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Cited by 152Collaborative Teaching and InclusionInclusive Education and DiversityEducation Pedagogy and Practices

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 35 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

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

Open access
Nel, Norma, Tlale, Lloyd, Engelbrecht, Petra, Nel, Mirna·2016·Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
DOI 10.19108/koers.81.3.2249
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Abstract

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.

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Research works printed but not linked: 12

  1. Ayala, E., Brace, H.J. & Stahl, S. 2012. Preparing teachers to implement universal design for learning. In: Eds.: T.E. Hall, A. Meyer and D.H. Rose. Universal design for learning in the classroom. New York: The Guilford Press.
  2. Creswell, J.W., 2007. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage
  3. Darling-Hammond, L., Hammerness, K., Grossman, P., Rust, F. & Shulman, L. 2005. The design of teacher education programs. (In L. Darling-Hammond, J. Bransford, P. LePage, K. Hammerness, & H. Duffy (eds.). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 390-441).
  4. Department of Education, 2011. Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) – Foundation Phase Home Language Grades R-3. Pretoria: Government Press.
  5. De Vos, AS, Strydom, H, Fouche, CB & Delport, CSL. 2011. Research at grass roots: For the social sciences and the human service professions. 4th edition, Pretoria: Van Schaik.
  6. Engelbrecht, P. & Green, L. 2007. Responding to the challenges of inclusive education: an introduction. Pages 8-88. In P. Engelbrecht & L. Green (Eds.). Responding to the challenges of inclusive education in Southern Africa. Pretoria; Van Schaik.
  7. Johnson, B. & Green, L. 2007. Thinking differently about education support. In P. Engelbrecht & L. Green (eds.). Responding to the challenges of inclusive education in Southern Africa. Pretoria: Van Schaik. (pp. 159-174).
  8. Loreman, T., Deppeler, J. & Harvey, D. 2010. Inclusive education: supporting diversity in the classroom. London: Routledge.
  9. Nel, N.M., Nel, M. & Lebeloane, L.D.M. 2013. Assessment and learner support. In: Learner Support in a Diverse Classroom. NM Nel, M Nel & AJ Hugo (eds.). Pretoria: Van Schaik.
  10. Nieuwenhuis, J. 2012. “Analysing qualitative data.” In First steps in research. K. Maree (ed.). Pretoria: Van Schaik. (pp. 99-117).
  11. Ruedel, k., Fulcher, A., Diamond, C., O’Cummings, M., Jackson, S. & McInerney, M. 2005. Assistive technology and universal design for learning in content areas. In: Universal design for learning: A guide for teachers and education professionals. J. Castellani. (ed.). Council for Exceptional Children. United States of America: Pearson.
  12. Singal, N. & Rouse, M. 2003. “We do inclusion”: Practitioner perspectives in some “inclusive schools” in India. Perspectives in Education 21(3), 85-97.

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Metadata

Authors
Nel, N., Tlale, L., Engelbrecht, P., & Nel, M.
Affiliations
  • University of South Africa (ZA)
  • North-West University (ZA)
ORCID
Venue
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Publisher
Koers Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
Published
2016-12-15
Volume
81
Issue
3
Pages
17-30
ISSN
  • 0023-270X (ISSN-L)
  • 2304-8557
DOI
10.19108/koers.81.3.2249
OpenAlex
W2560012145
Cited by
109
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 3
FWCI
26.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship (publishedVersion, cc-by-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion
  • Social Sciences › Education › Inclusive Education and Diversity
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education Pedagogy and Practices
Keywords
inclusive education, teacher perceptions, full-service schools, special education policy, Education White Paper 6, policy implementation, community collaboration, South Africa, teacher support, student support, special schools, resource centers

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