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ZELMA MOKOBANE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY PHD STUDENT.

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Presentation on theme: "ZELMA MOKOBANE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY PHD STUDENT."— Presentation transcript:

1 ZELMA MOKOBANE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY PHD STUDENT

2 CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL METHODOLOGIES FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, SOUTH AFRICA: A CASE STUDY.

3 INTRODUCTION The beginning of the twenty-first century had witnessed the evolution of Inclusive education in South Africa. In 1994 over 300 participants – including 92 governments and 25 international organisations – met in Salamanca, Spain, with the purpose of furthering the objectives of inclusive education. The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) was framed by a rights-based perspective on education. Reaffirming the right to education of every individual, as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and renewing the pledge made by the world community at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All to ensure that education is a right for all regardless of individual differences. (UNESCO, 1994). The inclusion policy in South A frica, the White Paper 6 (2001) highlighted that learners who had been previously marginalized should be included in inclusive schools (previously known as ‘mainstream’ schools) and their educational needs should also be met. The inclusion policy called for all learners to be engaged effectively in inclusive schools.

4 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY The motivation for undertaking this study stemmed from my previous experience of working as a learning support specialist in a school considered by the government as a model of inclusion. Personally, I was embracing the concept of ubuntu, humanity, support and care. The Children`s Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution of South Africa (1966, Section number 9) states that every learner, irrespective of differences in gender, race, colour and ability, should experience meaningful education, with disabled learners having a right to access education in their neighbouring schools alongside their “abled” peers.

5 AIMS OF THE STUDY The aims of the study was to: To develop effective teaching methods that can be used in inclusive classrooms as well as to observe the effectiveness of the identified methods/strategies. To explore practical way of changing the negative attitudes towards inclusive education.

6 WHAT IS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION According to the South African Inclusion Policy, White Paper 6. Inclusive education is defined as a learning environment that promotes the full personal, academic and professional development of all learners irrespective of race, class, gender, disability, religion, culture, sexual preference, learning styles and language. [NCSNET/ NCESS 1998] Education White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System(2001), Acknowledging that all children and youth can learn and that all children and youth need support Accepting and respecting that all learners are different in some way and have different learning needs which are equally valued and an ordinary part of our human experience.

7 WHAT IS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Enabling education structures, systems and learning methodologies to meet the needs of all learners. Acknowledging and respecting differences in learners whether due to age, gender, ethnicity, language, class, disability or HIV status. Changing attitudes, behaviour, teaching methodologies, curricula and the environment to meet the needs of all learners. Maximising the participation of all learners in the culture and the curricula of educational institutions and uncovering and minimising barriers to learning. Empowering learners by developing their individual strengths and enabling them to participate critically in the process of learning. Acknowledging that learning also occurs in the home and community, and within formal and informal modes and structures.

8 What are barriers to learning? Physical, mental, sensory, neurological and developmental impairments Psycho-social disturbances Differences in intellectual ability Particular life experiences Socio-economic deprivation Negative attitudes to and stereotyping of differences An inflexible curriculum Inappropriate languages or language and teaching Inappropriate communication Inaccessible and unsafe built environments Inappropriate and inadequate support services Inadequate policies and legislation The non-recognition and non-involvement of parents Inadequately and inappropriately trained education managers and educators (DoE, 2001)

9 Intellectually Challenged The study focused on learners who are intellectually challenged because according to Kapp (2002) the educable group can learn alongside their peers in mainstream classrooms; whereas the resource centres can cater for the trainable group and the profound/ custodian. Previous researchers like Du Toit (1995) revealed that teaching a learner who is intellectually challenged poses frustrations for most teachers.

10 Methodology The approach adopted for this study is a qualitative case design or case study, which permits an in-depth look at an individual, context, situation or intervention (Greig & Taylor, 1999). For this study, purposive sampling was used because the participants were already known and identified. All ethical consideration were adhered to. The sample population in the study was 45 teachers from 3 different secondary schools, aged between 26-48 years, 22 males and 23 females, who interact with these learners daily. Only 11 teachers possess a qualification in inclusive education. The other teachers attended workshops on inclusive education arranged by the Department of Education. Instruments used to collect data was one-on-one interviews and observation According to Merriam (1998), individual interviews are the most common form of interviews, where there is a person-to-person encounter in which one person elicits information from another. As stated by Morgan, 1999, observations allow the researchers to engross themselves in daily functions of the people they are trying to understand. The following findings emerged during the analysis of data.

