Inclusive Education In South Africa Research Articles

Data-Driven Strategies for Addressing Challenges in Teacher Placement: A Legal and Pedagogical Analysis for Inclusive Education in South Africa

Teacher placement is a major challenge in South Africa, with limited school placements available for student teachers. This conceptual research studied how data-driven strategies may be used to tackle this problem, with a focus on legal and pedagogical problems to promote inclusive education. The article proposed that the use of data analytics may improve evidence-based decision-making in teacher placement. It focussed on providing equal access to education for all learners. Based on a review of relevant literature and legal frameworks, as well as insights from pedagogical practices and data analytics in education, this study proposed three major concepts for harnessing data-driven techniques to address teacher placement difficulties. The article first stated that an inclusive approach to data collection and analysis can improve equitable access to education, particularly for historically disadvantaged learners. Second, the article emphasized the importance of data privacy and security in the collection and utilization of educational data. Finally, the article underlined the need for ongoing professional development as well as the support of teacher education programs in using data analytics to inform their practice. In general, this article argues that data-driven teacher placement strategies can assist in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness while also addressing socioeconomic inequities and encouraging inclusive education. The article concluded by stating that a more holistic approach to teacher placement that takes into account legal and pedagogical difficulties, as well as data-driven efforts, can lead to more egalitarian and effective education systems in South Africa. Overall, this study adds to the growing body of literature on data-driven education methods and offers a unique perspective on teacher placement in South Africa. Keywords: Teacher Placement, Data Analytics, Inclusive Education, South Africa, Legal Framework.

Exploring the perceptions of lecturers and final year students about the infusion of inclusion in initial teacher education programmes in South Africa

IntroductionSouth Africa embraced the move to inclusive education after the political transformation in 1994 by partaking in and subscribing to the international Education for All (EFA) drive initiated in 1990 at the Jomtien World Conference on Education for All, which declared that all children, youth and adults should receive a basic education. Furthermore, the Salamanca Statement of 1994 the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006 and the Sustainable Development Goal 4 are internationally regarded as the most important influence on the transformation of education systems to become more inclusive and consequently continue to have an important influence on education policies and practices in South Africa. The key policy driving inclusive education in South Africa is Education White Paper 6 (EWP6). EWP6 affirms that teachers play a central role in implementing an inclusive education system. Therefore, training is emphasized as a key strategy to enable educators to become more inclusive in their teaching practices. The focus of this article is on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for inclusion. Influenced by international developments to transform ITE programmes and the national endorsement of inclusive education the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) embarked on a project called the Teaching and Learning Capacity Development Improvement Project (TLCDIP). The project reported on in this article was one facet of the TLCDIP and focused specifically on teacher education for inclusion in the Foundation (Reception to Grade 3) and Intermediate Phases (Grade 4 to 6) of the Baccalaureus Educationis (B Ed) programme.MethodsThe primary research aim was: To explore the perceptions of final year students and their lecturers in ITE programmes regarding the preparation of pre-service teachers for teaching in inclusive and diverse learning environments. A qualitative research approach was employed to gain in-depth and rich data. Purposive sampling was used including final year students and their lecturers. Open questionnaires and group interviews were employed as data generation strategies.ResultsAn inductive thematic analysis showed that the following themes were identified by the participants as critical to be considered in the development and implementation of ITE programmes: Understanding inclusive education, which is also linked to knowledge; the disconnect between theory and practice, the lack of knowledge and practical experience regarding inclusive teaching strategies and how inclusion is addressed in the B Ed curriculum.

A Reflexive Critique of Inclusive Education Policy and Practice in South Africa: Towards a Decolonising, Transformative Praxis

Inclusive education is an agenda that emanated from the Global North, and had as its imperative the eradication of discriminatory policies and practices that prevent some children from accessing a quality education. In recent years, it has increasingly been argued by scholars in the Global South that the supremacy of Eurocentric knowledge, theory, values, and practices informing inclusive education needs to be disrupted. In South Africa, decolonisation is emerging as a constructive frame for critiquing inclusive education policy and practices, and for informing the agenda of transformation in educational institutions. By undertaking a systematic review of research on the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa, this article explores the question of how the debate can be shifted from traditional theoretical discussions on special education versus inclusive education to a focus on the practicality of inclusive education policy implementation within specific cultural historical contexts in South Africa. Possibilities for reimagining inclusive education policy and practice in schooling contexts are explored through a decolonising, equity-oriented, social justice lens. The key message is that transformative inclusive education is an education reform agenda that requires all educational institutions and social actors to embrace socially just, inclusive values and ideologies; new thinking and belief systems that reflect a commitment to educational access, participation, and quality education for all learners; democratic patterns of decision-making and leadership; and a school culture and ethos reflective of the African philosophy of ubuntu.

