Inclusive education : educators' perceptions of teaching learners with emotional, cognitive and physical barriers to learning.

Abstract

This study explored foundation phase educators’ views on including learners with barriers to learning in their classrooms. All of the nine educators worked in the same private school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the educators to explore their perceptions of learners with barriers to learning, their views on teaching such learners in their mainstream classrooms, and their perceptions of current strategies used to cope with such learners in schools. Through content analysis of the interview data the main theme arose depicting that the educators believed that they needed more skills and knowledge relating to the difficulties and impairments of learners with barriers to learning and the techniques required to successfully include such learners in their classrooms. Secondary themes of class size, collaboration between parents and support staff and classroom management strategies also emerged. From the results it appears that the educators’ perceptions affect the way in which the educator relates to the learner and how they define inclusion in the classroom. The findings also suggest that if inclusion is perceived negatively by the educator, he/she is unlikely to manage diversity in his/her classroom effectively. This then also impacts on the relationship between the educator and the support staff. The limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions for further research made.