Browsing by Author "Kempthorne, Debby"
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- ItemEducators experiences of in-class, learning facilitators for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Kempthorne, Debby; Collair, Lynette; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT : As a culture of diversity moving towards equality for all, South Africans expect nothing less than progress and change for the betterment of all. Nowhere is this more important than in the education system where equality, in the form of inclusion, is paramount. Recently, there has been renewed interest in learning facilitation as it forms one of the many ways children with barriers to learning can access learning. Making use of learning facilitators can benefit the individual child as well as the educator. As inclusive education is rolled out in the form of policies, learning facilitators could be one of the supporting tools in assisting the child’s accommodations and adaptations of the curriculum, ultimately making inclusive education possible for many learners. Learning facilitation is becoming a more established profession, yet often policies regarding occupational expectations, roles and job-descriptions often take time to catch up with the utilization and deployment of personnel. The purpose of this study was to assimilate the experiences and interactions of educators with facilitators of learners with barriers to learning, in particular, those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study relied on a fundamental constructivist-interpretivist approach. A basic qualitative study was conducted involving six participants from two private schools in the Helderberg area in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Once ethical clearance was sort and granted, purposive sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected by means of an extensive literature review and semi-structured interviews, and analysed using a synthesis of content and interpretive analysis. Thematic data analysis was applied to analyse and interpret the data. In-depth insights of educators’ experiences of collaborating with in-class learning facilitators were gained. Findings suggest educators had a positive experiences of working with learning facilitators, however participants report that the need for formal training for the learning facilitators is pivotal. Suggestions are made regarding how schools can maximise the benefits of working with learning facilitators.