Purely policy? Educators’ experiences and observations of inclusive education in Pietermaritzburg schools.

Abstract

The present study seeks to understand how policy development and implementation takes place in South Africa, the evolution of education policy internationally and how this sets the benchmark for national policy formulation. It looks at the direct role all stakeholders play in the education system and most critically to explore educators’ experiences and observations in implementing the inclusive education policy in the past five years by ascertaining what inclusive teaching means to them within their vocational context. The study follows an interpretivist paradigm to explore and understand inclusive education as educators experience it. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with educators in all phases of teaching from three different school contexts. Two theoretical approaches are used in the present study. The first is adapted from Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model in order to contextualise the multiple environments of learners, educators and the education system. The second is Lev Vygotsky’s perspective known as sociocultural theory which offers new perspectives on teaching and learning – one that emphasises the importance of social context and collaboration. The main findings indicate that there are various challenges when inclusive education policy is implemented. These stem from the labour intensive process working with inclusive education, the lack of adequate training, and support for educators, parents’ lack of interest and commitment to child’s learning process and barriers to inclusive education in South African schools. The study recommends a review of inclusive education policy in South Africa be undertaken that includes collaboration at all levels of the system: the Department of Education, district and school is needed, as sharing expertise and resources is one of the ways to sustain a transition to inclusion.