Collaboration in full-service schools : learning support teachers’ roles and practices

Date
2020-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : In South Africa, one of the key strategies for the implementation of inclusive education was adding an additional category of school, known as full-service schools. These schools are mainstream schools that function in such a way that they are responsive to the full range of learning needs of all learners. The purpose of full-service schools is not only to provide access to learners who are deemed as having moderate or even high levels of support needs, but also to ensure that the school they have access to can provide them with the needed support, through collaboration with government and community services. Fullservice schools were afforded learning support teachers along with the expectation that they would participate in intersectoral networks and collaborations while brokering partnerships through which various role players would have the opportunity to co-construct knowledge. The theoretical framework for the study was cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). In this study, the object in terms of this theory was access and quality education for all learners through responsive pedagogies. The interpretation of such an object can vary extensively depending on the subjects’ interpretations, past and present relational power struggles within the particular system and the context. CHAT as an exploratory lens allows one to explore these relational struggles that underpin the goal-directed action. The learning support teacher as a member of the full-service school and the district can assume a crucial role as possible boundary broker, who can develop responsive practices to mediate between systems in order to negotiate new ways to ensure that objects reach education’s outcome of inclusion and education for all. This is known as boundary-crossing competence. This study aimed to develop narratives of learning support teachers’ trajectories of collaboration and relational agency and their role in developing inclusive pedagogies in fullservice schools. An interpretive case study design was used to provide in-depth descriptions and analysis of a bounded system comprised of four learning support teachers employed by the Western Cape Education Department and stationed at full-service schools. Participants were selected through non-probability sampling and data were collected through four individual semi-structured interviews, document analysis and field notes from observations. The data revealed that if learning support teachers are to be agents of change, who broker policy based on the specific context of the school in which they are placed, they need to have the voice, skills and membership to do so. Their success depends on their ability to broker partnerships, though relational agency, within a particular context. An individual, however, whether afforded membership or not, cannot bring about the level of change needed to make full-service schools functional. For deep-seated institutional change, school management and their values and attitudes towards the implementation of inclusive education need to be addressed.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Een van die belangrikste strategieë in Suid-Afrika vir die implementering van inklusiewe onderwys was die byvoeging van ʼn bykomende skoolkategorie, bekend as voldiensskole. Hierdie skole is hoofstroomskole wat op so ʼn manier funksioneer dat hulle reageer op die volle omvang van leerbehoeftes van alle leerders. Die doel van voldiensskole is nie net om toegang te bied aan leerders met matige of selfs hoë vlakke steunbehoeftes nie, maar ook om te verseker dat die skool waartoe hulle toegang het deur samewerking met die regering en gemeenskapsdienste die nodige ondersteuning aan hulle kan bied. Leerondersteuningonderwysers is aan voldiensskole toegewys met die verwagting dat hulle aan intersektorale netwerke en samewerkings sal deelneem onderwyl hulle vennootskappe bemiddel waardeur verskeie rolspelers die geleentheid sal kry om gesamentlik kennis te ontwikkel. Die teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie was die kultuur-historiese aktiwiteitsteorie (CHAT). In hierdie studie was die objek ingevolge die teorie toegang en gehalte-onderrig vir alle leerders deur responsiewe pedagogieë. Die interpretasie van so ʼn objek kan uiteenlopend wees na gelang van subjekte se interpretasies, vorige en huidige verhoudingsmagstryde in die spesifieke stelsel en die konteks. CHAT as ʼn ondersoeklens maak voorsiening vir die verkenning van verhoudingstryde wat die doelgerigte aksie onderstut. Die leerondersteuningonderwyser as ʼn lid van die voldiensskool en die distrik kan ʼn noodsaaklike rol as moontlike grensbemiddelaar vervul, wat responsiewe praktyke kan ontwikkel om tussen stelsels te bemiddel te einde nuwe maniere te onderhandel om te verseker dat objekte die onderwysuitkoms van insluiting en onderwys vir almal bereik. Dit staan as grensoorbruggingsvaardigheid bekend. Die studie was daarop gemik om narratiewe van leerondersteuningonderwysers se weë van samewerking en verhoudingsagentskap en hul rol in die ontwikkeling van inklusiewe pedagogieë in voldiensskole te ontwikkel. ʼn Interpretatiewe gevallestudie-ontwerp is gebruik om diepgaande beskrywings en ontledings van ʼn gebonde stelsel, bestaande uit vier leerondersteuningonderwysers in diens van die Wes-Kaapse Onderwysdepartement en by voldiensskole geplaas, te verskaf. Deelnemers is deur niewaarskynlikheidsteekproefneming gekies en data is ingesamel deur vier individuele semigestruktureerde onderhoude, dokumentontleding en veldnotas op grond van waarneming. Die data het getoon dat leerondersteuningonderwysers die nodige stem, vaardighede en lidmaatskap moet hê ten einde veranderingsagente te wees wat beleid bemiddel op grond van die spesiale konteks van die skool waarin hulle geplaas is. Hul sukses is afhanklik van hul vermoë om vennootskappe deur verhoudingsagentskap in ʼn spesifieke konteks te bemiddel. ʼn Individu, met of sonder lidmaatskap, kan egter nie die nodige vlak van verandering teweegbring wat nodig is om voldiensskole funksioneel te maak nie. Die skoolbestuur en hul waardes en houdings teenoor die implementering van inklusiewe onderwys moet aan bod kom ten einde grondliggende institusionele verandering teweeg te bring.
Description
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Inclusive education -- South Africa, Holistic education, Teachers -- Knowledge and learning -- South Africa, Teaching -- Practice -- South Africa, Cooperation, Expertise, UCTD
Citation