This article focuses on a phenomenological study of trainee/ educational psychologists' lived experiences regarding the support roles in the implementation of inclusive education practices in Zimbabwe. In-depth phenomenological interviews were done with 16 purposely selected participants (13 trainee/educational psychologists located at three administrative offices and three experts on inclusion from three universities) and data was transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Monthly/annual reports from trainee/educational psychologists were used as reference material.Three major themes emerged from the support roles: (1) diverse views on inclusion; (2) critical roles, successful and unsuccessful experiences in implementing inclusive education; and (3) impact of experiences on rendering support services. Key findings indicate that advocacy and consultation, assessment and placement, and inservice training were viewed as critical and successful experiences, whereas negative teacher attitudes and limited resources were viewed as barriers toward the implementation of inclusive education practices. The impact of experiences indicates inadequacy in the provision of support services. Annual reports of trainee/educational psychologists indicated inadequate ongoing training on inclusive education practices. These findings are discussed in relation to the inclusive education literature.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE [formerly DOE]) states that its goal is to minimise, remove and prevent barriers to learning and development in the educational settings by attending to the unique needs of the individual learner (DOE 2001). This can be achieved by early identification and addressing the diverse needs of learners. However, the gap between reality and this ideal of IE cannot be bridged (Engelbrecht et al. 2016). Despite the commitment of the department to take responsibility to create equal opportunities for all learners (DOE 2001) and sustain effective learning in schools, general education remains poor (Donohue & Bornman 2014), with the process of change being slow (Reddy, Juan & Meyiwa 2013). In SA, as the world over, attempts to minimise exclusion are ineffective, resulting in exclusion being more evident than ever (Kaur & Arora 2014).Twenty-four years into democracy, SA still cannot claim that all learners profit from quality education and service provision contrary to the vision of the government to correct inequalities Background: Prior to 1994, special education in South Africa was marginalised and fragmented; therefore, the new democratic government promoted inclusive education as a means to transform education in general and diverse education in particular. However, transformation in diverse education is seemingly moving forward at a snail's pace -too slow to benefit all learners experiencing barriers to learning and development.Objectives: This article serves a dual purpose: firstly, to apply a bio-ecological approach to highlight the historic development of diverse education and, secondly, to explore the interactive processes within the systemic levels in the South African education system, which affects the learner on the person dimension of the bio-ecological approach.Method: A document analysis approach was utilised to collect information by exploring a large body of research literature, which included academic articles, reports, policies and policy reviews. Data were categorised within the systems of the bio-ecological model to determine successes and challenges at each level.Results: Results from the bio-ecological systems analysis of related literature revealed not only many successes but also many challenges that inhibit change, growth and development in the South African education system, even more so for children experiencing barriers to learning.
Conclusion:The transformation process of change from what was to what should be, regarding diverse education, seems to be stuck at what is and not moving forward to what could be. It has not transformed significantly enough to fill the gap between reality and the envisaged aim or dream of quality education for all.
Inclusive education was formally established in South Africa through White Paper 6 of 2001 with the pertinent aim of including learners who experience barriers to learning into a single and undivided education system. This thrust was accepted by most stakeholders as a means of removing injustices from the past (DoE, 2001). Through the dialogue and document analysis of this article we have attempted not only to introduce the principles of social justice, but also to demonstrate the characteristics of the specific South African model on inclusive education and how this model has developed. We will provide a critical examination of how the meaning of social justice can be viewed with regard to distributive, retributive and recognitive justice and, finally, how the South African model of nuanced inclusive education weighs up against these forms of social justice.
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