- Title
- The dynamics of implementing inclusive education: case studies of four secondary schools, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Creator
- Nyawo, Nokuphumula Grace https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7816-5910
- Subject
- Inclusive education
- Subject
- Special education
- Subject
- Education -- South Africa
- Date Issued
- 2023-09
- Date
- 2023-09
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29587
- Identifier
- vital:78275
- Description
- Investigating how teachers implement inclusive education (IE) in their teaching in the 21st century is of the utmost importance, as classrooms are representative of the communities outside of the school, where people confront similar real-life issues, irrespective of their physical and mental abilities. Schools are the locations where young people are prepared to cope in the real world as adults. There is no place – other than the school – where learners who do not have special needs can become better acquainted with peers who face barriers to learning, and the ways in which they go about overcoming such hurdles hence this study explored how teachers implement IE in selected schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the manner in which they react to the challenges such implementation presents. The interpretivist paradigm underpinned this research study, with the researcher employed qualitative research methodology to conduct the study in four secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. In addition to conducting interviews, the researcher reviewed documents and carried out observations, to determine how teachers implemented IE in their teaching. To that end, the researcher interviewed eight teachers from the four schools (two per school). It is worth noting that teachers implementing IE were interviewed, in an attempt to make the study as meaningful as possible. The participants valued the impact which IE had on the lives of learners with special needs who, in most cases, felt deprived of a chance to learn, and believed their right to access education was being denied them. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, even teachers who had been unwilling to use technology felt obliged to use it, in an attempt to ensure that no learner would be left behind. Surprisingly, as the findings indicated, some participants revealed that despite the introduction of Education White Paper 6 (RSA, 2001), teachers still felt inadequately trained and ill-equipped to deal with learners with special needs, as the playing field was not level in terms of the teacher–learner ratio, given that overcrowding remains a thorn in the flesh of rural and township schools alike, and in light of the fact that unemployment is rife, meaning many parents cannot send their child(ren) to psychologists for diagnoses or remedial interventions. Based on the research findings, it is recommended that pre-service teachers be exposed to modules on IE implementation prior to commencing teaching, and that serving teachers be exposed to incentivised training on IE implementation. Teacher support, such as scribes and electronic devices, is recommended, as these aids may prove handy when educators are faced with diverse learner needs within one class, and need to give their undivided attention to highflyers and struggling learners alike. Lastly, the Department of Basic Education is encouraged to provide ongoing support to serving teachers, and to design a flexible curriculum that will accommodate all learners, irrespective of their mental and physical capabilities.
- Description
- Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2023
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (142 leaves)
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Education
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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UFH School of Education
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Nyawo.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |