Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / The education system in South Africa has been on a path of change since 1994, in an effort to correct the injustices and inequalities of our apartheid past. In 2001 Education White Paper Six and the inclusive education policy was introduced. This policy is based on creating an environment where special needs education is seen as a non-racial and integrated part of the education system and envisages the role of special schools changing in order to facilitate this process. Special schools will continue to provide services to the severely disabled and high needs learner. However staff at special schools will be encouraged to make their expertise and resources available to the ordinary schools in the community. This study is focused on the role of the physiotherapist in special schools. The introduction of the new policy required physiotherapists to serve the needs of learners at special schools as well as provide indirect support to ordinary schools in the community. However physiotherapists have not been trained to provide indirect support and feel that they have not had adequate assistance to improve their skills and knowledge in this area. This study therefore looked at how the knowledge, skills and attitudes of physiotherapists can be enhanced and developed in order to meet the need of successfully implementing inclusive education. The aim of the study was to design, implement and evaluate an intervention aimed at improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of physiotherapists in providing indirect support in the education system. In order to do so, it was necessary to meet the following objectives. Firstly to determine how physiotherapists perceive indirect support and their role in the district based support team; and secondly to determine the barriers experienced by physiotherapists in providing indirect support as well as their needs to provide appropriate support within the inclusive education framework. A qualitative study was conducted using the action research method. This study involved five special schools in the Western Cape and a total of nine participating physiotherapists. Focus group discussions were used to collect data. The first focus group discussion involved participants identifying their perceptions of indirect support, their role in the district based support team, barriers to indirect support and their needs in order to provide appropriate support in the inclusive education framework. The data collected were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that many of the physiotherapists are experiencing difficulties in making the shift from direct to indirect support, due to not having been provided with the necessary support, resources and training to facilitate the transition to inclusive education practices. A second round of focus group discussions were held for the physiotherapists to prioritise a need that the intervention would be based on. Thereafter a training workshop was held, based on the prioritised need, to improve the provision of indirect support by physiotherapists. This research has shown that physiotherapists have begun to engage with the change process by questioning the implications of the inclusive education policy and looking at how their role in special schools needs to change. The physiotherapists require assistance in the facilitation of a transition from providing mainly direct support in special schools, to also providing indirect support in an inclusive education setting. They require the assistance of the school management and the Department of Education to provide the necessary support, resources and training to facilitate the transition to inclusive education practices.

Although multi-agency working isn’t a new concept, the previous Labour government encouraged professionals and services to work collaboratively and in partnership to address issues of social exclusion, poverty and deprivation in order to provide support and interventions to children, young people and their families. As a result, a range of initiatives and programmes under the banner of multi-agency working were developed in health, education and social services aimed at addressing these issues. One such initiative was the development of the multi-agency Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BEST). Previous research into multi-agency working has tended to focus on the structural development of the multi-agency service, including the barriers and benefits to multi-agency working. Less research has been undertaken on the perceptions, experiences and views of the individuals working within those multi-agency teams. Using a grounded theory approach this thesis explores the perceptions and experiences of individuals working in a multi-agency team, considering the impact multi-agency working has had on individual team members, their interactions with one another and selected school staff, co-located within a secondary school. In analysing the data (content analysis, observations and semi-structured interviews) the use of a qualitative research methodological approach has enabled the research to identify an emerging category of professional identity and three properties; roles and responsibilities, knowledge and skills and terminology. Running through the discussion of each of these three properties is the issue of co-location. The research will draw on examples taken from the data to illustrate and to inform throughout. Using Wenger’s (1998) ‘communities of practice’ as a theoretical framework, this research then considers the emerging theme of professional identity and how multi-agency teams and selected school staff negotiate the experience of self [identity]. Finally the research asks and answers the question ‘Is BEST a ‘community of practice’?

Magister Educationis - MEd / South Africa's education system has undergone dramatic changes in the last decade resulting in an increase in the levels of stress reported by educators. Changes, such as the implementation of Inclusive Education as well as the new culture of human rights in schools, have created extra responsibilities for educators. Today, educator’s don't just have to adjust to these changes, but also have to deal with a rise in learners experiencing barriers to learning and a variety of problems displayed by school leaners. This study explored the understandings and experiences of School-Based Support Teams (SBST) of inclusive education in the Western Cape. For the purpose of this study, a qualitative case study design was used. The researcher found it advantageous to use the qualitative research case study design because it enables the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of educators. The participants in this study were twenty educators who serve as members of the SBST in a special and public ordinary school. Participants reported that they experienced success in the implementation of Inclusive Education (IE) in their schools. These include established teamwork, increased access and participation, improved teaching practices as well as the provision of assistive devices. Participants reported positive gains during the implementation, they also reported challenges. These include lack of capacity, lack of resources, problem behaviours, unrealistic workloads and lack of support. This study concludes that if the School Based Support Team is critical in the implementation of IE in South Africa, the Department of Education as well as the schools needs to rethink these roles or develop a Human Resource Development Strategy that will empower educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to play the role. Secondly, the Department of Education should seriously consider ways in which educators can be protected from perpetrators. Lastly, based on the lived experiences of the SBST in the study, educators should continue with the good work but be allowed to provide support in ways that work within their capacity and broader socio-cultural contexts.