A Culture of Exclusion: Re-Configuring Inclusive Education in South Africa

Abstract The realisation of the right to education under the South African Constitution remains complex despite progressive legislation and a supportive policy framework. The complexity has highlighted the continued cultural and structural inequality of the South African public schooling system. Specifically, inclusive education and its support for learners experiencing barriers to learning illustrate the contested nature of this right, with many of these learners remaining marginalised. This article explores the concept of inclusive education as it relates to the broader contextual framework of the South African right to education. It highlights the shortcomings of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, in supporting authoritarian management through School Governing Bodies that has eroded the intended purpose of the Act as a beacon of community participation and transparent decision making. Key to the analysis, is establishing how South African courts have assisted learners experiencing barriers to learning, and how litigating access to public schools in challenging the policy prescripts of School Governing Bodies have hindered the implementation of inclusive education.

Learning together: The dynamics of training teachers for disability inclusion in South Africa

Despite the need for inclusive education in South Africa, many teachers have not been appropriately trained for the inclusion process for learners with disabilities in classrooms. A consideration of teacher education for inclusive education involves examining both the structural and professional barriers to training that prevent effective implementation. We review the outcomes of a teacher education project in South Africa through three studies that emanate from Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion (TEDI) at the University of Cape Town. These studies are a situation analysis; a survey of teacher education availability for working with learners with severe disabilities; and an evaluation of short courses. We draw on these studies to develop a holistic picture of the kind of training needed to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills of teachers to address barriers to learning that arise from disability. This entails a conceptual analysis of how the different elements of training work together to address learner needs.

Teachers’ Inadequate Support in the Implementation of Inclusive Education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng Province

Little is known about the inadequate teacher support towards inclusive education in South Africa. This study was aimed at exploring the inadequacy of support regarding the implementation of inclusive education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng province. The ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner was used as a theoretical lens for this study. Face-to-face individual interviews were carried out, whereby 15 teachers were interviewed. This study used a phenomenology design, underpinned within a interpretive paradigm, to gain insight on the inadequacy of support regarding the implementation of inclusive education. The data was inductively analysed using the thematic analytic methods that search for themes. The study used convenient and purposive sampling as initial plan to select teachers that a researcher can easily access. Non-probability sampling was used as sampling technique; thus, the sampling was unable to give all individuals in the population an equal chance of being selected. This study revealed that inadequate teacher support was prevalent in the district where this study was conducted. Teachers in this study mentioned that they struggled to implement inclusive education in schools, owing to insufficient support given to them Teachers need to be empowered through continuous development platforms such as training and provided with guiding manuals. In addition, structures should be made accessible to accommodate all learners and resources and supports should be made available for use in the inclusive schools. This study would contribute significantly in the understanding of the inadequate support provision provided to teachers in the implementation of inclusive education.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Inclusive Education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng Province

Little is known about the perceptions of teachers towards inclusive education in South Africa. The main objective of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of inclusive education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng Province. Face to face individual interviews. This study was carried out in South Africa, whereby 15 teachers were interviewed individually. hThis study used a phenomenology design underpinned within interpretive paradigm to get insight on the benefits and challenges teachers encounter regarding the implementation of inclusive education. The data was inductively analysed using the thematic analytic methods that search for themes. The study use convenient and purposive sampling as initial plan to select the teachers that a researcher can easily access. This study revealed that teachers had different perceptions of the implementation of inclusive education.

Inclusive education in South Africa: path dependencies and emergences

ABSTRACT Inclusive education is a fundamental right of all students. Despite international policy initiatives, educational exclusion is pervasive, especially in the Global South, and disproportionately affects disabled students. Barriers to inclusive education have been itemised in the literature, but in this conceptual paper that offers a novel perspective on the topic, we argue for a complexity approach to understand its evolution. Using a qualitative deductive content analysis of South African laws, policies, reports and scholarly literature, we explore three path dependencies from colonial/apartheid times that lock the country into historical patterns of categorisation and segregated schooling. These operate alongside the emergence of new and inclusive practices by actors at a system-wide and local level, made possible by inputs into the policy ecology. South Africa represents a complex, contradictory educational environment that confounds the expectation of linear progression towards greater inclusivity. Instead of identifying barriers to inclusive education, we argue for a nuanced understanding of the imbrications of historical investments and drivers of inequality, with policy possibilities and the impetus for transformation among system actors.

