Academic literature on the topic 'Learning disabilities – South Africa – Ekurhuleni'

It is almost impossible to perform academic activities, such as accessing study material or contacting lecturers and other teaching and learning processes, at an open distance learning institution without the use of computers and the internet. This article investigates and reports on the time taken by students with and without disabilities to complete certain tasks using the University of South Africa's learning management systems (LMS). The findings of the study indicate that the time taken by students with disabilities to finish tasks is much longer compared to the students without disabilities. The study established that well-developed e-learning platforms guarantee efficient and effective use by both students with and without disabilities. The study suggests that it is significant for all LMS stakeholders to be involved in the development of e-learning websites. This is to ensure that accessibility and usability of these websites are adhered to during the development of e-learning websites.

The Covid‑19 pandemic has led to changes from traditional face-to-face teaching and learning to online systems. These changes have resulted in a concerted focus by local and international scholars on how some students are disadvantaged from accessing pedagogy due to a lack of resources and supportive living conditions that enable meaningful off‑campus learning. Simultaneously, disabilities in higher education is getting international attention, too, highlighting how students with disabilities are vulnerable to further exclusions and mental health problems. This article focuses on the pedagogical arrangements during the Covid‑19 pandemic and the challenges and opportunities associated with online and remote learning for university students with learning disabilities. The article draws on the narratives of fifteen students with learning disabilities from a university in South Africa. An analysis of students’ narratives within the Capability Approach’s concept of conversion factors revealed how circumstances could enable or constrain students’ abilities to achieve what they value in higher education. Students’ narratives show that they engage better with online and remote learning despite some notable challenges. In conclusion, the pedagogical arrangements aimed at alleviating the disruptions caused by the Covid‑19 pandemic can address the unmet educational needs of students with learning disabilities even though they have to overcome specific barriers.

IntroductionHand hygiene (HH) related illnesses such as diarrhoea and respiratory diseases, contribute to the burden of disease and are included in the top five causes of mortality in children under 5 years in South Africa. Children attending preschools are more susceptible to these infections due to the higher number of children in preschools. HH interventions have shown to reduce HH-related diseases by improving HH practices. In South Africa, there are no documented HH interventions or studies in children under 5 years. The purpose of the study is to determine whether an HH intervention can reduce HH-related diseases among 4–5-year-old preschool children and to improve HH practices in these children, their caregivers and their parents.Methodology and analysisThis is a protocol for a controlled intervention study to be conducted at preschools in Kempton Park, City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa. Preschools will be randomly distributed into control and experimental groups (n=70). The intervention includes interactive simulation learning, educational emails and education and poster reminders obtained from the WHO and the Global Handwashing Day website. Data collection, including the intervention, will take place during the calendar year as this coincides with the school year. Data will be analysed both preintervention and postintervention in the experimental group as well as between the experimental and control group. Data collected by means of questionnaires, observations, disease registers, hygiene inspections, semi-structured interviews and hand swabs will be analysed to determine these outcomes.Ethics and disseminationPermission has been obtained from the University of Johannesburg Ethics Committee and Ministerial Consent for Non-Therapeutic Research on Minors from the Department of Health National Ethics Research Council. Permissions for use of copyright protected materials has been obtained. Results of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, and feedback within relevant structures through conference proceedings.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools provide an ideal mechanism by which students can interact closely with their lecturers in an open distance learning (ODL) context. This is especially true for students with disabilities who require access through alternative formats. This paper demonstrates teaching and learning practices in an ODL institution in South Africa, with a focus on the indispensable role of lecturers and tutors in an online learning setting. The paper employs the Community of Inquiry, which sees the effective online learning environment through three elements: cognitive, social, and teaching presence. The findings shed light on the use of vision-based approaches in course design; limited implementation of open-access policies, and the academic faculty’s lack of knowledge on how to facilitate inclusive learning. The paper concludes by presenting a proposed student-centred framework that seeks to facilitate inclusive teaching and learning towards positive and inclusive learning experiences for students. The proposed framework could be beneficial during pandemic situations.

