Vulnerable Learners Research Articles

Collaborated understandings of context-specific psychosocial challenges facing South African school learners: a participatory approach

IntroductionLearners at under-resourced schools in South Africa face significant psychosocial challenges (Spaull, 2013) that negatively affect both their own wellness and that of the teachers, ultimately resulting in a lower quality of teaching and learning (Modisaotsile, 2012). The transition from a segregated apartheid education system, where resources were inequitably allocated according to race (Modisaotsile, 2012), to an inclusive education system has been fraught with challenges. Inequitable access to resources (Bruce, 2014; Spaull, 2013) and sectored poverty (Donald, Lazarus, & Lolwana, 2010) continue to play a role in contributing to the psychosocial challenges faced in South African under-resourced communities, which consequently affect the wellness of members of the school community in that context (Donald et al., 2010). Contextual challenges relevant to this article include poor living conditions in informal settlements with little access to basic amenities (Donald et al., 2010), poor parenting (Ward et al., 2014), poverty-related HIV/AIDS issues (Theron, 2009), socioeconomic influences on teenage sexuality (Miller et al., 2014), substance abuse (Tlale & Dreyer, 2013), school violence (Mampane, Ebersohn, Cherrington, & Moen, 2014), and poor parent participation within school structures (Joubert, Ebersohn, Ferreira, du Plessis, & Moen 2014; Khanare, 2012; Mncube, 2009). South African school teachers are inadequately prepared to support learners within such contexts (Masitsa, 2011; Motshekga, 2010), having only received very basic concepts of educational psychology and community development as part of their preservice training (Donald et al., 2010). This situation negatively impacts on the wellness of the individual teacher and on the larger school system. While workshops are conducted sporadically to improve the support skills of in-service teachers, these are inadequate for capacitating teachers to support learners in under-resourced urban black communities (Motshekga, 2010), commonly known in South Africa as townships.Inadequately prepared teachers are understandably anxious and overwhelmed by the complex challenges experienced by their learners (Masitsa, 2011; Modisaotsile, 2012), making it difficult for them to mobilise their potential agency (Freire, 1970/2005). An asset-based paradigm (McKnight & Kretzmann, 1993; Pillay, 2012) suggests that teachers possess the potential and willingness to support vulnerable learners if they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to do this (Hoadley, 2007; Malindi & Machenjedze, 2012; Mampane & Bouwer, 2006; Theron, 2009). In this article, the authors suggest that a participatory action learning and action research (PALAR, Zuber-Skerritt, 2012) process would be suitable to improve the capacity of participating teachers to support learners and thereby feel less overwhelmed and anxious. PALAR (Zuber-Skerritt, 2011) aims to improve professional practice and involves an iterative and collaborative process that allows professionals to iteratively and collaboratively reflect on their actions throughout the cyclic PALAR process (Zuber-Skerritt, 2012). By following the PALAR process as expanded on in the section on PALAR as a theoretical paradigm, teacher participants collaborated with each other to come to a better understanding of the psychosocial challenges faced by learners. The aim of this PALAR project was not merely for identifying contextual wellness challenges at school level, but also to add to existing indigenous knowledge (Kearney & ZuberSkerritt, 2012) with regard to how such contextual issues could be addressed (Zuber-Skerritt & Teare, 2013) to enhance wellness. Indigenous knowledge refers to existing systems or strategies generated in a communal way and based on the experiences of a specific group of people (Fasokun, Katahoire, & Oduaran, 2005, p. 61), which communities follow when identifying and addressing contextual challenges as a collective (Teare & Zuber-Skerritt, 2013). …

English

Bullying conjures up visions of the traditional schoolyard bully and the subordinate victim. However, bullying is no longer limited to in-person encounter, having come to include cyberbullying, which takes place indirectly over electronic media. In this electronic age, cyber platforms proliferate at an astonishing rate, all attracting the youth in large number, and posing the risk that they may become subject to cyberbullying. Far from being limited to those individual learners being cyberbullied, the effects of this phenomenon extend to the learner collective, the school climate, and also the entire school system, management and education, thus requiring an urgent response. This article first provides a general overview of cyberbullying and its impact on learners, schools and education. This is done through a comparative lens, studying the extent of the phenomenon in both the United States and South Africa. The focus then shifts to the existing legislative frameworks within which the phenomenon is tackled in these respective jurisdictions, particularly the tricky balancing act required between learners' constitutional right to free speech and expression, and the protection of vulnerable learners' right to equality, dignity and privacy. The article concludes by proposing certain possible solutions to the problem.

