Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This qualitative study has placed a focus upon the experiences of inclusive
education of parents of learners without disabilities. As the advent of inclusive
education in South Africa has been accompanied by substantial political,
social and legislative changes, an ecosystemic theoretical framework has
informed the process of this study in order to acknowledge and better
understand the influence of various contexts on individuals in their
constructions of reality.
Recent South African policy documents have endorsed inclusive education as
the conceptual framework within which previously disparate systems of
educational provision can be united and learners of all abilities optimally
accommodated. These documents have not only drawn attention to the need
to recognise the rights and potential and actual contributions of parents to the
process of education, but have also called for reporting on inclusive
educational practice within various institutional contexts.
It is against this backdrop that this study has attempted through an
interpretative and constructive research philosophy and design to access and
interpret the perceptions and experiences of the parents who voluntarily
participated in the research process. Permission was obtained from the
Western Cape Education Department to conduct focus group discussions at
a school which has included learners with Down Syndrome. Two focus group
discussions were conducted with groups of parents of children without
disabilities in venues provided within the school buildings. Participating
parents were asked to reflect on their experiences of inclusive education
initially as part of a written response to the research question and later
through interactive discussion within the focus group. Follow up telephonic
interviews provided member checks on the initial data analysis and enabled
further reflections on the research question. Data analysis was achieved through the constant comparative method of data
interpretation. This process yielded patterns within the data which ultimately
led to the formation of various categories which were grouped systemically to
enable a holistic interpretation of the research results. The analysis of results
revealed responses to various issues and a generally favourable attitude to
inclusive education, particularly the degree to which the parents' children had
been advantaged by an exposure to difference and the extent to which more
realistic representations of disability had been constructed by the parents.
Responses ranged from views concerning the implementation of government
policy, difficulty with constructions of disability, concerns regarding the ability
of the school system and particularly teachers to monitor and manage this
change in educational policy, to more personal issues which involved the
perceived benefits of socialization with learners with disabilities.
The implications of the study suggest that interactive discussion is a vehicle
through which democracy can be actively practised, change can be positively
mediated, solutions to educational challenges collaboratively constructed and
partnerships between parents and schools more firmly established. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie van inklusiewe onderwys plaas die klem op die
ervaring van ouers van leerders sonder gestremdhede. Aangesien die
instelling van inklusiewe onderwys in Suid-Afrika gepaard gegaan het met
aansienlike politieke, sosiale en wetgewende veranderinge, het en
ekosistemiese teoretiese raamwerk die verloop van hierdie studie aangehelp,
om sodoende die invloed van verskeie kontekste op individue in hulle
formulering van die werklikheid te erken en beter te verstaan.
Onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse beleidsdokumente het inklusiewe onderwys
goedgekeur as die konseptuele raamwerk waarbinne voorheen uiteenlopende
onderwysvoorsieningstelsels verenig kan word, waardeur leerders van aile
vermoens optimaal geakkommodeer kan word. Hierdie dokumente het nie
aileen die aandag gevestig op die behoefte aan erkenning van die regte en
potensiele en wesenlike bydraes van ouers tot die onderwysproses nie, maar
het ook versoek dat verslag gedoen word oor inklusiewe onderwyspraktyk
binne verskeie institusionele kontekste.
Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die studie gepoog het om deur en
interpreterende en konstruktiewe navorsingsfilosofie en -ontwerp, die
persepsies en ervarings van die ouers wat vrywillig deelgeneem het aan die
navorsingsproses, te bekom en te interpreteer. Met die vergunning van die
Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement is fokusgroepbesprekings gehou by en
skool wat leerders met Down sindroom ingesluit het. Twee
fokusgroepbesprekings met groepe ouers van kinders sonder gestremdhede,
is op die skoolperseel gehou. Deelnemende ouers is gevra om te besin oor
hulle ervaring van inklusiewe onderwys, aanvanklik as deel van enskriftelike
antwoord op die navorsingsvraag en later deur interaktiewe besprekings
binne die fokusgroep. Telefoniese opvolgonderhoude met groeplede het die
aanvanklike data-ontleding voorsien en het gelei tot verdere besinning oor die
navorsingsvraag. Data-ontleding is gedoen deur die konstante vergelykende metode van datainterpretasie.
Hierdie proses het patrone binne die data opgelewer, wat
uiteindelik gelei het tot die samestelling van verskeie kategoriee wat sistemies
gegroepeer IS om 'n holistiese interpretasie van die navorsingsresultate
moontlik te maak. Die ontleding van resultate het reaksies op verskeie
kwessies opgelewer en in die algemeen 'n gunstige houding teenoor
inklusiewe onderwys geopenbaar, veral die graad waartoe die ouers se
kinders bevoordeel is deur blootstelling aan andersheid en die mate waartoe
meer realistiese erkenning van gestremdheid deur die ouers geformuleer is.
Antwoorde het gewissel van menings oor die implementering van
regeringsbeleid, probleme met formulering van gestremdheid , kommer oor
die verrnoe van die skoolstelsel en veral leer- kragte, om hierdie verandering
in onderwysbeleid te monitor en te bestuur, tot meer persoonlike kwessies
wat menings ingesluit het oor die voordele van sosialisering met leerders met
gestremdhede.
Die implikasies van die studie suggereer dat interaktiewe bespreking 'n
middel is waardeur demokrasie aktief beoefen kan word, verandering positief
bemiddel kan word, oplossings vir onderwysuitdagings samewerkend
geformuleer kan word en vennootskappe tussen ouers en skole meer stewig
gevestig kan word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52990 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Loebenstein, Harriet |
| Contributors | Engelbrecht, P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 100 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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