Background: South African higher education policy frameworks highlight renewed interest in equity, access and participation imperatives for students with disabilities (SWDs). However, students with visual disabilities continue to face barriers in their teaching practice school placements.Objectives: This article aims, firstly, to provide early insights into the barriers experienced by students with visual disabilities in their teaching practice school placements in under-resourced schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Secondly, it introduces learning communities and a teaching practice pre-placement booklet to enhance equity, access and participation in teaching practice school placements.Method: This study adopted a qualitative methodology using semi-structured interviews to elicit data from two Bachelor of Education students with visual disabilities, who were part of a teaching practice learning community managed by the Disability Unit at the University. Thematic analysis was used, using Tinto’s Learning Community Model which generated valuable evidence to argue for institutional commitment to achieve equity, access and participation for students with visual disabilities.Results: Through engagement with a teaching practice learning community and a teaching practice pre-placement booklet, two students with visual disabilities responded to and managed the chalkboard in ways that promoted teaching and learning in the classroom. These retention support trajectories provide evidence to support enhanced equity, access and participation. Given the stigma associated with disability and the need for equity at policy level, higher education institutions should seriously consider systemic mechanisms for access, participation and success outcomes in the teaching practice school placements of students with visual disabilities.Conclusion: Barriers to participation signal the need for accessible teaching and learning strategies for use by students with visual disabilities in their teaching practice school placements. Teaching practice assessors should be alerted to contextual differences in resourced and under-resourced school settings and the diverse ways in which SWDs navigate these differences.

Background: Former historically disadvantaged social groups such as women, black people and those with disabilities are expected to participate in the skilled labour force that South Africa has pledged to produce for the 21st century. However, in the South African context, research widely neglects access of those into professional degrees in higher learning. There is a need for such an exploration because people with disabilities have been found to be excluded from professional employment.Objectives: Using decolonial theory, this empirical study sought to explore obstacles confronted by students with disabilities at entry in a specific institution of higher learning in South Africa. The aim was to unveil the invisible obstacles and their causes for an effective intervention.Method: A qualitative research design was adopted and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from the participants. This particular dimension of research method was chosen to enable dialogue and development of partnership, which is important for collecting rich data.Results: While policies of inclusion still enabled access of all students into professional degrees, there were however inequitable practices, alienation and inequality that excluded students with disabilities at entry. Obstacles seen at surface level were not the real ones; the real ones were the deep-seated issues of coloniality.Conclusion: If the underlying causes of obstacles at entry are not visible to students with disabilities themselves and the responsible stakeholders, students might continue to be oppressed on entry into the professional degrees and in higher learning generally. Obstacles can only be dismantled when there is an awareness about their deep-seated causes.

Background: It can hardly be disputed that a school environment should be conducive or, at the very least, not prohibitive to effective learning. The provision of fair, equal and barrier-free access to education is referred to as inclusive education. South Africa supports a policy of inclusive schooling, striving to accommodate all children, including those with disabilities, in mainstream schools. This article sets out to prove that noise control in classrooms is a relevant, yet neglected, aspect of inclusive classroom design in South Africa and requires specific attention.Objectives: The objectives of this study are to: (1) establish the impact that noise has on learners with sensory, language or learning impairments; (2) establish the preferred listening conditions for these learners by examining prior research and guidelines available in other countries; and (3) outline the current South African regulations pertaining to classroom acoustics and assess them against the preferred listening environment.Method: This research was conducted as a systematic review with reference to the South African context. Local and international research and guidelines were used as references, providing an overview and evaluation of data concerning noise and learning.Results: Noise is disadvantageous for learners, particularly those with sensory, language or learning impairments. Research and international guidelines show that the ideal ambient level is 30 dBA – 35 dBA, allowing the achievement of an ideal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of +15 dB, and the ideal reverberation time is 0.4 s – 0.6 s. Various South African regulations discussed are inconsistent regarding ambient noise level (ranging from 35 dBA – 50 dBA) and say little about reverberation time for classrooms.Conclusion: South African regulations regarding classroom acoustics require revision to ensure inclusion of all learners with disabilities. The current status does not enforce barrier-free environments in mainstream schools for children with sensory, language or learning impairments.

Students with disabilities have been going through different forms of discrimination and exclusion. These include inaccessible learning materials and learning platforms, negative attitudes from lecturers, fellow students and more. This paper comes from a qualitative study that sought to explore how Covid-19 deepened these educational inequalities at an Open Distance Learning institution in South Africa. The results of the study reveal that institutions of higher learning had to quickly adjust their teaching and assessment to online mode. This led to heightened exclusion of students with disabilities as their examinations had to be postponed to second semester due to lack of preparations for special examinations. Students also reported experiencing extra pressure as they had to write double the examinations at the end of the year. Some students reported lack of access to assistive technologies which they normally borrow from the library, this was because the Post Office was not operating during the National Lockdown Level 5. The novel nature of Covid-19 is such that the real barriers it caused on people and students with disabilities in particular and it will keep revealing itself gradually. This paper ends by making recommendations on how an ODL institution could accommodate the needs of students with disabilities to enhance their learning experiences during pandemics or natural disasters.