Magister Educationis - MEd / The primary South African policy document on Inclusive Education, Education White Paper 6 (EWP 6) (DoE, 2001), states that all children can learn, and they should be supported and assured of equal and equitable education. EWP 6 further states that all educational systems should be transformed to accommodate all learners in mainstream schools and proposes the establishment of support teams at school level. The main function of the School-based Support Teams (SBSTs) in all schools is to assist teachers to effectively provide support to all learners experiencing learning barriers.

Some of the major difficulties encountered in embracing an inclusive education system are, lack of commitment, lack of resources as well as a poor understanding of how to support successful inclusion. The Education White Paper 6 (here after referred to as EWP6) states that, all children can learn, should be supported to learn and assured of equal and equitable education. The implementation of inclusion has been initiated by the EWP 6 (Department of Education, 2001) and is still in the process of developing the necessary education support services. At the school level, an institution level support team (ILST) should serve as a means of supporting learners experiencing learning difficulties. This study examined the perceptions of foundation phase teachers regarding the support they are getting from the ILST as well as finding out whether collaboration between the above mentioned bodies can help in addressing the issue of learner diversity in an inclusive classroom. The investigation was conducted at a school in the Northern suburb of Johannesburg. The foundation phase teachers and some members of the ILST were purposively included as participants. A case study design was chosen since this would allow for in-depth examination of the perceptions of foundation phase teachers regarding the support they are getting from their (ILST). The data collection process included questionnaires, oral follow up interviews, document analysis and observation. The data collected from the above sources has been analyzed according to themes and subthemes that emerged. The findings of the study show that, there is little or no collaboration between the foundation phase teachers and the ILST. It was also evident that the foundation phase teachers collaborate immensely amongst themselves in sharing ideas on how to support learners in their classrooms. Lastly, it was apparent that the support given to the foundation phase teachers was done solely by the learning support educator and not as a team with the other members of the ILST. The ILST on their part did not take time to actually define their roles in terms of how they would be functioning in rendering support to the foundation phase teachers. Based on the findings in this study, recommendations are made as to how to effectively support teachers as well as improve collaboration among all stake holders involved in inclusive practices.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of support provided to learners from child headed homes (CHH) by the Institutional Level Support Teams ILST). This was a two-phased study involving a literature study and empirical research. The study employed a qualitative research method to elicit information from participants by means of individual interviews. The literature revealed that learners from CHH are part of our school systems even though the phenomenon of CHH is not increasing. These learners experience many challenges such as role adjustment, stress and grief and school drop outs. Due to lack of various needs it would be difficult for them to reach a level of self-actualisation unless schools provide support. Poverty, HIV/AIDS and the breakdown of appropriate alternative care were revealed as contextual factors leading to CHH. There are also policies and reports guiding the support of learners in schools. There are national programmes that are provided from national level to support needy learners included, namely NSNP, school based crime prevention programmes, the child support grant, the sanitary pads project, exemption from paying school fees and the food garden project. A qualitative method was used and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and documents. Five sites were purposefully selected and fifteen ILST members participated. The research sites comprised of five secondary schools. Data were collected from three strata, namely the principal, ILST coordinator and the teacher with the highest number of learners from CHH in his/her class. The study revealed that national programmes were more constant than school-based which were ad-hoc and disjointed. Factors hampering the provision of support included problems with identification of learners from CHH, lack of policies guiding the provision of support to learners from CHH, lack of leadership and the ILST members not being committed enough. Factors enhancing the provision of support included good leadership, availability of programmes at national and the involvement of external stakeholders.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of support provided to learners from child headed homes (CHH) by the Institutional Level Support Teams ILST). This was a two-phased study involving a literature study and empirical research. The study employed a qualitative research method to elicit information from participants by means of individual interviews. The literature revealed that learners from CHH are part of our school systems even though the phenomenon of CHH is not increasing. These learners experience many challenges such as role adjustment, stress and grief and school drop outs. Due to lack of various needs it would be difficult for them to reach a level of self-actualisation unless schools provide support. Poverty, HIV/AIDS and the breakdown of appropriate alternative care were revealed as contextual factors leading to CHH. There are also policies and reports guiding the support of learners in schools. There are national programmes that are provided from national level to support needy learners included, namely NSNP, school based crime prevention programmes, the child support grant, the sanitary pads project, exemption from paying school fees and the food garden project. A qualitative method was used and data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews and documents. Five sites were purposefully selected and fifteen ILST members participated. The research sites comprised of five secondary schools. Data were collected from three strata, namely the principal, ILST coordinator and the teacher with the highest number of learners from CHH in his/her class. The study revealed that national programmes were more constant than school-based which were ad-hoc and disjointed. Factors hampering the provision of support included problems with identification of learners from CHH, lack of policies guiding the provision of support to learners from CHH, lack of leadership and the ILST members not being committed enough. Factors enhancing the provision of support included good leadership, availability of programmes at national and the involvement of external stakeholders.