The Feuerstein approach in New Zealand : Building on the past, for the future.


 
 
 
 The Feuerstein approach to the teaching of thinking is highly regarded internationally as an effective programme for vulnerable learners and learners with special educational needs. This paper describes this approach.
 The need for this approach in New Zealand is discussed, including children’s rights to it, and the New Zealand National Curriculum requirements. This is followed by an analysis of how the approach meets international criteria for an effective programme for the teaching of thinking.
 The author’s early New Zealand research on the Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment programme, to build a strong evidence-base for future use of the approach, is described in some detail, and her current New Zealand research project on best-practice with the inclusive and more whole-school integrated use of the Instrumental Enrichment programme is touched upon.
 Finally, some guidelines are outlined for the effective use of the Feuerstein approach in New Zealand now and in the future.
 
 
 

Camphill's approach: relevant and effective for today's vulnerable learners

Camphill's approach: relevant and effective for today's vulnerable learners

The Role of Institute Level Support Teams on Addressing Barriers to Learning and Provide Support in Schools. Are They Functional?

Inclusive Education was adopted as a global strategy for addressing the learning needs of all vulnerable and marginalised learners at the Salamanca World Conference on Special Needs Education in Spain in 1994. The message from the Salamanca statement was not focusing on fitting the learner into the school system, but on critiquing and changing the system itself or its relationship to social justice and equity in an attempt to accommodate the unique and diverse learning needs of all learners (Ainscow, 2004). When the Education White Paper was published in 2001, it was with great anticipation that within the first 5 years all the systems would have been put in place for the full- range scale implementation of an inclusive education system at all levels within a period of twenty years (Schoeman, 2012). The education White Paper 6 came up with strategies of transferring all aspects of the education system such as improving special schools by converting them to resource centres, developing full-service schools , and establishing institute level support teams and District based support teams to provide co-ordinated professional support services. In accordance to the White paper 6 ( DoE, 2001) all schools are expected to have functional Institute level support teams which comprise of school management, educators, parents or caregivers, community members and learners where applicable. The role of the ILST as envisaged by the White Paper 6 is to ensure an enabling environment for teaching and learning, to provide support programmes for addressing barriers to learning. The aim of the study was to investigate the functionality of the ILST in an inclusive school. A qualitative research approach was done whereby observation, focus group interview and document analysis were used to collect data. The results showed that the ILST still need an intensive and critical training on inclusive practices to provide support services and to address barriers to learning. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n8p259

Production and Consumption

AbstractIn this column, the authors discuss emerging research in the field of adult digital literacy acquisition. The authors argue that the field of adult digital literacy acquisition has been under‐researched, especially in relation to multiliteracies and multimodal literacy practices. Data emerging from a large scale mixed methods study of adults engaged with Learner Web, a self‐access online learning system, indicate that opportunities to engage in tutor‐facilitated digital literacy acquisition, among populations that have been historically left out of the digital revolution, have the potential to change lives. Additionally, the research provides insights into the shifts learners undergo as they gain experience and confidence with digital tools, which can help educators develop more robust systems for supporting vulnerable learners who are outside of the traditional educational system.

The Right to Basic Education for All: Addressing the Educational Needs and Barriers of Immigrant Learners in South Africa.

The South African Constitution guarantees the right to basic education for all learners, including children of immigrants from across the country’s borders. In view of this constitutional imperative, the Department of Basic Education is mandated to provide quality education to all learners, irrespective of their socio-economic and other backgrounds. The delivery of such education requires a child-friendly school environment where the safety of vulnerable learners and their right to quality education are assured. Enablers for this type of environment include relevant legislative framework and policies that seek to address the educational needs of learners. School leadership is responsible for the implementation of these policies and ensuring compliance with legislation. Given the importance of a child-friendly school to quality education delivery, a qualitative research was conducted in Limpopo Province to determine the extent to which schools address educational needs and barriers of immigrant learners. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three principals of selected schools in the Vhembe District of the province. The study points out challenges that immigrant learners experience and how school principals address them to ensure learner’s right to basic quality education and comes out with recommendations for improvement in this area. Key words: Quality education, immigrant learners, child-friendly school, the right to education, educational barriers.

