Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Education, 1999. / This study examines parental attitudes towards mainstreaming/inclusion in South Africa,
which was recently adopted as part of the new educational dispensation. The sample
included parents of children in four different school types in Johannesburg, and the
survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire with multiple-choice and open-ended
sections. The respondents totaled 255 out of a possible 400 (64%). Statistical analyses
used included factor analysis, analysis of variance and independent group t-tests. The
results indicated an overall neutral or negative attitude towards mainstreaming by parents,
with parents of children in special and remedial schools being more negative. Parents felt
that gifted children or those with mild to moderate learning disabilities were the most
suitable candidates for mainstreaming, whilst children with severe mental retardation,
sensory impairments, or behavioural disorders were the least suited. Parents were
concerned that teachers would not be able to cope with the demands of the mainstream
classroom because of inadequate training or time. They were also concerned that classes
would be too large, that children of differing abilities would not be able to cope with the
academic and social demands placed on them, and that general educational standards
would drop. Only 20% of parents felt that mainstreaming would be successful, and most
parents were not clear about what measures could help to implement this educational
approach in South Africa. The implications of these results were discussed, with a view
to future research and interventions to allay parental fears about mainstreaming/inclusion
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/14506 |
| Date | 04 April 2014 |
| Creators | Glassman, Jennifer A. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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