This qualitative inquiry evaluated the Student Support Team Project and its effects on preservice teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of prereferral intervention and student support teams. This investigation is important because prereferral intervention and student support teams have been used increasingly to provide assistance to teachers and to students who need assistance with academic, social and emotional problems. This has created a need to provide preservice education that helps to prepare teachers to use these resources to help their students. This investigation demonstrated a specific approach to such instruction for preservice teachers (i.e., the Student Support Team Project), including an evaluation to determine changes in perceptions and knowledge that resulted during and after participation in this project. Participants were preservice teachers enrolled in an alternative teacher certification program. The research design was qualitative. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, written reflections from the preservice teachers, input from key informants, field notes and research team reflective journals. The collection and analysis of data were done recursively and used constant comparative methods. Analysis of the data revealed three main categories: Knowledge, Knowledge Needed, and Project Feedback. Knowledge reflected the participants’ understanding of student support teams and their implementation and included the following themes: Knowledge about Data Collection, Knowledge about Intervention, Knowledge about Student Support Teams, and Generalization of Knowledge. Knowledge Needed reflected the knowledge participants needed to understand and work effectively with these teams, including the following themes: Knowledge Needed about Data Collection, Knowledge Needed about Intervention, Knowledge Needed about Student Support Teams, and Other Knowledge Needed. Project Feedback included perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Student Support Team Project, including the following themes: Project Helpful, Project Struggles, and Project Suggestions. One key finding was how preservice teachers’ understanding of student support teams evolved from vague ideas about teams, to increasingly specific case-focused ideas, and finally, to generalized understandings. Findings are discussed in relationship to the literature on prereferral intervention and teacher development. Implications for preservice teacher education are discussed. Future research is also suggested.

The policy of Inclusive Education (IE) in White Paper 6 (2001) acknowledges that all children can learn with support. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) in supporting Foundation Phase teachers in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A lack of support for teachers and learners in IE has dominated current discussions on education. According to the Department of Education (DoE, 2000:28), the establishment of an IE system in schools would require appropriate district as well as institution level support services, and more than just accepting learners with different learning needs in mainstream classrooms. Many teachers have not had the benefit of being trained to teach learners who experience barriers to learning, hence most find it difficult. Although specialist teachers in the form of Learning Support Teachers (LSTs) have been employed in the Foundation Phase to fill that gap and assist classroom teachers, the learners are not receiving the assistance hoped for. Based on an assumption that the failings may largely be systemic, this study therefore uses Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and a qualitative research design to examine the implementation of IE in selected schools, with seven LSTs being interviewed and observed, while documents pertaining to the support rendered were analysed. Seven principals and seven classroom teachers were also interviewed. The analysis employed Creswell’s method and the findings highlighted factors affecting the implementation of IE. The factors include inadequate district support, socio-cultural issues, classroom and management factors, lack of resources and inadequate collaboration between the stakeholders. The study makes recommendations and suggests further areas of research. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This study investigated the implementation of inclusive education in three schools of Mthatha district in the Eastern Cape Province, in accordance with the principles set out in Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education—Building an inclusive education and training system. The qualitative method was used in this study, and data collection strategies were based on interviews and observations. The study established the following challenges that hampered the implementation of inclusive education in the three schools: • Lack of training or workshops for both principals and educators on inclusive education, which led to a lack of knowledge about the topic and ways to support learners experiencing barriers to learning in their schools. • Lack of access to the White Paper 6 document. These challenges can remedied by proactive assistance from the Eastern Cape Department of Education and the Mthatha District of Education authorities. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)