3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Conceptualisation of Inclusive education: Impact on primary school principals and foundation phase teachers(2023-09) Dewa, Nokuthula NtombiyelizweThis study investigated how the conceptualisations of Inclusive Education (IE) by primary school principals and Foundation Phase teachers impact teaching practices. The study places a high value on participants' IE conceptualisations because they have an impact on teachers' actions in their classrooms, which can either support or limit teachers' inclusive practices in granting epistemic access to learning to all learners. The study addressed the question of how primary school principals and Foundation Phase teachers conceptualise IE and considered the implications of these conceptualisations on their practice. Conceptualisations inform pedagogical practice, and I argue that a pedagogical shift that takes accountability for providing learning opportunities for all learners regardless of difference is necessary. A qualitative transformational research method was used to collect data, and thirteen Foundation Phase (FP) teachers and three school principals were conveniently and purposefully chosen from three Government primary schools, in Johannesburg South. Individual semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews were used to collect data, which was then thematically analysed using both inductive and deductive methods. With some extensions and adjustments, two theoretical frameworks were used for this study: the Inclusive Pedagogical Approach (IPA) and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory. Although Black-Hawkins (2017) argues for three required inclusive pedagogical shifts for teachers to teach inclusively, this study’s findings reveal that teachers in South Africa are currently at three different levels of development toward the required pedagogical shift, which is why IE implementation is hampered despite the numerous IE issues raised by previous studies. According to the findings of this study, there are teachers who have little to no pedagogical shift toward inclusive practices, teachers who have an emerging shift, and teachers who have an established shift. These stages of the pedagogical shift are supported by various conceptualisations that influence teachers' actions, leading to a variety of teaching strategies, some of which do not involve all learners in teaching and learning. The study recommended that the actual stage of shift be considered to support continued progress toward inclusive practice. Teachers who have made little or nopedagogical shift toward inclusivity should be made aware of IE policies and practices, while those who have made an emerging pedagogical shift should be encouraged and assisted in including everyone in their teaching and learning, and those who have made an established pedagogical shift should be developed further in maintaining and improving inclusive practicesItem Changing minds : Training educators to use drama as an alternative method for life orientation teaching(2008-11-11T12:21:29Z) Diemont, AlixSouth Africa’s education system has undergone substantial changes in the last ten years. The shift to Inclusive Education attempts to provide all learners, regardless of their disability, learning difficulty, or disadvantage with access to education (Department of Education1, 2001). Curriculum 2005, in the context of an Outcomes Based Education (OBE) philosophy was an attempt by the Education Department to address the inadequate ‘Bantu’ education of the past. OBE was intended to replace teacher-centred approaches by encouraging children to become actively involved in the learning process, to gain knowledge as well as skills, and to think independently and creatively (DoE, 1998b). School ‘subjects’ of the past were changed to ‘Learning Areas’ some undergoing dramatic shifts in content and teaching strategies. These new Learning Areas also emerged with alternative assessment practices. Life Orientation (LO) is one such learning area. Many educators were suddenly required to teach these new Learning Areas, despite having little or no training in them. As a result many educators experienced frustration with the demands now placed upon them, and some felt unable to teach effectively. This study used a qualitative actionresearch design to obtain an in-depth understanding of the educators’ capacities to change their teaching practices in their Life Orientation classrooms. Six educators in a public primary school setting participated in a series of workshops aimed to introduce them to drama methods to be used in their Life Orientation teaching. The workshops were highly experiential in nature and were designed with the specific personalities and needs of each educator in mind. The results of the research indicate that educators are highly responsive to training, provided that they feel acknowledged as individuals and provided that the training builds upon their current expertise rather than attempting to change their practices altogether. Another key finding from the training was the opportunity for the educators to engage in the training as human beings with their own difficulties and frustrations being openly acknowledged. Many of the educators experienced the workshops as therapeutic and reported that this made the training both useful and personally fulfilling.