Images and stories: through the eyes of at-risk college learners

In a study with at-risk Scottish college learners (n = 81), a participatory action research method called Photovoice was strategically employed. Participant-driven photographs were used to access learners’ intimate thoughts and emotions while photograph-inspired stories were used to understand further their views and experiences. This photo-elicitation method provided access to rich and informative findings and enhanced the overall research process where photographs and narratives encouraged reciprocal validation. The study uncovered four key aspects in supporting at-risk learners: (a) overcoming psychological barriers; (b) addressing physical barriers; (c) providing adequate social support; and (d) assistance through suitable support for learning. This led to three pragmatic results: it (a) raised awareness about the plight of vulnerable learners, (b) afforded them a coordinated voice and (c) brought real benefits to both at-risk and other college learners alike. The implications of the study findings were discussed using the Human Capital Theory.

Effects of noise in high schools on pupils' perceptions and performance

A recent project has investigated acoustical conditions in secondary (high) schools, and examined the effects of a poor acoustic environment on teaching and learning of 11- to 16-year-olds. Around 2600 pupils from suburban secondary schools in England responded to an online questionnaire concerning the acoustic environment in their schools. The questionnaire data highlighted the differential effects of noise reported by more vulnerable learners. A repeated measures experimental study involving 572 pupils examined reading performance under two different classroom noise simulations. Results revealed a complex pattern reflecting noise levels, time of testing and measure of reading performance used. Reading text while exposed to classroom noise of 70 dB resulted in quicker reading but less accuracy in measures of reading comprehension compared with performance in 50 dB. The data further suggested that the pupils were not processing the text as deeply as was evident from their reduced lexical learning. There were also interactions with time of testing highlighting the importance of examining the effects of chronic exposure in addition to single session experimental testing. The test results show that capturing the effects of noise on pupils’ learning in realistic classroom environments raises a number of methodological and analytical problems.

Shared Book Reading and Head Start Preschoolers' Vocabulary Learning: The Role of Book-Related Discussion and Curricular Connections

This study examined the ways in which the language that Head Start teachers used during book reading, as well as the extent to which they made explicit connections between book reading and other instructional activities, were linked to preschoolers' vocabulary development. Participants included 10 Head Start teachers and 153 children in their classrooms. Research Findings: Analyses revealed that teachers varied substantially in the frequency and nature of their book-related remarks, and connections between books and the broader curriculum were relatively few in number and constrained in nature. On average, children learned more words over the course of the year when teachers used more contextualized and decontextualized talk during book readings. Contextualized book-related talk was most positively associated with learning among children with relatively low initial vocabulary knowledge. Too few connections between book reading and the curriculum were observed to afford analysis of their contributions to children's vocabulary skills. Practice or Policy: The findings show the nuanced ways in which shared book reading, a critical part of the preschool day, is linked to vocabulary growth among the nation's most vulnerable learners. The results also highlight potential avenues through which readings could be strategically individualized to optimize early vocabulary development.

Experiences of learners from child-headed households in a vulnerable school that makes a difference: Lessons for school psychologists

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of vulnerable learners from child-headed households through an ecological systems model that includes their homes, community, and school. Special emphasis was given to the role of school psychologists as change agents within the context of schools. This qualitative study included a sample of 98 5th to 7th grade learners in a vulnerable school. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus groups, and a questionnaire with incomplete sentences. The findings provide a vivid description of their living conditions, changing roles, community fears, and school experiences which inevitably affect their psychological well-being and propagate the need for effective school psychological services. Against all odds, the vulnerable school in this study reflects how it can make a positive difference in the lives of the learners simply through the display of love, attention, and care. Based on the findings several lessons, transcending national boundaries, are presented for school psychologists to be successful in assisting learners from child-headed households in vulnerable schools.

