Wits School of Education (ETDs)

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Start date: 2021Subject: search.filters.subject.Inclusive education

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    Inclusive education and the plight of children without legal documentation: A case study of Cosmo Oasis in Johannesburg, South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Matanhire, Vimbayi; Carrim, Nazir
    Children without documentation are excluded from formal school due to contestations and contradictions between the South African Constitution and the Admission Policy for Ordinary Schools and the practices of the Department of Home Affairs alongside legislative gaps and inconsistencies in South African schools regarding the admission of children without legal identification documents. This study investigated the plight of children without legal documents in relation to inclusive education in South Africa using a case study of a non- governmental organisation named Cosmo Oasis. I argue that a human rights approach to inclusive education within the social model paradigm is essential for this study because education is in itself a human right. I further develop a framework of inclusive education for undocumented children and outline the intricacies surrounding the origins and debates around the universality and enjoyment of human rights specifically by children without documentation. This study was a qualitative study that used mixed methods and it had the characteristics of a case study. Semi-structured audio-recorded interviews and questionnaires with open and closed questions were used as data collection tools. Data was analysed using qualitative data analysis methods by organising and sorting data into major themes and presented in the form of figures, tables, excerpts and descriptions. The findings of the study showed that, the South African education system was not inclusive to children without legal documents. These children are not integrated into the mainstream leading to varied socio-economic and political implications on the children without documents, their parents and on the South African education system. Contradictions between policies, the legal aspect, the Home Affairs Department, revealed the contestation between citizenship rights and problems with the social contract which continues to create an impasse between the realisation of rights by non-citizens and the rigidness of the social contract.
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    An interpretivist account of the factors that facilitate and constrain the translation of inclusive education theory, legislation and policy into practice
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Moolla, Fatima; Letseka, Tebello
    Inclusive education started off as an international movement through the Salamanca Statement, the Dakar Framework, and the World Declaration on Education for all policies and frameworks. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa followed the rest of the world in an initiative towards a more inclusive and equitable society centred on human rights ideals. It was the White Paper 6 policy, the South African Constitution, and the South African Schools Act that followed the initiative towards a more inclusive society. These policies provided frameworks and guidelines for achieving inclusive education in South Africa. The implementation of inclusive schooling in South Africa has resulted in considerable demands that necessitate systemic modifications and adaptation to fully fill the requirement for an inclusive education framework. There were continuous changes in policies, legislation, frameworks, and curricula. However, in spite of all the legislation and policy developments that were drafted to achieve inclusive education in South Africa, there have been challenges in translating them into practice. Hence, the drafting and changes have subjected inclusive education educators to the challenges of fully implementing inclusive education practices. Ultimately, there are several theories on inclusive education, for example, constructivism theory, sociocultural theory, and inclusive pedagogy theory; nevertheless, it is unclear if the theories are translating into teaching practices. Thus, this study explores the translation of inclusive education theory, legislation, and policy into practice through the experiences of in-service educators who have received inclusive education training at the postgraduate level. This dissertation used a qualitative approach. A snowball sampling method was used to select 11 in-service educators for this study. This study made use of part-time postgraduate inclusive education students who are currently enrolled and who have been enrolled at a higher educational institution. Multiple semi-structured interviews were employed to gather data from the research participants, and a thematic analysis method was employed to analyse the data. The data collection for this study was two-phased. In addition, this study used critical pedagogy and inclusive pedagogy combined to create a theoretical framework to understand how in-service educators make use of their theoretical knowledge in their pedagogical practices. Critical pedagogy and inclusive pedagogy assisted the research in framing how pedagogical practices should be and what constitutes them; therefore, critical 2 pedagogy and inclusive pedagogy assisted this research in understanding how educators’ theoretical knowledge is translated into practice. This study adds to our understanding of how in-service educators are translating their knowledge of inclusive education theory, legislation, and policy into practice. The results of this undertaking have confirmed that there are challenges in translating inclusive education theories, legislation, and policy into practice due to a lack of support, large class sizes, curriculum concerns, a lack of resources, financial constraints, and the theory not taking South African context into consideration. Many research participants cited that they are conscious and knowledgeable about inclusive education; however, macrostructures made it a challenge to implement. Therefore, there is a need for access to support systems from the school and macrostructures. Also, policies and theories need to be more realistic to implement within South African classrooms.
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    Teachers’ understanding of advantages and disadvantages of implementing inclusive education in one selected mainstream primary school in Ekurhuleni South district
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-09) Makama, Bathobile; Aloka, Peter
    Inclusive education was set to bring about change that has yet to be effective in the field. Many South African policies were created to guide it, but the contradiction has left many confused and teachers at the forefront with no support. This study aimed to investigate teachers’ understanding of advantages and disadvantages of implementing inclusive education in one selected mainstream primary school in Ekurhuleni South district. To achieve this goal, three research objectives were set to govern the study, namely: to explore teachers’ understanding of inclusive education in the selected mainstream primary school; to examine teachers’ understanding of the advantages of implementing inclusive education in the selected mainstream primary school and finally, to explore teachers’ understanding of the disadvantages of implementing inclusive education in the selected mainstream primary school. This study used the interpretive research paradigm. The design that was used in this study is a case study because it dealt with contemporary phenomena. The sample size of 7 teachers allocated to the intermediate phase from Grade 4- 7 were obtained by using the purposive sampling method. The research instruments adopted comprised of a semi-structured interview for three teachers and one focus group discussion for the other four teachers. The data was analysed by employing a thematic analysis framework to enable analysis of interview data. The findings of the study indicated that teachers have multiple understandings of what inclusive education such as; holistic teaching, team teaching, effective communication and understanding, accommodation of diverse learners, creation of special schools for learners with disabilities and dumb down content for support. The findings of the study also reported teachers understanding of advantages of inclusive education as; caters for diverse needs of all learners, enhances intrapersonal understanding of learners with special needs, enhances self-esteem of disabled learners and provides equal opportunities for all learners. The study highlights teachers understanding of implementing inclusive education to include; lack of teacher training, overcrowded classrooms, limited class time, overloaded curriculum, lack of support, lack of resources, incorrect infrastructure, teaching by trial and error amongst others. The study recommends that the Department of Education should provide continuous in-service teacher training on inclusive education.
