Browsing by Author "Steyl, Jesse Kimberleigh"
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- ItemIntermediate phase teachers’ perspectives and experiences of collaboration in a full-service school(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-12) Steyl, Jesse Kimberleigh; Swart, Estelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Inclusive education is widely understood as acknowledging that all individuals have the capacity to learn and require equal access to education. More specifically, it involves education systems that are able to adapt to accommodate the diverse learning needs of all individuals. The international movement towards inclusive education and educational change, as well as on a national level, forms the backdrop to this study. Research suggests that the implementation of an inclusive education system in South Africa has faced numerous challenges and obstacles. In all policies and legislation pertaining to inclusive education, collaboration is highlighted as an integral strategy in its successful implementation. Using Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) as the theoretical framework, this study followed a single instrumental case study design of a particular full-service school in Cape Town in the Western Cape. The study aimed to explore intermediate phase teachers‟ perspectives and experiences of collaboration as a key strategy in support of learners with diverse learning needs and, thus, in the development of inclusive school communities. An interpretive paradigm guided this research, where four intermediate phase teachers were purposefully selected, in order to generate information-rich data. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data, as well as reflective discussions taking place after observations of collaborative encounters. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data and the findings and recommendations were discussed. The findings suggest that collaboration is vital in creating inclusive school communities; however, collaboration is often informal and limited to sharing of resources and practical affairs. In addition, various supporting and hindering factors of collaboration have been identified. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has added another dimension to collaboration and inclusive education. While the findings in this research study cannot be generalised to all full-service schools in South Africa, recommendations could be made to full-service schools to enable better support for learners with diverse learning needs and thus promote inclusion and social justice. KEYWORDS: collaboration, inclusive education, full-service schools, intermediate phase teachers, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)