Support Needed from Educational Psychologists in South African Public Schools: Township Teachers’ Perceptions

Abstract

The study reported in this research report explored township teachers' perceptions of the support they require from educational psychologists in implementing the Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS), which was introduced by the Department of Basic Education in 2014. The study focused on township teachers because of the gap in existing literature pertaining to their perceptions of the support needed from educational psychologists for effective implementation of the SIAS policy. The SIAS policy advocates for inclusive education, and places teachers at the forefront of its implementation, often with the support of other professionals (e.g., educational psychologists) who can facilitate inclusivity in education. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the type of support teachers require from educational psychologists to ensure that inclusivity is effectively practiced. As education is considered a basic right in South Africa, and is a fundamental element of all human societies, it is essential that teachers receive adequate support to uphold and promote inclusive education. Bronfenbrenner's Bio-Ecological Systems Theory served as the theoretical framework for the study, providing a foundation for the analysis of the data generated and structuring of the discussion of the findings. This framework was used to connect the various systems outlined in the theory to the core individual of the study, namely, township teachers. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and an exploratory research design, as both emphasise the subjective nature of individuals' experiences. This approach was well-suited to the study's aim of capturing and documenting the unique perceptions of the study participants. Purposive sampling was employed to select seven township teachers from two schools, a high school and a primary school. The study participants were individually interviewed in face-to-face sessions. The data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, where themes were generated from the transcribed words of the study participants. Four main themes were developed, and they are: (1) The SIAS policy: “A great policy”, but difficult to implement; (2) Free State DBST (FSDBST) inefficiencies obstruct the implementation of the SIAS policy; (3) Bridging the Gap: Turning to iv External Support for DBST Shortcomings; and (4) Alleviating the Burden: Calling for Onsite Educational Psychologist for SIAS Policy Implementation. The findings of this study reveal a persistent gap in the implementation of inclusive education in schools that were originally targeted by the SIAS policy. These findings underscore the importance of raising awareness within the FSDBST regarding the underlying factors contributing to the inadequate implementation of the SIAS policy in public schools, particularly in the Fezile Dabi district, where the study was conducted. Moreover, the findings offer valuable insights into how the implementation of the SIAS policy could be improved, specifically through the assignment of an educational psychologist to each school.