Using a combined bio-ecological and capability perspective to understand inclusive education in South Africa

Inclusive educational practices have been adopted worldwide to address inequalities endemic to education systems. In South Africa, the process toward inclusion commenced in October 1996 and was realized in 2001 with the Education White Paper 6. However, the implementation of inclusion in South Africa has been marred by challenges. These challenges have largely been examined through an ecosystemic theoretical lens offering insight into the contextual challenges facing inclusion but does not adequately explore the role that the person involved in the implementation and their specific dispositions play in the enactment of inclusion. This article argues that, to better understand the challenges individuals face with implementing inclusion, a broader lens integrating bio-ecological theory and the capability approach is needed. This integration highlights the need to look at a complexity of issues to understand what is valued, as competing values, and the choices between these will influence the implementation of inclusion.

CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY IN BUFFALO CITY EDUCATION DISTRICT

Ponte Academic JournalDec 2022, Volume 78, Issue 12 CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY IN BUFFALO CITY EDUCATION DISTRICTAuthor(s): Grasia Chisango ,Lepheana J LepheanaJ. Ponte - Dec 2022 - Volume 78 - Issue 12 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2022.12.14 Abstract:The South African Constitution is built on the ideals of human dignity, the promotion of human rights and freedom, and the realization of equality. Thus, the South African education policy prioritised complete equity and that consequently led to the implementation of inclusive education. However, some teachers are failing to fulfil the needs of learners with learning impairments in regular classrooms. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the barriers faced by primary school teachers in the implementation of inclusive education at a primary school in Buffalo City Education District in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Qualitative data was collected through individual in-depth face-to-face interviews with seven primary school teachers. The participants teach Grade One to Seven learners. The collected data were analysed using the thematic approach. The findings of this study revealed that it was difficult for teachers to implement inclusive education. The challenges cited include employing under-qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure and teaching and learning material. Participants proposed that the District Department of Basic Education should continuously train teachers and provide schools with teaching and learning material. Infrastructure that teachers suggested were information and communication technology, classrooms suitable for learners who are physically challenged and furniture. Download full text:Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Username Password

Symbolic Representations as Teachers Reflect on Inclusive Education in South Africa

The inclusive education movement generated many changes in the education system worldwide, resulting in teachers needing to change their practice and beliefs and implement inclusive teaching strategies to accommodate a more diverse learner population. Numerous professional development courses were conducted in South Africa, however the expected change in attitude and practice proved difficult to achieve for many. Even after attending such courses, teachers found it challenging to establish inclusive learning environments, believing they did not have the necessary skills and resources to teach learners with divergent learning needs. This study explored the pivotal role of teachers and their personal perspectives of themselves as inclusive practitioners in South Africa after attending a professional development course on inclusive education strategies. A qualitative, interpretative research design was utilised whereby visual symbols alongside written reflections were analysed to identify changes in teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and practice. Findings revealed that teachers’ knowledge had increased, their attitudes towards learners with diverse needs was more positive, they felt more confident in their own abilities and more equipped for the task. Critical reflection emerged as an essential skill for teachers to be able to question their beliefs and rethink their practice but that this skill needed to be actively taught and encouraged in order to change prevailing perceptions of diversity and improve teaching practice.

Universal design for learning in inclusive education policy in South Africa.

BackgroundSouth Africa has undertaken the implementation of inclusive education as a vehicle for achieving enhanced educational outcomes and equity. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework that takes into account the wide range of variations in skills and abilities that exist across all learners, and provides a research-based set of principles and guidelines for inclusive curriculum development and delivery.ObjectivesTo locate UDL within the specific inclusive education policy context of South Africa and consider how this approach can support policy implementation. We have argued that UDL could serve as a strategy to link policy imperatives with classroom practice, enabling effective communication between the different actors.MethodWe reviewed fundamental inclusive education policies in South Africa and research relating to their implementation, and how they configure support and curriculum differentiation. We then compared this understanding with that proposed by UDL and considered what could be gained in adopting a UDL framework.ResultsWe noted that UDL has several advantages in that it allows for a common language between education stakeholders and gives new meaning to the interpretation of levels of support.ConclusionThe implementation of inclusive education in South Africa could be enhanced by introducing the concepts of UDL into policy, research and teaching practice as a common language and vehicle for packaging support systems.