11 Findings (Classroom) Immediate feedback Feedback includes a response or reaction to a stimulus, which could be in a form of an action or words. It involves telling whether answers are right or wrong and explaining errors and guiding the learner toward the correct responses in a concerned and supportive way (Sims-Knight & Upchurch, 2001). Language of Teaching and Learning The educational policy of South Africa mandates that English be used as a medium of instruction, irrespective of whether the language was the learners’ first language. On realizing that most learners were struggling to understand learning instruction in English, teachers prefer to switch languages, English and Setswana. Raising voice Teachers, like actors, are professional users of voice. In their 2nd edition of 'The Teaching Voice', Martin and Darnley (2004) argue that teachers have the potential to use their voices in order to influence the pupil`s behavior. Teachers raised voices to capture the attention of the learners and to enable the intellectually challenged learners to hear properly and to follow the learning content.

12 Findings (Classroom) Pacing the lesson slower, Teachers employed the strategy of talking slowly during lessons because they shared the same sentiment that learners who are intellectually challenged need to be taught slowly, while maintaining eye contact. They felt that if one talks faster; the learners get lost. Talking slow helps learners to grasp the learning contents easily and to follow directions and Instruction. Demonstration Demonstration is the act of teaching using visual media such as newspaper clippings or videos. Demonstration involves presenting something that has to be seen by learners (Garlikov, 2003). Teachers use demonstrations during lessons, citing that learners learn well through demonstration, practicing what is known, that is whatever the teacher is doing, learners will look at it, see it, and then do it.

13 Findings (Classroom) Simplifying the activity by reducing the learning outcomes Teachers simplify the activity or reduce the learning outcomes of the activity to give the differently-abled learners the opportunity to be competent by augmenting their marks. Monitoring home-task Home tasks are one aspect of the general education curriculum that has been widely recognized as important to academic success. Teachers have long used home tasks to provide additional learning time, strengthen study, and in some respects keep parents informed of their children's progress. Involving all learners in non-academic activities Non-academic activities stimulate the mind and enhance effective learning.

14 Findings (School) Differently-abled The term “differently-abled” was adopted instead of the term “disabilities”. This helped in changing the wrong perception, the myths and the attitudes towards differently-abled learners. Empowerment and Awareness The school community were empowered as to gain more knowledge about the differently-abled and on when and how to assist the group in question. Collaboration Working with other stakeholders in education to maximize the pedagogy of possibility and to minimize barriers to learning.

15 Conclusion The effectiveness of the identified classroom and school methodologies After a period of eight months; it was evident that: Learners engage well in the classroom They were motivated and their self-esteem was high There was an improvement in task performance However, in order to maintain the three points above, there should be consistency.

16 LIMITATIONS The study was conducted in three secondary schools in rural areas only. Therefore they cannot represent other schools in urban areas. Secondly the study focused on the intellectually challenged learners only, thus warranting further research with learners who are physical challenged, learners with sensory problems, the chronically-ill child including learners who are HIV positive.

17 REFERENCES Department of Education. (1998). National Education Policy Act. Report of the National Commission on Special Education Needs and Training (NCESS). Pretoria: Government Printers. Department of Education. (2001). Education White Paper No 6 on Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education System. Pretoria: Government Printers. Du Toit, J. (1995). Special Needs Education. Pretoria: Van Schaik. Garlikov, R. (2003). Teaching effectively: Helping Students Absorb and Assimilate Materials. The Socratic Method. Retrieved 6 Dec 2009. [www.garlikov.com/Soc] Greig, A. & Taylor, J. (1999). Doing Research with Children. London: Sage. Kapp, J.A. (2002). Children with Problems. Pretoria: Van Schaik.

18 Martin, S. & Darnley, L. (2004). The Teaching Voice. London: Whurr Publishing Merriam, SB. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Revised and expanded from case study research in education. San Francisco: Jossey-bass. Sims-Knight, J. E. & Upchurch, R. L. (2001). What`s Wrong with Giving Students Feedback? ASEE Annual Conference, June 25-27, 2001, Albuquerque, NM. South Africa. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Adopted 8 May 1996. Amended 11 October 1996, (B24B-96) (ISBN: 0-26. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (1994) World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and quality, Salamanca, Spain. Retrieved 12 Nov 2009 www.unesco.org/educationwww.unesco.org/education

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