Many secondary schools in deprived environments are characterized by teenage pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, high dropout rates, gangsterism and low pass rates. Teachers are confronted on a daily basis with learners who are exposed to barriers to learning. The purpose of this study is in line with the formulated problem, namely to: investigate the various dimensions of the relationship that exists between psychosocial barriers to learning and environmental deprivation; provide guidelines based on the findings of the research and present them as recommendations for teachers to support learners from a deprived environment who experience barriers to learning. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and interpretative research design was utilized to provide acceptable answers to the research problem. A literature study regarding psychosocial barriers to learning was done to explain the concept along with concepts related to environmental deprivation. This study was conducted in two phases: Phase 1 presented an exploration of the problem in the form of a single openended question: What hindrances to learning are you experiencing in your specific physical and social environment? Eight focus group interviews with learners were undertaken at a secondary school in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality. A purposive sampling method was used. Data collection took place through open-ended interviews and Tesch’s model was used to analyse the data. After the research investigation was completed the researcher and an independent coder analyzed iv the results from the transcriptions of a voice-recorder. Guba’s model of data verification was used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Ethical measures were adhered to during the study. The research findings were evaluated for educational purposes. Consensus was reached between the researcher and the independent coder with regard to the identification of themes, categories and sub-categories. Phase 2 generated recommendations from the findings of Phase 1 to assist the teachers in dealing competently with learners from deprived environments. The following four themes emerged from the results which led to various conclusions: 1. A deprived home situation (relationships, abuse, no privacy, and poverty) generates barriers to learning. Neglect: no interest and a don’t care attitude of parents, no parents at home, rejection and no communication have a negative effect on the learners. Physical, sexual, alcohol and drug abuse in the home situation influence the learners negatively. No privacy: sexual behaviour of parents and overcrowding have a decisive effect on the learners. Poverty: factors such as unemployment, cannot afford school fees, no electricity and no breadwinner make the learner feel desperate and despondent. 2. A deprived school situation (social relationships, physical factors, no resources, racism and distances to school) creates barriers to learning. The following features of social relationships were identified as contributing factors to poor social relationships at school, namely: peer pressure: drugs, dropping out of school, unsafe school environment; relationships with teachers: no respect for teachers and teachers who degrade learners. The following physical factors have a detrimental effect on a learner’s progress: broken windows and roofs, lack of water, electricity and lights, the state of the school grounds, ablutions and big classes. Schools with no resources such as libraries and counselling centres contribute to the poor performance of the learners. Racism, language issues and no mixing of races are contributing factors to barriers to learning. The long distances to school, the cost of transport and the fact that they do not have time for homework affect the learners as hindrances to learning. 3. A deprived environment (with factors such as HIV/AIDS and TB, a community not conducive to learning, unsafe communities and overpopulation) causes barriers to learning. HIV/AIDS and TB, taking care of parents, tiredness, illnesses and discrimination are seen as factors that hamper learning. A community that is not conducive to learning, with a don’t care attitude and that is not very helpful, causes barriers to learning. Unsafe communities, where crime is rampant, with ineffective police services and overpopulation, where noise and loud music are the order of the day, have a negative effect on learning. 4. Learner-related factors (early pregnancies and the susceptibility of youth) create barriers to learning. Teenage pregnancies are detrimental to education where the mother must baby-sit, and is not studying, as well as sexual abuse and rape, are factors that contribute to school dropouts. Cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, taverns, discos, taxis and gangs were identified as factors contributing to learner delinquency. The conclusion was reached that learners in deprived environments are exposed to psychosocial barriers to learning. Recommendations in this regard were proposed to assist the teacher in understanding these learners and the barriers that they are exposed to on a daily basis.

