Perspektiewe van leerders met inperkings rakende ondersteunende onderwyspraktyke en die ooreenstemming daarvan met die universele ontwerp vir leer-raamwerk

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : South African legislation and policy make it clear that all learners, including learners with impairments, are entitled to reasonable support in the ordinary South African classroom (Department of Basic Education, 2014; Department of Education, 2001; Department of Social Development, 2016). Despite these progressive ideals, the reality in South Africa presents certain challenges. One such challenge is that broad policy goals lack practice-oriented clarity on how reasonable support can be provided in the classroom (Engelbrecht, 2019; Engelbrecht et al., 2016). An international practice framework, called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), may be of value in the South African context because it proposes clear guidelines to provide reasonable support to learners. It also adheres to the philosophy of inclusive education. Because UDL in South Africa currently is relatively unknown, the execution of this study was approached in two phases. In the first phase, the focus was on educational practices that support the academic progress of learners with impairments. The alignment of these practices with UDL was then explored in a follow-up phase. The first phase of the study was guided by the bio-ecological model, which provided a convenient platform to contextualise the teaching practices offered to learners, and the asset-based approach which narrowed the study to focus only on positive supportive teaching practices. UDL served as the theoretical framework for the second phase of the study. A qualitatively embedded single-case study research design was used, because the perspectives of two learner groups were considered within one research setting: four learners with physical impairments, and five learners with specific learning impairments. The learners, who were selected by means of purposive and convenient sampling, were all in the Further Education and Training phase of a special school. In the school concerned, learners are exposed to a wide range of specialised teaching practices that enable them to reflect on the support these practices offer. Relevant information was obtained from the learners by means of semi-structured individual and focus group interviews, as well as from journal entries that were analysed and organised into seven themes. The alignment of these themes with UDL was explored using deductive analysis and aspects of directed content analysis. Despite differences in emphasis between the various learner groups, the research findings collectively indicate that learners with impairments experience the following teaching practices as supportive: (a) creating learning-promoting spaces, (b) facilitating the learning process, (c) provide perceptual support, (d) encourage engagement, (e) support their actions and language production, (f) provide pastoral and expert support, and (g) guide them in future learning processes. Although these practices align with UDL in most respects, some subthemes do not align with the framework. However, there Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za vi is no UDL framework guideline that is not represented in the seven themes. The findings indicate that teaching practices that relate to UDL offer reasonable support to learners with impairments in a South African classroom context. Based on the findings, I recommend that UDL be implemented increasingly as a pedagogical framework in South African classrooms to support learners with disabilities and learners in general. Further studies that explore the potential value of the framework in South Africa are recommended.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing en beleid stel dit duidelik dat alle leerders, insluitend leerders met inperkings, op redelike ondersteuning in die gewone Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamer geregtig is (Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling, 2016; Departement van Basiese Onderwys, 2014a; Departement van Onderwys, 2001). Ten spyte van die progressiewe ideale, bied die werklikheid in Suid-Afrika bepaalde uitdagings. Een so ʼn uitdaging is dat breë doelwitte wat op beleidsvlak gestel is, min praktykgerigte duidelikheid gee oor hoe redelike ondersteuning in die klaskamer toegepas kan word (Engelbrecht, 2019; Engelbrecht et al., 2016). ʼn Internasionale strategie vir praktyk, genaamd die Universele Ontwerp vir Leer (UOL)-raamwerk, mag waarde vir die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks inhou, omrede dit duidelike riglyne voorstel om redelike ondersteuning aan leerders te bied en ook die filosofie van insluitende onderwys onderskryf. Aangesien hierdie raamwerk tans relatief minder bekend in Suid-Afrika is, is die uitvoer van hierdie studie tweeledig benader. In ʼn eerste fase is onderwyspraktyke verken wat volgens leerders met inperkings hulle akademiese vordering ondersteun. Die ooreenstemming van hierdie praktyke met die UOL-raamwerk is in ʼn opvolgende fase ondersoek. Die eerste fase van die studie is begelei deur die bio-ekologiese model, wat ʼn gerieflike platform voorsien het om die onderwyspraktyke wat aan leerders gebied word, te kontekstualiseer. Die bategebaseerde benadering het die studie verder vernou deur alleenlik op positiewe, ondersteunende onderwyspraktyke te fokus. Die UOL-raamwerk het in die tweede fase van die studie as ʼn teoretiese raamwerk gedien. ʼn Kwalitatiewe, ingeslote enkelgevalstudie-ontwerp is vir die navorsing gebruik omrede die perspektiewe van twee leerdergroepe binne een navorsingsverband betrek is: vier leerders met fisieke inperkings, en vyf leerders met spesifieke leerinperkings. Die leerders, wat deur doelgerigte en gerieflikheidsteekproefneming geïdentifiseer is, was almal in die Verdere Onderwys- en Opleidingsfase van ʼn spesiale skool. In dié skool word leerders aan ʼn wye reeks gespesialiseerde onderwyspraktyke blootgestel, wat hulle in staat stel om oor die ondersteuningswaarde daarvan te reflekteer. Tersaaklike inligting is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde individuele en fokusgroeponderhoude van die leerders bekom, asook deur joernaalinskrywings wat ontleed en in sewe temas georganiseer is. Die ooreenstemming van hierdie temas en die UOL-raamwerk is voorts deur middel van deduktiewe ontleding en aspekte van gerigte inhoudsontleding ondersoek. Ondanks klemverskille tussen die onderskeie leerdergroepe, wys die navorsingsbevindinge gesamentlik daarop dat leerders met inperkings onderwyspraktyke ondersteunend ervaar wat (a) leerbevorderende ruimtes skep, (b) die leerproses fasiliteer, (c) perseptuele ondersteuning bied, (d) betrokkenheid aanmoedig, (e) hulle taakverrigting en kommunikasie ondersteun, (f) pastorale en kundige ondersteuning bied, en (g) hulle in toekomstige leerprosesse begelei. Hoewel die praktyke met die UOL-raamwerk ooreenstem, is daar enkele subtemas waar dit nie gebeur nie. Daar is egter geen raamwerkriglyn wat nie in die sewe temas verteenwoordig word nie. Die bevindinge wys daarop dat onderwyspraktyke wat met UOL-raamwerk verband hou, leerders met inperkings in ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamerkonteks van redelike ondersteuning voorsien. Na aanleiding van die navorsingsbevindinge beveel ek aan dat die UOL-raamwerk toenemend as pedagogiese raamwerk in die Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers geïmplementeer word om leerders met inperkings en leerders in die algemeen te ondersteun. Toekomstige studies wat die potensiële waarde van die raamwerk in Suid-Afrika verder ondersoek, word ook aanbeveel.Master