Educators' perceptions of inclusive education for learners with physical disabilities
- Authors: Mpu, Nondumiso Yolanda
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: People with disabilities -- Education -- South Africa Inclusive education -- South Africa Disability studies -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9401 , vital:34346
- Description: There is a grave concern that in South Africa, the total population of learners between the ages of 5 and 18 was estimated at approximately 14.6 million – of which near 1,000,000 are disabled. The record in addition to this regard estimates that the wide variety of children with disabilities who are of school‐going age, yet are out of school, could be as high as half a million. The motives why disabled children are not attending school are manifold; however paramount among them is that their needs are not catered for. Inclusive education entails changing values, attitudes of people, specifically of educators and learners, policies and the practices inside schools. Since post apartheid there is only one known policy which reveals that only 20 percent of learners with disabilities were accommodated in special schools. Current statistics show that only about 64,200 learners with disabilities or impairments are accommodated in about 380 special schools. This indicates that, potentially, 280,000 learners with disabilities or impairments are unaccounted for. Analysis of the data reveals the extent of the disparities in provision for learners with disabilities, for example: The incidence of disabilities in the Eastern Cape constitutes 17.39 percent of the disabled population, yet the province has only 10.79 percent of the total number of special schools. Gauteng has 17.14 percent of the disabled population but has 25.26 percent of the schools. The Western Cape has 5.47 percent of the disabled population but has 21.58 percent of the schools. This mismatch between needs and provision is a direct result of previous apartheid policies that allocated facilities on a racial basis. Inclusive education calls for an education system, which does no longer discriminate, however welcomes all individuals, providing support and services so that every child benefits equally in mainstream schools around their regions as only 41 special schools are in the Eastern Cape. Educator perceptions as the key personnel in the inclusion and in the implementation of policies related with classroom related issued play centre stage and need to be considered.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Strategies used by teachers to promote reading in grade 4 : a case of english first additional language learners
- Authors: Fesi, Liziwe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching English language -- Rhetoric Reading -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9264 , vital:34316
- Description: The study examines strategies used by teachers to promote reading: A Case of English First Additional Language Learners. The study was located within the constructivism paradigm of reading and used a qualitative research approach that incorporated a case study research design in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data. The data instruments used were interviews and observations. Data were analyzed using non-statistical procedures. The findings of the study revealed that reading problems are still eminent in Grade Four. It was found that the resources in schools inhibits the progress to promote reading. The educational system is underdeveloped and under resourced with respect to reading materials, and schools are in a bad state due to obsolete facilities. Inadequate infrastructure is also another challenge since most of the participants reported that classes are overcrowded; thus, limiting the space to interact with learners. It was found that primary schools have no libraries; as a result, it was difficult for the teachers to instill the culture of reading. Some participants revealed that technology can be useful to encourage reading, however, their schools have no computer centers and most teachers do not know how to use computers. It emerged from the findings that parents fail to involve themselves in their children’s education. In addition, it was found that poor socio-economic backgrounds affect many homes, and this has a negative impact on schools. Most South African parents are found to be unable to support their children at all. There are also challenges interconnected with the English First Additional Language learners, the eccentricities of the English language, the teacher training and continuing professional development of teachers, as it emerged from the findings of this study that most teachers do not understand the reading strategies, skills of teaching reading and learners lack vocabulary, hence their resistance to reading. A comprehensive model of strategies to improve reading in primary schools was developed by the researcher based on the findings of the study and an extensive literature review.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Effects of frequent changes in curriculum on effective teaching and learning for creating safe, caring and child-friendly schools : a South African case study
- Authors: Makwarela, Mawela Convince
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: School discipline--South Africa School violence--South Africa School management and organization--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Education
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15594 , vital:40481
- Description: South Africa‟s government strategy for Child Protection Programmes is the pre-requisite that plans to articulate its work on school learner protection as a distinct area of programmatic intervention. Hence, this study explores an assessment of the implementation of DoE and UNICEF guidelines for creating safe, caring and child-friendly schools. A sequential mixed method approach was used in this study; both questionnaires and interviews were used. The design allows using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to elicit implicit and explicit information from the same case through pattern-matching; a technique linking several pieces when a holistic and in-depth investigation is required. The sample of the study consisted of 24 school principals, 24 HoDs, 24 SGB members, 24 educators, 24 educators‟ union members and 24 learners who were conveniently selected from 24 secondary schools across Vhembe District. Survey data were obtained from school principals, HoDs, SGB members, educators, educators‟ union members and learners regarding the ways and degree to which participants are involved in school incidents, decision-making processes, and their own experiences regarding safe, caring and child-friendly schools. In terms of data analysis, validation indicates concurrent and construct validity obtained by combining participant‟s responses from interviews and self-report questionnaires based on experiences of incidents from their schools. Statistically significant results point the way to validating the approaches taken as best practices. The findings reveals among others that the factors contributing to learner aggression include family factors, environmental factors and school-related factors, whilst the most common forms of learner incidents in schools are verbal violence, physical violence and bullying. The results also indicate that a safe school climate is not enough for learners to speak freely and report unwanted sexual experiences. The study concludes with the role that the school, parents and the Department of Education can play in addressing learner problems in schools.
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- Date Issued: 2016