Educational underachievement is a big problem in all schools, but it is especially prevalent in poverty stricken areas. The main objective of this research was to investigate the possible reasons for, consequences of and strategies to address the problem of educational underachievement in poverty stricken areas. The research conducted was based on the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach was used to gather data. A case study approach was used as a research design. The data collection methods were questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study found that the home conditions, individual factors, family and psychological factors are the main reasons for academic underachievement. The main consequences of academic underachievement were found to be unemployment, behavioural problems, a negative self-perception, high failure rates, high drop-out rates and teenage pregnancies. The main strategies to address the problem which the study revealed are: teachers familiarising themselves with the home conditions of the child, addressing the problem of overcrowding, and poverty, involving the parents in the education of their children, enhancing the self-esteem of learners, improving teaching, implementing cooperative learning and providing study facilities for these learners at the school after hours.

This study investigates teachers‟ experiences in identifying learners with learning barriers in one primary school in the East London District. It focuses on diversity and inclusive education as well as practices and procedures within the school. This is a phenomenological study conceptualized in terms of social constructivism(Leatherman, 2007), Kurt Lewin‟s Field Theory(Neill, 2004) and ecological systems theory(Maddock, 2000).The literature review encompasses four focal points: conceptualisation of inclusive education, inclusive education in South Africa, policy implementation, and lessons learned from inclusive education implementation both internationally and in South Africa. A qualitative research method is employed in this study through the use of semistructured interviews and observations. The findings are analysed using content analysis. The key findings of this might help the teachers working in full service or mainstream schools to have a good understanding and a sense of what diversity and inclusive education entails. The findings might attempt to examine how educators manage inclusion in the classroom, their competencies and the strategies they need in order to be competent inclusive teachers. Recommendations are developed that point to how practices could be put in place to facilitate an effective implementation strategy for the development of an inclusive education system.

Much emphasis has been placed on democracy, equality and human rights since the dawn of the democratic South Africa in 1994. Efforts to align the South African education system with the democratic principles of the Constitution, not only in terms of eradicating past racial divides, but also in terms of accessibility to learners who experience barriers to learning are eminent. The South African Government issued various policies to ensure quality, equitable and accessible education for all, irrespective of ability. Theoretically, no learner should therefore being discriminated against on any basis. In practice, however, thousands of learners, especially those who experience barriers to learning are denied the opportunity to receive meaningful development opportunities in many mainstream primary schools, resulting in their early drop out from school without having acquired the basic skills and knowledge to become self sustainable members of their communities. With the adoption of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model as theoretical framework for this study, the primary aim of this qualitative investigation was to investigate and describe how effective learners who experience barriers to learning are managed in mainstream primary schools and to develop a framework for the creation of more sustainable management systems to ensure that the needs of all learners are met. The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that most learners who experience barriers to learning are currently not managed effectively in mainstream primary schools due to factors situated across the whole education system, to the detriment of learners who experience barriers to learning. Based on the findings of the empirical investigation, this study proposes a framework which will ensure the effective management of learners who experience barriers to learning in mainstream primary schools. The framework include recommendations to be implemented across all layers of the ecological system.

What initiated this research was the need for the assessment of the National Curriculum Statement policy implementation. This was brought about by the observation that there was a general complaint in the province that educators are struggling with the implementation processes. It would seem that at the formulation of this policy the schools for learners with disabilities were not considered. The main objective of this study, is therefore, to assess the implementation of the NCS policy in relation to the principle of inclusivity regarding learners with disabilities in schools. This has been achieved through finding out how educators are coping in a situation where they are expected to improvise learning and assessment methodologies to cater for a large variety of disabilities of which they are not trained to work with. This study used two techniques, face to face interviews with the subject advisors in the districts as well as with the educators at the schools. Questionnaires were used in the case of managers at school and district levels. Qualitative research was used to accumulate sufficient data to lead to the understanding of the problems that are encountered at different levels. In terms of the findings, most of the respondents pointed out that the policy does not adequately cater for the needs of both the learners and the educators of the special schools. They further mentioned that the outcomes according to the policy do not stipulate what is expected of the learners with barriers to learning due to their disability conditions. According to the responses of the different categories of participants, it became clear that the implementation of the NCS policy is not very successful due to a wide variety of problems that are encountered by the implementers. The main complained about problem is the need for the adaptation of the curriculum to accommodate the learners with disabilities. Furthermore, there is a dire need for the implementers to make reference to all the disabilities found at these schools so as to deal with their situation accordingly. The NCS policy promises change for the better, however the necessary ramifications related to its implementation need to be successfully managed and dealt with properly. This has implications on areas of concern, mainly the training of educators on mastering the implementation and assessment processes which are key to meaningful education. Considering that inclusivity is about change of attitude and behaviour as well as teaching and learning methodologies, it becomes difficult for these changes to materialise if and when inclusivity is not applied properly at the schools for learners with disabilities. The effectiveness of inclusivity depends on the consideration of all the factors that would lead to a healthy environment in the case of these schools. This would mean putting of all the relevant structures in place as well as encouraging team work at all levels, from the educators, management and the community. The district officials should always avail themselves for monitoring and supporting services at these schools. The findings of this study, may contribute to the asking of many questions. This may lead to further debates which may give rise to the need for further research on many aspects that have come up in this study.

