An investigation of teachers’ experiences of teaching learners with learning disabilities in a rural primary mainstream school in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

The importance of education as a fundamental human right was first declared by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 (United Nations, 1948). To this end, this study sought to explore the experiences of teachers teaching learners with learning disabilities in a rural primary school. Essentially, the intention was to explore the inclusionary and exclusionary factors that influenced whether teachers could meet the educational needs of these learners, and how the teachers negotiated exclusionary factors to ensure that their learners’ learned and succeeded. The study adopted the qualitative approach and was located within the critical paradigm. The study generated the data to respond to the key research questions using telephonic semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The findings of the study revealed that teachers had different understandings of inclusive education. However, what was common was that inclusive education was understood as an aspect of accommodating all learners and ensuring that they can learn and succeed. Teachers reported a range of factors which made it difficult for them to effectively implement inclusive education for learners with learning disabilities, including inadequate skills arising from the lack of training; overcrowding in their classes; tensions between curriculum coverage and teaching at the pace of learners; effects of the outbreak of COVID-19; discrepancies in parents’ understandings of inclusive education; and inadequate parental involvement. Although the teachers reported experiencing a range of challenges and frustrations in ensuring that learners with learning disabilities had access to education, they did not give up on their learners. The findings point to the opportunity provided by the agency and the willingness of the teachers to ensure that learners with learning disabilities learned and succeeded. However, it also points to challenges and tensions that must be addressed to ensure the effective implementation of inclusive education. This suggests the interactional dynamics between inclusion and exclusion as two sides of the same coin, which must always be kept in mind if the implementation of inclusive education is to be effective.