare med erfarenhet av radioproduktion. Resultaten pekar på att deras förmåga att motivera elever hade avgörande betydelse för elevernas läroprocess.</p><p> </p><p> </p> / <p>The project ”Radio in the school” was offered to pupils within the individual programme in one secondary school. It was realized during one term. The project implied a way of work where the focus was on content, to tell about a stuff. The way of expression for this was by making a radio programme. This case study is about this project.</p><p>The aim of this investigation was to find out how students were comprehended their own learning in a project were they made radio programmes. Another aim was to investigate how the teachers involved were comprehended the possibilities and obstacles to learning for pupils through such an aesthetic and subject overarching way of work. The questions concerned the pupil’s comprehension of what they learned, in what way they learned, the development of self-esteem and of the teacher’s part in this.</p><p>Data were collected with questionnaires and interviews. Interviews were made with pupils and teachers. The results were compared with each other and were related to different theories.</p><p> The results indicate that the project implied a way of work which made learning possible in different ways. The pupils learned by using radio production as a tool. It also implied learning about the skill, how to make a radio production. To less extent there was learning about the thinking about how to express the stories in radio. The language of the pupils could develop because they used speech to large extent. The self-esteem of the pupils could grow when they challenged themselves and dared to do new tasks.</p><p>It also appeared that the work was experienced as difficult for several pupils. According to the teachers, an important matter in the project was clearly defined targets and support to the pupils from the teachers and from a cultural worker with knowledge of radio production. The results indicate that their capacity for motivating pupils was of vital importance for their learning process.</p>

<p>This thesis is about special needs educational competence of educators working in collaborating teams within child and youth habilitation centres. The pedagogy of the moment stands for the decisions made by educators, based on their observations made when meeting the child in its different environments. These decisions build on educational theoretical and practical knowledge and experience developed through collaboration within interprofessional teams. The study was carried out through the use of focus groups consisting of professionals within different child and youth habilitation centres. The data consists of taped and transcribed focus groups discussions. Participants provided additional information concerning, estimations of the focus group session, their education and use of special needs educational assignments through additional questionnaires. The analysis focuses on how the educators conceptualise their competence and the dialogue in the group conversation. To facilitate the interactional analysis, a constructional key for the conversation was developed.</p><p>The educators within child and youth habilitation centers have not developed specific professional strategies, but instead, appear to have adapted a mission through structural means. Their competence appears contextually adapted and devel-oped within three spheres of activities. Their basic education is in the area of pre-school with theoretical focus on children’s normal development, pedagogical experience of working with groups of children, play and learning. On the basis of this background, together with experiences with toy library activities for children with disabilities, they have become one of the corner stone of child and youth habilitation centres of the 1980’s. In these centers, by tradition a mainly medical sphere of activity, they work in teams with family orientated habilitation, and have developed compe-tence for special needs educational intervention for children with disabilities. Special needs education is a supplementary field, which includes educators who are being trained for municipal operation. The educators use professional speech genres with colloquial language terminology, which is adjusted to its communicative context. The educators and their colleagues in the teams emphasize the importance of the educator bridging the medical, treatment and pedagogical contexts, together with a focus on child, parents and staff, at home and in preschool/school. A communicational genre has developed within the occupational group, where the educators reinforce rather than question each other when taking turns during interprofessional conversations. The competence of the educator is based on knowledge and experience when it comes to children, their development, play and learning. The thesis demonstrates that the main focus of the supplementary education increasingly lies on the pedagogical meeting with adults, mostly parents, around specific child. The practical pedagogical work for the child, playing as intervention as well as the specific special needs educational intervention is less conceptualised by the educators. They are requesting relevant research and theories to support their field of knowledge.</p>