Thesis (MEd)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.
Poverty and a lack of parental involvement have a dual negative effect on the academic performance of learners with learning disabilities, and are prevalent in rural areas. While parental involvement in schools in impoverished rural communities is very low, research also indicates parental involvement is key in addressing barriers to learning and associated learning disabilities. This study sought to explore the nature and extent of parental involvement of learners with learning disabilities at schools in impoverished rural communities. The study targeted a specific impoverished rural community in the Western Cape where the combination of learning disability and a lack of parental involvement negatively affects the literacy and numeracy skills, resulting in learning outputs that are below standard. The study drew on Epstein’s theory of parental involvement. Thematic data analysis was used in employing a constant comparative method. By applying Epstein’s model, this study not only contributes to understanding the nature and dynamics of parental involvement in impoverished rural schools as well as factors contributing towards the improvement of parental involvement; it also contributes towards an understanding of Epstein by applying her model to a rural setting.

Thesis (MPhil (Centre for Higher Education))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
Bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Learning in young adulthood, especially in communities where there may be substantial barriers to learning and exclusion from formal education, needs further investigation. This study provides an in-depth investigation of six youths’ predispositions to learning while awaiting trial in a place of safety. This study focused on an in-depth investigation of youths’ predispositions to learning in the particular context of the place of safety (Western Cape, South Africa). I have been working with awaiting trial male youths for over four years as principal at the place of safety. The place of safety is a residential facility for boys and youths between the ages of 10 and 16 years who broke the law and who were at risk. The court placed these youths at the place of safety for the duration of their pending court cases, which may take up to two years in extreme cases like rape and murder. They typically come from communities where they had been exposes to violence, substance abuse and crime, both at home and at school. All of the youths at the place of safety broke the law and were awaiting trial; and they had all dropped out of school or had never attended school. The six respondents used in my study either were abusing drugs themselves or witnessed drug abuse. During their stay al the place of safety, the learners undergo various therapeutic programmes. They also attend school, where the curriculum is adapted to the individual needs of the learners. While working with these youths at the school, I became deeply concerned about the limited prospects they seemed to have. I was curious why most of them demonstrated little or no ambition or eagerness to learn, given that they all had literacy levels below the average for their age group and that most of them had dropped out of school or had never attended school. Popular media reports as well as official documents indicate that youths in South Africa – and the Western Cape in particular – are exposed to drug abuse, violence and crime, which may influence the escalating number of school dropouts. An understanding of the predispositions to learning among awaiting trial youths may contribute to a better understanding of the sense of disempowerment within these communities. This research project focused on qualitative case studies where I tried to discover and understand youths’ predispositions to learning. I followed an interpretive approach to provide insights into the life stories of the six respondents between the ages of 14 and 16 years and how they interpret and make meaning of their personal realities. This marginalised group of people had the opportunity to narrate their individual life stories with relation to their experienced learning processes. I conducted this study, collected, and interpreted data over a period of approximately two-and-a-half v years. I collected data from their official files and by conducting in-depth individual interviews. I video-recorded the six personal interviews and used the footage to assist me in the process of data analysis. The thesis presents the life stories of the six respondents as a foundation for a discussion on how we as educators define and practice adult education in the context of marginalised youth.