Browsing by Author "Hess, Sonia Anne"

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    Teachers perceptions regarding the implementation of the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy in mainstream schools
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Hess, Sonia Anne; Dreyer, Lorna; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Since the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa there has been a restructuring of the education system towards inclusive education. According to the Department of Education (DoE, 2001), the formulation of the Education White Paper 6 (EWP6) was the policy document that emerged to drive the implementation of inclusive education. The framework sought to address the needs of all learners and to help steer education towards the inclusion of all learners. The National Strategy for Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) (Department of Basic Education [DoBE], 2014) is an additional policy to strengthen EWP6 (DoE, 2001). The SIAS strategy is an integral part of steering inclusive education (IE) in South Africa. It focuses on the needs of all learners in South Africa, in particular those who are likely to be excluded or marginalised, and is aimed at improving access to quality education and support for all learners (DoBE, 2014). The strategy focuses on the early identification of barriers to learning and correct assessment strategies of the barriers that learners might experience. Through a qualitative case study of two mainstream primary schools in the Winelands district, the study explored teachers’ perspectives of the implementation of the SIAS policy. The study is based on Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model as a framework, which views individuals in their context, taking into account various interactions between the interconnected systems and how these interactions influence the participants’ lives. A purposive sampling strategy was used to select eight teachers as research participants. Two methods of data collection were used, namely semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The key findings of this study show that teachers are still left unsure and struggling to cope with the demands of implementing the different inclusive policies. All the participants in this study argued for the importance of adequate training and for appropriate support systems to be in place in order to alleviate the challenges. This research highlighted that the participants who believed that they were well supported felt that the challenges were better managed. This contributed to their general positive attitude towards the implementation of the SIAS policy.