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    Investigating teachers’ experiences of support for learners with hearing impairment at a special school in Pretoria
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) Molala, Lesetja Johannes; Mokala, Ntsoaki T.
    This inquiry explored teachers' experiences of support for learners with hearing impairment (HI) in a special school in Pretoria. Through a qualitative approach, data were collected and analysed to better understand teachers' experiences in providing appropriate instruction and support to learners with HI. Thus, using the interpretivism paradigm to inquire about the teachers support experiences for learners with HI was a logical step. I used Florian’s' theory of inclusive pedagogy to interpret the findings and draw conclusions I used qualitative methods such as interviews to collect data. A purposeful selection of participants was made to ensure the research questions were answered adequately. Thereafter, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand each participant's perspectives in the study sample of six teachers. The interview schedule was designed to allow reflection by participants into their unique teaching experiences openly and candidly, providing invaluable insight into the dynamics of the study sample. All conversations were recorded verbatim to ensure accuracy. The recordings of the conversations were then transcribed for further analysis. This enabled me to easily recognise patterns and themes in the data. I then analysed the data to identify key themes and patterns. The findings revealed that teachers found the support they received instrumental in helping them effectively implement the curriculum and address classroom challenges. The study suggests that parents are actively involved in their children’s education which benefits all involved. In addition, the school must update its language policy to ensure that learners with HI receive instruction in sign language. Therefore, it is recommended that the school revise its language policy to incorporate sign language as a language of teaching and learning to promote learner success. To create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all and ensure that learners with HI are supported, this policy should also be extended to include sign language in the classroom.
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    Exploring inclusive Practices, Successes and Challenges experienced by teachers in Implementation of Inclusive Education in one selected mainstream school in Ekurhuleni North district, South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Mamogobo, Amogelang Mankurwane; Aloka, Peter
    The realization of inclusive education in South African schools has been controversial. Despite numerous policies enacted, numerous studies have found low levels of implementation of inclusive education in schools. The study aimed to explore inclusive practices, successes, and challenges of inclusive education implementation in the selected mainstream school. In order to explore the study, three research questions were addressed, which inclusive practices are being implemented by teachers in the selected school? What are the successes of inclusive education implementation in mainstream primary schools in Gauteng? What are the challenges affecting the implementation of inclusive education in mainstream primary schools in Gauteng? Both the inclusive pedagogical method and the social model of disability approach served as the theoretical foundation for the current investigation. The present study was conducted using a qualitative research methodology with a case study as the chosen research design within an interpretivist research paradigm. The researcher used a non-probability sampling technique more specifically the purposive sampling approach, in which the researcher used their own judgment to sample the research participants. In relation to the data collection methods. The researcher used non-participant observations and semi- structured interviews to gather data. Interviews with just six individuals and one classroom observation were conducted. The study's conclusions reaffirmed the importance of inclusivity; there were many inclusive practices that were widely used in the study; and the school had achieved a number of successes, such as the purchase of infrastructure and the successful implementation of intervention programs to improve the learning experience of students who faced barriers. The challenges in the present study were vast and categorized into three sub-sections: teacher-related, school-related, and community-related challenges. The study's findings indicate that there have been major efforts to integrate inclusive policies, some of which have been successful, but that there are still many difficulties in schools. The report suggests that the Department of Education give priority to in-service teachers' initial and ongoing training in inclusive practices for a range of learner disabilities.
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    Teachers’ experiences of giving support and implementing inclusive education in a township school in Kimberley, Northern Cape
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Yeboah, Adu; Charamba, Erasmos; Aloka, Peter
    Implementation of an inclusive education policy in South African schools was a major milestone because it corresponded with the advancement of the theory of Ubuntu, which is at the heart of South Africa's educational framework. The policy's implementation in schools was also consistent with the right to education for all, as enshrined in the Republic of South Africa's Constitution of 1996. However, despite the initiatives on inclusive education, the level of implementation is still below expected standards. The study aimed at examining the experiences of teachers in giving support and implementing inclusive education in a selected mainstream township public secondary school in the Frances Baard education district of Kimberley, Northern Cape. The study adopted a case study design within the qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of 12 teacher participants from one mainstream public secondary school in the township of the Frances Baard education district of Kimberley. Semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect data from the 12 teacher participants, and the collected data was thematically analysed. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory and Social Model of Disability guided the studies. According to the findings of the study, teachers implemented a variety of inclusive practises; however, teachers perceive inclusive practises differently, and how they are implemented varies. Furthermore, the findings revealed that some teachers are unable to implement the inclusive education policy due to barriers related to the teachers themselves, barriers within the school system, and barriers emanating from the community in which a school is located. It was also revealed that teachers used a variety of support strategies to assist students, such as changing seating arrangements, implementing remedial lessons, and allocating extra reading time to struggling students. In contrast, some teachers prefer to work collaboratively with learners' parents to provide needed support, whereas others prefer to work alone. The study concludes that, in terms of implementing inclusive education in South Africa, there is a mismatch between what is happening on the ground and what is supposed to happen in the classroom. Despite this, pockets of success have been recorded in the implementation process. The study recommends that the Department of Education consider retooling teachers, instituting teacher training programmes, raising awareness, investing in the policy, and adopting a collaborative approach.