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die leerprosesse van jeugdiges in gemeenskappe waar akute leerstoornisse en gebreke ten opsigte van formele onderrig heers, behoort nagevors en ondersoek te word. Hierdie studie het gepoog om ondersoek in te stel na die ontvanklikheid of predisposisie van ses jeugdiges teenoor leer terwyl hulle verhoorafwagtend is en in plek van veiligheid aangehou word. Die studie het op grondige ondersoek na die ontvanklikheid of predisposisies vir leer by jeugdiges teen die agtergrond van die plek van veiligheid (Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika) gefokus. Ek werk reeds langer as vier jaar by die plek van veiligheid as skoolhoof. Seuns en jeugdiges van 10 tot 16 jaar oud wat die wet oortree het en sorg nodig het, gaan daar tuis nadat die hof hulle daar geplaas het vir die duur van hulle hofsake. In sommige ernstige sake, soos moord en verkragting, kan dit selfs twee jaar neem vir die sake om afgehandel te word. Hulle kom gewoonlik van gemeenskappe waar hulle tuis en by die skool blootgestel was aan geweld, dwelmmisbruik en misdaad. Die ses respondente in my studie het self dwelms misbruik of was blootgestel aan dwelmmisbruik. Alle leerders by die plek van veiligheid het die wet oortree en is verhoorafwagtend. Hulle het die skool op voortydige ouderdom verlaat of het nooit voorheen skoolgegaan nie. Terwyl hulle by die plek van veiligheid bly, ondergaan hulle verskillende terapeutiese programme. Hulle woon ook skool by. Die leerplan is aangepas na aanleiding van die individuele behoeftes van die leerders. Terwyl ek met hierdie seuns en jeugdiges by die skool gewerk het, het ek besorg geraak oor die beperkte verwagtinge wat hulle klaarblyklik gehad het. Ek het gewonder waarom die meeste van hulle min of geen ambisie toon en klaarblyklik min of geen gretigheid het om te leer nie, veral as in ag geneem word dat hulle vlakke van geletterdheid benede die gemiddelde vlakke van hul ouderdomgroepe is en dat die meeste van hulle die skool voortydig verlaat het of selfs nooit skool bygewoon het nie. Algemene beriggewing en amptelike dokumente dui aan dat jeugdiges in Suid- Afrika – en veral in die Wes-Kaap – toenemend aan dwelmmisbruik, geweld en misdaad blootgestel word. Dit kan invloed hê op die groeiende aantal skoolverlaters. Beter begrip van verhoorafwagtende jeugdiges se ontvanklikheid of predisposisies vir leer kan lei tot beter begrip van die graad van ontmagtiging wat in hierdie gemeenskappe ervaar word. Hierdie navorsingstudie het op kwalitatiewe gevallestudies gefokus waartydens ek gepoog het om jeugdiges se ontvanklikheid of predisposisies vir leer te ondersoek en te verstaan. Vertolkende of interpretatiewe benadering is gevolg om insigte te bekom ten opsigte van die lewensverhale van vii die ses respondente en die wyse waarop hulle hul persoonlike werklikhede interpreteer en verstaan. Hierdie gemarginaliseerde groep mense het die geleentheid gekry om hul persoonlike lewensverhale met betrekking tot hul beleefde leerervaringe te verbaliseer. Ek het hierdie studie oor tydperk van ongeveer twee-en-‘n-halwe jaar uitgevoer, met in agneming van dataversameling en –verwerking. Ek het data versamel deur middel van inligting in amptelike dokumente, asook deur die voer van persoonlike onderhoude. Die indringende onderhoude wat ek met ses respondente gevoer het, is op video vasgelê. Ek het hierdie data gebruik in die proses van dataverwerking. Die tesis bied blik op die lewensverhale van die ses respondente. Dit kan dien as grondslag vir diskoers oor hoe die beoefening van volwasse onderrig en leer teen die agtergrond van gemarginaliseerde jeugdiges gedefinieer en toegepas word.

The education of intellectually disabled (ID) people is constructed within mass education systems as a problem requiring specialised intervention, separation from “normal” school contexts and the application of professional expertise. A social model of disability resists these practices from a human rights perspective and underpins an inclusive education approach. In this study, a post-structuralist disability studies theoretical framework, drawing particularly on the work of Foucault, was used to examine discourses that construct the intellectually disabled person as a subject of education. The study was conducted in Buffalo City, South Africa at a time when an inclusive education policy is being implemented in the country. The research questions were: What discourses are deployed in the representation and educational practices of those identified as ID? What are the effects of these discourses in constructing the ID subject and associated educational practice? The study utilises Q-methodology, a factor analytic method that yields whole patterns of responses for analysis. A process of sorting selected statements along the dimension of agree to disagree was completed by three groups of participants, namely adults with ID, parents of people with ID and professionals working with ID. Discourses of representation and of educational practice were identified through statistical and interpretive analysis, following the discourse analysis school of Q-methodology. The findings of this study reveal the operation of power in a medico-psychological gaze that makes ID visible and supervises disability expertise within education. Representations of ID suffused with religious notions support the exercise of pastoral power by disability experts. Human rights discourses in education can marginalise ID people if applied uncritically. Fixed notions of impairment constrain an intellectually disabled subject who is vulnerable and incompetent. This study argues instead for a theory of (poss)ability, underpinned by an understanding of the situational and shared nature of competence and a fluid conception of impairment. Human rights should be supplemented by an ethics of care and belonging in the community (ubuntu). A research agenda supporting this effort would examine the ways in which ID people work on themselves as subjects (subjectivisation) and explore the potential for resistance in this process.