Inclusive education: Developments and challenges in South Africa

The implementation of inclusive education in South Africa must be seen in the context of the country’s broader political, social, and cultural developments since 1994, particularly the systematic and progressive transformation of education in congruence with Constitutional values and ideals. As a result, the move towards inclusive education has been primarily justified on educational and social grounds. Using a three-step linear process, this paper systematically reviews relevant peer-reviewed research studies and research reports on inclusive education policy enactment in South Africa, to identify both challenges and successes in implementing inclusive education in South Africa. The research findings indicate that although South African teachers in principle support the justification of inclusive education on social grounds, the lack of adequate human, technical, and infrastructural resources to facilitate implementation is a major contributing factor to the negative perceptions (within some school communities) of its educational and economic viability. Despite these challenges, encouraging positive developments include continued support of an inclusive education agenda at the national level, the gradual transformation of teacher education for inclusion, and the identification of successful locally situated inclusive education approaches. It is therefore important to acknowledge that implementation of inclusive education in South Africa is a continuously evolving process, which needs to be contextually relevant and responsive to the social and economic realities within unique school contexts.

Intellectual Disability in Inclusive Education in South Africa: Curriculum Challenges

AbstractThe move toward inclusive education is a global one which has been in process for over 25 years since the Salamanca statement in 1994. The approach has been adopted in many countries, both high and low income with varying degrees of policy development and legal frameworks to ensure effective implementation. South Africa, a middle‐income country with high levels of inequality, has engaged seriously in developing enabling policy. In this study, I will examine how inclusive education policy in South Africa considers intellectual disability (ID) as one of many barriers to learning within the related legislation, guidelines, and curriculum. I will then look at two critical and related events in education for ID in South Africa. The first is the legal process whereby the right to education for children with severe‐to‐profound ID was established, and the second is the development of three different curricula in South Africa for children with mild‐to‐moderate, severe, and severe‐to‐profound ID, respectively. I will conclude with some consideration of how inclusion policy deals with the problem of curriculum which is a critical one for ID.

Giving Effect to Refugee Children’s Fundamental Rights to Life and a Basic Education

A gap in research on the violation of the rights of refugee children to well-being and education – both prerequisites for living a good life – has been recognised internationally as well as nationally. This article endeavours to partially fill this gap by (a) presenting a background to the situation of refugees in South Africa in general and refugee children in particular, (b) delineating relevant concepts, (c) explaining the international and national legislative framework applicable to refugee children, (d) clarifying the role of education in the life of refugee children, (e) identifying the various challenges such children present for an inclusive education system, as well as (f) drawing conclusions and making recommendations on overcoming these challenges.South Africa has experienced an overwhelming growth in refugees since its transition to democracy in 1994. In contrast to the 1951 Convention,1 which defines a refugee as someone who is incapable or reluctant to return to their country of origin owing to a justified fear of being oppressed on the grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, studies found that refugees and their children from the rest of the African continent, as well as from as far afield as China, Bangladesh and Pakistan, mainly flee to this country to escape conditions of poverty, civil discord and even war in search of a better life. Instead of being welcomed, however, refugee children are often met with intimidation, hate, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism, exclusion and discrimination by South Africans on a daily basis.By concentrating on refugee children and probing the results of significant studies indicating the persistent challenges facing the realisation of inclusive education in South Africa, the author advocates a humanitarian approach to refugee children in order to respect their dignity whilst recognising their rights to life and a basic education within the borders of South Africa.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa.

BackgroundIt can hardly be disputed that a school environment should be conducive or, at the very least, not prohibitive to effective learning. The provision of fair, equal and barrier-free access to education is referred to as inclusive education. South Africa supports a policy of inclusive schooling, striving to accommodate all children, including those with disabilities, in mainstream schools. This article sets out to prove that noise control in classrooms is a relevant, yet neglected, aspect of inclusive classroom design in South Africa and requires specific attention.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study are to: (1) establish the impact that noise has on learners with sensory, language or learning impairments; (2) establish the preferred listening conditions for these learners by examining prior research and guidelines available in other countries; and (3) outline the current South African regulations pertaining to classroom acoustics and assess them against the preferred listening environment.MethodThis research was conducted as a systematic review with reference to the South African context. Local and international research and guidelines were used as references, providing an overview and evaluation of data concerning noise and learning.ResultsNoise is disadvantageous for learners, particularly those with sensory, language or learning impairments. Research and international guidelines show that the ideal ambient level is 30 dBA – 35 dBA, allowing the achievement of an ideal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of +15 dB, and the ideal reverberation time is 0.4 s – 0.6 s. Various South African regulations discussed are inconsistent regarding ambient noise level (ranging from 35 dBA – 50 dBA) and say little about reverberation time for classrooms.ConclusionSouth African regulations regarding classroom acoustics require revision to ensure inclusion of all learners with disabilities. The current status does not enforce barrier-free environments in mainstream schools for children with sensory, language or learning impairments.

