Developing a framework for inclusion: a case of a full-service school in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa has adopted a policy on inclusive education through which White Paper 6 (2001) became the roadmap for implementation. One hundred and sixty-four (164) full-service schools were established to provide education to diverse learners. The extent to which these schools practise inclusion has not been well documented. This critical participatory action research (PAR) study was therefore aimed at exploring the development (if necessary) of an inclusion framework for full-service schools. PAR was adopted as a design through which 12 teachers and 15 learners at a full-service school in Johannesburg East District were engaged in action research over a 6-month period, entailing observations, interviewing and focus group meetings. The inductive content analysis of data has resulted in an inclusive teaching framework modelled on Booth and Ainscow’s Inclusive Education Index (2002), to address the identified key pillars of inclusive teaching for diverse classes in a full-service school context.

Keywords:

• Barriers to learning
• teaching framework
• full-service school
• inclusive teaching
• inclusive schooling
• diverse learner needs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gladys Ayaya

Gladys Ayaya (PhD) is currently the Director of Community Engagement at St Stithians Boys' College in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Tsediso Michael Makoelle

Tsediso Michael Makoelle (D Ed, PhD) is the Vice Dean for Research at Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education in Nursultan, Kazakhstan.

Martyn Van Der Merwe

Martyn van der Merwe is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology at University of Johannesburg Faculty of Education, Johannesburg, South Africa