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2009
Children with Learning Problems (LP) are mostly identified in the primary grades. Early intervention is desirable to remediate LP. One strategy is to use visual aids as a cue during an intervention strategy. A visual aid can be tactile and can appeal to the child’s senses, such as hearing and touch. Three main cornerstones which influence Sensory Product Development (SPD) were identified. These are design factors such as illustrations, colour, and book themes, the senses of the children and supporting factors which include therapeutic practices and cultural sensitivity. It is envisaged that if these three cornerstones are integrated into a sensory product such as a book, that it will be able to stimulate a child with LP through play, touch and sound. The aim of the study is the development of a qualitative tool that can be used to asses sensory products and the development of a sensory product that are tested for the specific target group. The sensory product was designed according to the guidelines that were identified in a literature review. This qualitative tool includes the various cornerstones and serves as a checklist that teachers and therapists can use to evaluate a sensory product to establish its suitability for a child with LP. The second article in this study recorded the responses from children with LP towards the sensory product and recommendations for the improvement of the sensory product.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Bibliography
Includes Guidelines for teaching hearing impaired students (35 p.)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globally, hearing impairment remains the most common congenital anomaly diagnosed in infants, and hearing impairment is the single largest disability grouping in South Africa. Growing numbers of students with hearing impairment are being granted access into higher education in South Africa. However, they still remain under-represented in comparison to students with other impairments, and their needs in the teaching and learning environment in terms of human and technical support as well as communication and access to information remain under-supported. This study came into being because of the absence of research on the academic experiences of students with hearing impairment in higher education in South Africa. The intention of the study was to analyse and describe the teaching and learning (academic) experiences of students with hearing impairment at the case study university. This inquiry focused specifically on educational barriers, coping strategies, assistive technologies, curriculum accessibility as well as support services. Using a qualitative case study design, informed by an interpretive (constructivist) paradigm, purposeful sampling led to the selection of information-rich cases in order to gain insight from the authentic experiences of the students. The context of the case study was a South African university with a relatively large number of registered students with hearing impairment who use the oral method of communication. Data were generated by means of semi-structured interviews with participating students, university lecturers and a staff member from the disability unit. ATLAS.ti was used to code and analyse the data using grounded theory methods, allowing for the discovery of recurring themes. Six major findings emerged from this study, namely that all of the participants identified as belonging to the hearing rather than Deaf identity cultural paradigm, that limited curriculum transformation had taken place, existing support services were largely inadequate, a large number of barriers related to teaching and assessment were experienced, a variety of academic and personal coping strategies were used by the students to support their needs, and some critical factors for success were advocated for by the participants. From the findings and data interpretation and by making use of Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model of human development as a tool, I constructed both an academic learning support framework as well as a set of practical guidelines for teaching students with hearing impairment. Thereafter conclusions were drawn and practical recommendations were made to various stakeholders in the education of students with hearing impairment. Further areas for research are also suggested. The academic learning support framework (as a model of best practice) forms part of my personal contribution to the field of research.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gehoorgestremdheid is wêreldwyd steeds die algemeenste kongenitale afwyking wat by babas gediagnoseer word, en in Suid-Afrika is die meeste mense met gestremdhede dié met gehoorgestremdhede. Alhoewel ’n toenemende aantal studente met gehoorverlies toegang tot hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika verkry, is hulle steeds onderverteenwoordig in vergelyking met studente met ander gestremdhede en ontvang hulle steeds min ondersteuning, hetsy menslik of tegnies. Hierdie studie het ontstaan as gevolg van die afwesigheid van navorsing oor die persoonlike ervarings van studente met gehoorgestremdheid in hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika. Die hoofdoel van hierdie gevallestudie was om vas te stel hoe om hierdie studente akademies te ondersteun ten einde hul tersiêre opvoeding en hul kanse om sukses te behaal en grade te verwerf, te verbeter. Die studie het veral gekyk na die opvoedkundige struikelblokke, hanteringstrategieë, ondersteunende tegnologieë, leerplantoeganklikheid, sowel as onder-steuningsdienste. Die metodologie wat vir hierdie studie gebruik is, was kwalitatief van aard. Die gebruik van doelgerigte steekproefneming het gelei tot die keuse van inligtingryke gevalle ten einde insig in die alledaagse ervarings van die studente te verkry. Die agtergrond van die studie was ʼn universiteit met 'n groot aantal geregistreerde gehoorgestremde studente wat van mondelinge/ouditiewe kommunikasiemetodes gebruik maak. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met hierdie studente, dosente en 'n personeellid van die eenheid vir gestremdhede gegenereer. Die data is met behulp van ATLAS.ti gekodeer en geanaliseer om die herhalendende temas te bepaal. Die ses belangrikste bevindings uit hierdie studie was dat al die deelnemers hulself met horende studente eerder as met gehoorgestremdes in die samelewing geïdentifiseer het, dat beperkte kurrikulum-transformasie plaasgevind het, dat bestaande ondersteuningsdienste grootliks onvoldoende was, dat die deelnemers ʼn groot aantal struikelblokke met betrekking tot onderrig en assessering ervaar het, dat hulle ʼn verskeidenheid akademiese en persoonlike hanteringstrategieë gebruik het om aan hulle behoeftes te voldoen en dat die kritiese faktore vir sukses deur die deelnemers self bepleit moes word. Uit die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing het die navorser 'n holistiese raamwerk, geïnspireer deur Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese model vir menslike ontwikkeling, vir studente met gehoorgestremdheid in hoër onderwys ontwerp. Gevolgtrekkings is gemaak en praktiese aanbevelings is aan verskeie belanghebbendes wat by die onderrig van studente met gehoorgestremdheid betrokke is, voorgelê. Verdere terreine vir navorsing word ook voorgestel. Die akademiese leerondersteuningsraamwerk (as ’n model van beste praktyk) maak deel uit van my persoonlike bydrae tot die navorsingsveld.