Disrupting patterns of educational inequality and disadvantage in Malawi

This paper is concerned with the gap in educational provision for vulnerable learners in Malawi who are at risk of falling behind and dropping out of school due to irregular attendance. It draws on a study in high HIV-prevalence areas that explores the patterns of inequality and disadvantage that disrupt learning and uses this knowledge to design a school-based intervention to complement conventional schooling with more open and flexible delivery of the curriculum and increased school and community support. The intervention was implemented over one school year and evaluated using a randomized controlled design. The findings show that the intervention reduced dropout overall by 42% in intervention compared to non-intervention group. These findings suggest that there is a role for more open and flexible models of schooling and support in reducing educational inequalities. However, transforming established practice would require an integrated strategy supported by national policies that recognize the need for schools to change.

Closing the summer learning gap for vulnerable learners: an exploratory study of a summer literacy programme for kindergarten children at‐risk for reading difficulties

School summer vacation may create a significant gap in the learning cycle. Such a gap may be particularly detrimental for vulnerable children such as those with lower academic achievement due to learning and language disabilities, lower socio‐economic environments or learning in a language other than their native language. The current exploratory study investigated the efficacy of a summer family literacy programme on the reading achievement of 14 four‐year‐old children completing their pre‐kindergarten year. All participating children were identified by their classroom teacher and a subsequent reading assessment to be at‐risk for reading difficulties. Children and one of their primary caregivers participated in a five‐week summer literacy programme. The programme consisted of literacy‐based activities for both children and caregivers. The results of the study indicated that children demonstrated significant gains in all aspects of literacy, thus reversing the summer learning loss expectancy.

Summer Literacy for Young Vulnerable Learners: A Study of Caregiver Involvement and Program Stability

Emergent literacy programs for young children are significantly more effective when caregivers are integral components of program delivery. This is particular-ly important when designing programs for vulnerable children such as those with lower academic achievement due to learning and language disabilities, lower so-cioeconomic environments, or learning in a language other than their native language. Including caregivers in program delivery will impact not only the effec-tiveness of the program but also its stability. This exploratory study investigated the efficacy and stability of a summer family literacy program on the reading achievement of 14 four-year-old children completing their pre-kindergarten year. Children were assessed prior to, immediately proceeding, and 6 months following the summer program. The results of the study indicated that children demonstrat-ed significant gains in all aspects of emergent literacy and furthermore, sustained these gains 6 months after the program.

Restructuring in light of budget restraints: Optimise Teaching Assistants to maximise resources

E ARE IN THE MIDDLE of a time of great change. Not only with regard to the austere struggles of financial recovery, but also in terms of widespread educational change and SEN review. As an experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinator in a large mainstream secondary school, I have had the opportunity over the last decade to develop sustainable and creative support models against a backdrop of developing legislation and increased accountability. The basis from which my work developed is through having a clear inclusive philosophy (Morewood, 2008) and ensuring that structures allow for more sustainable models of support (Morewood, 2009a). As we face increasing cuts, not only in direct school funding but also in associated areas of support for vulnerable learners, it is essential that schools restructure models of support and intervention in order to optimise provision and maximise resources. The modern child is very different than those who were being educated 15 or so years ago (Petersen, 2010). We have more children surviving childbirth and living with associated medical and developmental difficulties. To this end, we need systems of support and intervention that meet this ‘new child need’; and schools need to move away from traditional Teaching Assistant-heavy models of support. Our multi-tiered support model was developed through necessity; lack of CAMHS professionals and poor access to centrally held therapeutic services. This constantly-evolving model positions us strongly when other schools are simply starting to think about how to bridge the gap in the funding-provision deficit of modern reality. It started nine years ago, when I felt strongly that there was a desperate need for onsite therapeutic support for some young people. One of the first appointments I made was that of a qualified psychotherapist. Being able to offer therapy sessions as part of an inclusive timetabled provision, link with families and groups in the community and also offer additional guidance and support to staff was an essential change. This was the start of our developing model, and the beginning of a move away from traditional ‘in-class’ support (Lorenz, 1998) into a proactive therapeutic model that saturated the whole school environment. The success of this therapeutic support model was developed further with senior nonteaching staff – Strand Managers, taking lead roles for Communication and Interaction and Physical and Medical needs (Morewood, 2009b). This allowed designated staff to develop practical skills in relation to language and communication and fine and gross motor skills, and establish specific sessions, for example sessions for developing reciprocal language skills. These therapeutic group sessions form part of students’ timetables and provide clear targets that extend into traditional lessons and the home. This supported the ‘saturation effect’ I developed when establishing our provision for students on the autism spectrum. A crucial part of establishing this new model of support was staff training. Over the past four years regular sessions, offering specific strategies of support to develop whole-staff skill-sets and reinforce the pro-active work of the interventions, helped

