South Africa is a country with tremendous diversity. Previously, many learners who
experienced barriers to learning and development were excluded from the education
system, preventing them from meeting their educational needs. With the
implementation of inclusive education, barriers to learning and development are no
longer seen to reside primarily within the individual learner, but instead emphasis is
placed on transforming the education system to accommodate a variety of learning
needs. Many learners in South Africa display symptoms of Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which frequently affects their learning and
development. In some instances very little is being done to accommodate such
learners to ensure that they are given the opportunity to develop to their full potential,
as many educators continue to view these learners negatively, and fail to question
the effect that they themselves may have upon the learners’ development. The
implementation of inclusive education, however, ought to create a space in schools
where educators can support learners with ADHD in a unique manner and assist
them to develop to their full potential.
It is on the basis of this acknowledgement and commitment of support by Education
White Paper 6 that this research project was conceived, to explore how grade three
learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder experience the support provided
by their educators. A qualitative approach was employed in the study and
participants were selected through purposive sampling. As the primary participants
were young learners, the data was obtained through the use of arts-based (collage)
focus group interviews. Individual interviews were also used to gather additional data from the learners’ educators. The data from both the learners with ADHD and their
educators was then transcribed. After a thorough analysis, using an open-coding
technique, the findings clearly indicated that attempts are being made to implement
the policy of inclusive education within schools. Educators and staff are beginning to
value the diversity of learners, and evidently are attempting to make adjustments to
cater for the individual needs of learners and promote their successful learning and development. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/483 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Alberda, Kate Jane. |
| Contributors | De Lange, Naydene. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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