The purpose of this chapter was to investigate how effectively information and communication technologies (ICTs) were used at primary schools in the Ekurhuleni South district of Gauteng Province, South Africa for re-envisioning and restructuring e-schooling in underprivileged communities. Governments and schools made huge investments, integrating ICTs and providing computer-based education, to support teaching and learning. There have been numerous initiatives, which have been endorsed by national and international bodies worldwide. The main aim of all ICT-based initiatives was to enhance the quality of education and prepare learners for the emerging digital world. Numerous studies across the world have provided impressive outcomes for the use of ICTs in schools, and more evidence is also emerging regarding the sustainability of ICT transformation in schools. There has also been abundant literature, which emphasized the need for teachers to change their beliefs about and perceptions of ICTs in order to realize the full potential.

The provision for learners with disabilities has been part of a process and the development of an inclusive education system can be traced back to the nation’s founding document, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 108 of 1996. Creating an inclusive education environment is about celebrating diversity among learners and creating a welcoming culture where all learners are valued and made to feel that they belong. Inclusivity is about recognising that no two children are alike, and all children can learn. Most children with barriers to learning are accommodated in ordinary schools. Frequent causes of barriers to learning include discriminatory attitudes, labelling and discouragement. The study investigated Grade one educators’ attitude towards the implementation of inclusive education at selected Botshabelo Primary Schools in the Free State Province. The study adopted an interactive qualitative approach. The population comprised educators and principals from selected primary schools in Botshabelo. A non-probability selection of participants was used to randomly select educators and principals from five schools. Data were analyzed by means of thematic analysis. The results of the study revealed that there are different factors contributing to the attitudes of Grade one educators towards the implementation of inclusive education in classrooms, amongst others, untrained educators for inclusive education; unsuitable environment for the disabled learners with learning barriers; lack of resources for inclusive education and curriculum at the level of learners with learning barriers; lack of parental involvement; and classroom overcrowding. The results revealed solutions to the negative attitudes of Grade one educators towards the implementation of inclusive education in classrooms which include training educators for inclusive education; parental involvement in learner’s education; a suitable environment for disabled learners and those with learning barriers, consideration of learner-teacher ratio; availability of suitable resources for inclusive education; and availability of inclusive curriculum. The study recommends that educators should be developed professionally by being trained about inclusive education; parents should be involved to support educators and their children; the school environment and buildings should be free from hazards; and overcrowding in classrooms should be avoided.