Work in Progress: Facilitating transition for vulnerable learners moving to secondary school

Work in Progress: Facilitating transition for vulnerable learners moving to secondary school

The support needs of South African educators affected by HIV and AIDS

In a qualitative study of 77 South African educators, participants were asked to explain how they are affected by HIV and AIDS and how they would best like to be supported in response to this. The term ‘affected’ refers to educators who have colleagues, learners or loved ones who are HIV-positive or who have died from HIV-related illnesses, or those who teach children orphaned by AIDS or learners who are vulnerable because of a parent's or caregiver's HIV status. Their responses endorse current theory regarding support for educators in the context of the epidemic, but their needs for support also include forms of ‘ecosystemic compassion’: that is, a longing for the school management, learners' parents, learners, and colleagues to have compassion for their HIV-related predicaments. Because the latter need was pronounced among those educators caring for an ill HIV-positive loved one, this study introduces the importance of researchers' and stakeholders' sensitivity to the possibility of differentiated support, according to how educators are affected by HIV. Many of the participants' calls for support were at odds with policyfacilitated demands on educators to function as pillars of support to vulnerable learners and communities in the age of HIV and AIDS. The findings provide a caveat with regard to educators who require support—notwithstanding the expectation that they function as ecosystemic agents of support. Finally, the educators' calls for support should be tempered by resilience theory, which suggests that while it is important to support HIV-affected educators, the choice of supports should not stymie educators' agency or discourage educators' active participation in the support process.

Intrinsic Motivation and Self-esteem in Traditional and Mature Students at a Post-1992 University in the North-east of England

Recent figures have suggested that the composition of the student body is already changing in terms of mature and traditional student learner numbers--while 24% of full time students were over the age of 21 in 1980, this figure rose to 33% by 1996 (Merrill, 1999). Using the Intrinsic Motivation towards Learning Questionnaire (Whitehead, 1984) and the Rosenberg Global Self-Esteem Questionnaire (Rosenberg, 1965), the current study documents the relationship between intrinsic motivation towards learning and self-esteem in traditional and mature students, in order to compare these groups in their approach to learning. Results from sample size of 160 research participants indicated that self-esteem and intrinsic motivation towards learning were significantly associated. Mature women students had the highest intrinsic motivation scores, as well as the highest self-esteem scores in the sample. The findings are discussed in the light of previous research, which suggests that mature women students are vulnerable learners in higher education institutions and the study's conclusion draws attention to the current UK Government policy's commitment to expand student numbers.

There's No Such Thing As Reflection

Graham Ixer is Project Manager at CCETSW Central Office, where he has a UK role for Practice Teaching and Interprofessional Education. Prior to this he spent many years in social work practice, and then moved into higher education in England and Sweden. He has spent the last five years undertaking research into reflective practice. (The views in this article reflect those of the author and not necessarily of his employing organization.) SUMMARY Despite the enormous proliferation of literature on the nature and practice of reflection, still little is agreed about what it is, and that which is asserted is confusing and contradictory. Even the work of Donald Schon, which lies behind the debate on reflective practice in the professions, is problematic. Not only do SchOn's own ideas tend to lack practical application to social work and to have been superseded by later theorists, but the entire ctuvre to date leaves more questions than answers. Yet social work education has become steeped in demands that students should demonstrate reflection in practice as a teaming outcome. The danger this poses to vulnerable learners in the assessment relationship, when assessors' own conceptions of reflection may be poorly formed and may not match those of their students, is worryingly likely to compound the imbalance of power between them. It is arguable whether social work programmes should be assessing reflection at all. Until such time as we can state more clearly what it is, we may have to accept that there is no theory of reflection that can be adequately assessed.