Projektet ”Radio i skolan” riktade sig till elever inom det individuella programmet på en gymnasieskola. Det pågick sammanlagt en termin. Projektet innebar ett arbetssätt där fokus låg på innehåll, att berätta om ett ämne. Uttrycksformen för detta var att göra ett eget radioprogram. Denna fallstudie behandlar detta projekt. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur elever uppfattade det egna lärandet i ett projekt där de fick arbeta med radioproduktion. Ett annat syfte var att undersöka hur involverade pedagoger uppfattade möjligheter och hinder för elevers lärande genom ett sådant estetiskt och ämnesövergripande arbetssätt. Frågorna rörde elevernas uppfattningar av vad de lärt sig, hur de lärt sig, utvecklande av självkänslan samt om pedagogernas roll för detta. En fråga handlade om involverade lärares syn på elevernas lärande och utvecklande av självkänsla. Som datainsamlingsmetoder användes både enkäter och intervjuer. Intervjuer gjordes med elever och lärare. De olika resultaten jämfördes med varandra och relaterades till olika teorier. Resultaten visar att projektet innebar ett arbetssätt som möjliggjorde lärande på olika sätt. Elever lärde sig genom att använda radioproduktion som redskap. Det innebar även lärande om hantverket, hur man gör en radioproduktion. I mindre omfattning fanns det lärande om tänkandet hur man kan uttrycka berättelser i radioform. Elevers språkutveckling kunde stimuleras i och med att de använde talet mycket. Flera elever ansåg att deras självkänsla utvecklades genom att de utmanade sig själva och vågade. Det framkom också att arbetet upplevdes svårt av flera elever. En viktig del i projektet var att det fanns tydliga mål samt stöd till eleverna i arbetet, från både lärare och en kulturarbetare med erfarenhet av radioproduktion. Resultaten pekar på att deras förmåga att motivera elever hade avgörande betydelse för elevernas läroprocess. / The project ”Radio in the school” was offered to pupils within the individual programme in one secondary school. It was realized during one term. The project implied a way of work where the focus was on content, to tell about a stuff. The way of expression for this was by making a radio programme. This case study is about this project. The aim of this investigation was to find out how students were comprehended their own learning in a project were they made radio programmes. Another aim was to investigate how the teachers involved were comprehended the possibilities and obstacles to learning for pupils through such an aesthetic and subject overarching way of work. The questions concerned the pupil’s comprehension of what they learned, in what way they learned, the development of self-esteem and of the teacher’s part in this. Data were collected with questionnaires and interviews. Interviews were made with pupils and teachers. The results were compared with each other and were related to different theories.  The results indicate that the project implied a way of work which made learning possible in different ways. The pupils learned by using radio production as a tool. It also implied learning about the skill, how to make a radio production. To less extent there was learning about the thinking about how to express the stories in radio. The language of the pupils could develop because they used speech to large extent. The self-esteem of the pupils could grow when they challenged themselves and dared to do new tasks. It also appeared that the work was experienced as difficult for several pupils. According to the teachers, an important matter in the project was clearly defined targets and support to the pupils from the teachers and from a cultural worker with knowledge of radio production. The results indicate that their capacity for motivating pupils was of vital importance for their learning process.

Syftet med min undersökning är att studera sydafrikanska pedagogers perspektiv på barn i behov av särskilt stöd i förskolan och förskoleklassen. I syftet ingår också att undersöka pedagogers syn på vilka resurser som finns för dessa barn. Jag har använt mig av metoden kvalitativa intervjuer för att få öppna och detaljerade beskrivningar från pedagogerna. Pedagogerna menade att barn i behov av särskilt stöd är barn som avviker från kamraterna i kunskaps- och mognadsnivå samt barn med funktionsnedsättningar, sjukdomar eller sociala problem. De sydafrikanska pedagogerna hade två perspektiv på barn i behov av särskilt stöd. Det första är det kategoriska perspektivet och innebär att dela upp barn i kategorier, t.ex. barn med inlärningssvårigheter. Det andra perspektivet är det relationella perspektivet som innebär att miljön och verksamheten runtomkring avgör om ett barn är i behov av särskilt stöd eller inte. Pedagogerna menar att de inte har speciella hjälpmedel för barn i behov av särskilt stöd. För att motivera barnen använder pedagogerna kreativa metoder, till exempel låter de dem skriva i sand, på griffeltavlan och vara delaktiga. De gör vad de kan med de begränsade resurserna. / The purpose of the study is to explore the views from South African educators on children in need of special support in preschool. The purpose also includes to study the educator’s view on what resources there are for these children. I have used the method qualitative interviews to capture open and detailed descriptions from the educators. The South African educators mean that children in need of special support are children who differ from their peers in knowledge and maturity level, and children with disabilities, sicknesses or social problems. The South African educators had two perspectives on children in need of special support. The first is the categorical perspective, which means that they divide learners in categories, for example learners having learning disabilities. The second one is relational perspective which means that the surrounding environment determines if a child is in need of special support or not. The educators mean they don’t have enough resources for children in need of special support. To motivate the children the educators use creative methods, for example write in sand, on the chalkboard and let them be active. They do what they can with limited resources.