Teachers' perceptions of education support structures in the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa

Inclusive education forms the ethos of the education system in South Africa and resonates with the Constitution of the country, which recognises diversity and resists exclusivity. Inclusive education is also reflected in education policies such as the Education White Paper 6: Special Education – Building an Inclusive Education and Training System and the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) document. Pivotal to inclusive education is the provision of support for all learners and teachers. The focus of this paper is on the functionality of all the formal support structures that are in place for teachers and learners from the teachers’ viewpoints. These support structures include District-Based Support Teams (DBSTs), Institutional-Level Support Teams (ILSTs), Full-Service Schools (FSS), Special Schools as Resource Centres (SSRC), Learning Support Educators (LSEs) and the community. An interpretive research paradigm was chosen, using convenience sampling and data was collected by means of focus group interviews. Constant comparative data analysis was employed. Peer review and member checks were used to ensure trustworthiness. The themes that emerged were support provided by teachers, the role of official support structures and special schools and community collaboration. It was evident, from the teachers’ point of view, that the formal support structures are not as effective as proposed by policy and educational authorities and that the policy needs serious re-consideration. Inklusiewe onderwys vorm die etos van die onderwysstelsel in Suid-Afrika en resoneer met die Grondwet van die land, wat diversiteit erken en eksklusiwiteit weerstaan. Inklusiewe onderwys word ook weerspieël in die onderwysbeleid soos uiteengesit in die Education White Paper 6: Special Education – Building an Inclusive Education and Training System and the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) dokument. Deurslaggewend vir inklusiewe onderwys is die voorsiening van ondersteuning aan alle leerders en onderwysers. Die fokus van hierdie artikel is op die funksies van al die formele ondersteuningstrukture wat in plek is vir onderwysers en leerders en weerspieël die standpunte van onderwysers. Hierdie ondersteuningstrukture sluit in Distrikgebaseerde ondersteuningspanne; Institusionele ondersteuningspanne, Voldiensskole; Spesiale skole as hulpbronsentra; Leerondersteuningsopvoeders; inklusiewe onderwys en die gemeenskap. ‘n Interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma is gekies waarin gerieflikheidsteekproefneming gedoen is en data ingesamel is met gebruik van fokusgroeponderhoude. Eweknieen ledekontrole is gebruik om betroubaarheid te verseker. Die temas wat na vore gekom het was ondersteuning deur onderwysers, die rol van amptelike ondersteuningstrukture, spesiale skole en gemeenskapsamewerking. Dit was duidelik, vanuit die onderwysers se gesigspunt, dat die formele ondersteuningstrukture nie so effektief is as wat voorgehou word deur die beleid en die onderwysowerhede nie, end at die beleid ernstige herbesinning nodig het.

Has the Policy Window Closed? A Critical Analysis of South Africa’s Inclusive Education Policy

To assess whether the policy window opened by White Paper Six (WP6) has closed, this article traces the historical path of the policy and reviews pertinent policy documents and research to date on inclusive education in South Africa. Two research questions are explored: 1. What is the present state of inclusive education for students with disabilities in South Africa? 2. What factors facilitate or inhibit the understanding and implementation of WP6? Results reveal a negative state of inclusion in present day South Africa based on teacher, student, and parent attitudes towards the policy and disability. Furthermore, many barriers and few facilitators of inclusion were found. The analysis concludes by making policy recommendations and posing alternatives.

The idealism of education policies and the realities in schools: the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa

Inclusive education as a global movement emerged over the past 30 years to ensure quality mainstream education for all learners. Since 1994 the newly democratic South Africa also had expectations as well as the political will to change education by adjusting legislation and policies. However, the vision of a truly inclusive education system in South Africa has been difficult to achieve and results regarding the implementation of inclusive education remain questionable. There has been a growing realisation that the advent of democracy was not in itself a sufficient condition for the elimination of historical and structural inequalities in education with as recurring theme the dissonance between the government's socio-political imperative for change and economic realities. This article focuses on the development of policy and guidelines on inclusive education in dynamic interaction with the complexity of realities in South African schools with a special focus on the policy recommendations regarding the development of full-service schools. The constant comparative analysis of the two phased case study of a full-service school in a rural town revealed interesting results illustrating the complexities regarding the implementation of inclusive education and the challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between the idealism of policies and the realities in schools.