This thesis is about special needs educational competence of educators working in collaborating teams within child and youth habilitation centres. The pedagogy of the moment stands for the decisions made by educators, based on their observations made when meeting the child in its different environments. These decisions build on educational theoretical and practical knowledge and experience developed through collaboration within interprofessional teams. The study was carried out through the use of focus groups consisting of professionals within different child and youth habilitation centres. The data consists of taped and transcribed focus groups discussions. Participants provided additional information concerning, estimations of the focus group session, their education and use of special needs educational assignments through additional questionnaires. The analysis focuses on how the educators conceptualise their competence and the dialogue in the group conversation. To facilitate the interactional analysis, a constructional key for the conversation was developed. The educators within child and youth habilitation centers have not developed specific professional strategies, but instead, appear to have adapted a mission through structural means. Their competence appears contextually adapted and devel-oped within three spheres of activities. Their basic education is in the area of pre-school with theoretical focus on children’s normal development, pedagogical experience of working with groups of children, play and learning. On the basis of this background, together with experiences with toy library activities for children with disabilities, they have become one of the corner stone of child and youth habilitation centres of the 1980’s. In these centers, by tradition a mainly medical sphere of activity, they work in teams with family orientated habilitation, and have developed compe-tence for special needs educational intervention for children with disabilities. Special needs education is a supplementary field, which includes educators who are being trained for municipal operation. The educators use professional speech genres with colloquial language terminology, which is adjusted to its communicative context. The educators and their colleagues in the teams emphasize the importance of the educator bridging the medical, treatment and pedagogical contexts, together with a focus on child, parents and staff, at home and in preschool/school. A communicational genre has developed within the occupational group, where the educators reinforce rather than question each other when taking turns during interprofessional conversations. The competence of the educator is based on knowledge and experience when it comes to children, their development, play and learning. The thesis demonstrates that the main focus of the supplementary education increasingly lies on the pedagogical meeting with adults, mostly parents, around specific child. The practical pedagogical work for the child, playing as intervention as well as the specific special needs educational intervention is less conceptualised by the educators. They are requesting relevant research and theories to support their field of knowledge.

Kinder mit Sprachentwicklungsstörungen haben besondere Bildungsbedürfnisse. Didaktisch-methodische Entscheidungen für die Unterrichtsgestaltung müssen sich an den individuellen Lernvoraussetzungen auszurichten, um einen erfolgreichen Bildungsprozess, z.B. im Bereich der Schriftsprache, sicherzustellen. Sowohl in Förderschulen, als auch im Hinblick auf die Gestaltung Gemeinsamen Unterrichts ist damit die Frage nach den Qualitätsmerkmalen eines Unterrichtsangebotes für sprachbeeinträchtigte Kindern von hoher Relevanz. Hierzu liegen vielfach konzeptuelle Überlegungen und vereinzelt auch Befragungen vor, jedoch keine Untersuchungen mit einem systematisch entwickelten Instrument. Ausgehend vom Angebot-Nutzungs-Modell des Unterrichts (Helmke 2009) und Merkmalen allgemein guten Unterrichts wurden Experten befragt hinsichtlich der Merkmale, die sie für die Gestaltung von Bildungsprozessen sprachbeeinträchtigter Kinder für besonders bedeutsam halten (Theisel & Glück 2012). Diese Ergebnisse fanden Eingang in einen Fragebogen, der bundesweit an sonderpädagogische Lehrkräfte verteilt wurde, die unabhängig vom Lernort mit sprachbeeinträchtigten Kindern unterrichtlich tätig sind. Im Vergleich mit den Angaben von Grundschullehrkräften lässt sich zeigen, wie einzelne Subskalen des Fragebogens auf spezifische Gestaltungsmerkmale des Unterrichts hinweisen, wie sie für die Arbeit mit sprachbeeinträchtigten Kindern typisch sind. Im Rahmen der KiSSES-Studie in B.-W. wurde die Schulleistungsentwicklung der Kinder im Längsschnitt verfolgt. Gleichzeitig wurden die Lehrkräfte nach Prozessmerkmalen ihres Unterrichts befragt. Es lassen sich Zusammenhänge zwischen einzelnen Bereichen der Schulleistung (Mathematik, Lesen, Schreiben) und Unterrichtsmerkmalen zeigen, die die Kriteriumsvalidität und Reliabilität des entwickelten Instrumentes deutlich machen.

Informations- och kommunikationsteknik (IKT) är ett aktuellt ämne i skolor världen över och denna studie kan vara av intresse för lärare, specialpedagoger, skolledare och lärarutbildare. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva och analysera lärares erfarenheter och uppfattningar av användningen av IKT för elever i behov av särskilt stöd som går i vanliga klasser, och att finna sambandet mellan IKT och inkludering. Vidare identifierades omständigheter och strategier för att göra arbetet med IKT mer inkluderande. En enkätstudie genomfördes med 92 lärare och kvalitativa intervjuer gjordes med fyra lärare i tre olika kommuner i norra Sverige. Resultatet indikerade att IKT användes för elever i behov av särskilt stöd i alla åldersgrupper, vanligast användes datorn för skrivande och ordbehandling. IKT skulle kunna användas för att kompensera för olikheter och bidra till inkludering för elever i behov av särskilt stöd, men då behöver undervisningen anpassas med tanke på elevers behov samt att tekniken bör integreras med pedagogiken. Uppfattningarna om vad inkludering innebär varierar och inkludering ses huvudsakligen som kunskapsmässig, vilket kan leda till både social och fysisk exkludering. Undervisningen i vanliga klassrum anpassades inte alltid för alla elevers behov och IKT verktyg användes ofta av elever i exkluderande miljöer. För att göra IKT användningen mer inkluderande behöver kunskap till lärare, utrustning och tid. Implikationer för praktiken är att lärare behöver mer utbildning i att använda IKT för elever i behov av särskilt stöd och att specialpedagogen bör ses som en handledare för lärarna. Förslag till fortsatt forskning skulle kunna vara fler liknande studier eller studier om möjligheterna med en-till-en för elever i behov av särskilt stöd. / Information and communication technology (ICT) is a current issue in schools around the world and this study may be of interest to teachers, special education teachers, school leaders and teacher educators. The aim of this study was to describe and analyze teachers’ experiences of and perceptions on information and communication technology (ICT) use for students with special educational needs (SEN) in general educational settings and to find the relationship between ICT and inclusion. In addition to that, conditions and strategies in order to make ICT use more inclusive were identified. A questionnaire survey was carried out with 92 responding teachers and qualitative interviews were made with four teachers. The results indicated that ICT was used for SEN students in all age groups, most commonly the computer was used for writing and word processing. ICT could be used as a way to bridge the gap to inclusion and compensate for differences and contribute to inclusion of students with special needs but in order to do that teaching should be adapted to students’ needs and pedagogy ought to be integrated with technology. Though, the perceptions of what inclusion is differs and inclusion is mainly seen as didactic, which can lead to social and physical exclusion. Teaching in mainstream classrooms was not always adapted to all students’ needs and assistive technology was often used by students in exclusive settings. In order to make the use of ICT more inclusive, teachers need knowledge, equipment and time. Implications for teachers and teacher educators are that teachers should become more educated about ICT for SEN and that special education teachers should be seen as supervisors for teachers. Suggestions for further research could be more similar studies or studies about the possibilities with one-to-one for students with special educational needs.

This study was aimed to explore challenges of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Namibia, as narrated and illustrated by themselves. Mixed methodologies, with specific reference to a small-scale quantitative survey and extensive qualitative design were employed as tools to understand the prevalence, extent and nature of challenges of students with disabilities in their pursuance of higher education in Namibia. Data was thus collected in two phases. The first phase consisted of a ten-item quantitative-survey which was largely used to determine the prevalence of students with disabilities in higher education institutions, and basic information regarding institutional standpoints pertaining to students with disabilities. Data acquired through this survey confirmed the prevalence of students with disabilities in Namibian higher education institutions. The second phase represented the qualitative design whereby data was collected through three main methodologies namely a narrative diary-based approach, a photo-voice and individual interviews. These methodologies ensured reliability of the data through triangulation. The study confirmed that inclusive education at the higher education level in Namibia was largely achieved through the goal of access, as all higher education institutions have admitted students with observable as well as hidden disabilities. However, a major finding of the study was that support and provision for students with disabilities was rendered in fragmented portions within and across institutions, and that the goals of equity and equality have not yet been achieved to the desired degree, if inclusive education was to become a reality for students with disabilities in higher education in Namibia. Students reported challenges related to physical accessibility of institutions; unavailability of educational material in alternative, as opposed to traditional formats; lack of sensitivity and skills of staff; as well as lack of structured support systems. The study also revealed that, notwithstanding the challenges students faced in their institutions, students with disabilities continued to perform their academic duties to the best of their abilities and were driven by their individual personal philosophies, many of which spoke of perseverance and courage, to make a success of their studies. / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education) / Language Education Arts and Culture