Teachers as change agents in making teaching inclusive in some selected rural schools of Limpopo Province, South Africa: implications for teacher education

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on teachers as change agents to implement inclusive education in some rural secondary schools in South Africa. The study followed a qualitative case study research methodology. Eight teachers were recruited to form part of the study through a purposive sampling strategy. Data were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. The study found that: (a) teachers were resilient in the face of lack of resources to implement inclusive education, (b) teachers did their best despite lack of capacity to implement inclusive education, (c) teachers showed the willingness to effect change, and (d) when they collaborated with others, they achieved more. These findings have at least four implications for teacher education: One that institutions should train teachers to survive with meagre resources. Two, professional development initiatives should be planned to capacitate teachers on inclusive education. Three, teacher education institutions should develop programmes that include models of teacher agency such as the one displayed by these teachers. Four, teacher education should develop programmes that teach teachers how to collaborate with parents and other stakeholders to make inclusive education possible.

KEYWORDS:

• Inclusive education
• teacher agency
• collaboration
• professional development
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Prof Mahlapahlapana Themane is a professor of curriculum studies at the University of Limpopo. His research interests include: schools as enabling environments, rights and gender based schools, full service schools and curriculum theory. He is involved in a number of international and national research activities such as multiple literacies with Ghent University (Belgium), inclusive education for teacher education with University of Western Kentucky. Nationally, Prof Themane runs a Short Learning Programme on inclusive education for in-service teachers for the Limpopo Provincial Department of Education to train teachers for inclusive education. He also serves as member of Standards Generation Body for inclusive education for the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa.

Hlabathi Rebecca Thobejane started teaching in 1993 when she was 20 years old and she has been a teacher, an acting Head of Department, a Deputy Principal and a Principal of a Secondary school. She taught at primary schools, secondary schools, at a Special school and at a Full-service school. She also taught Inclusive Education, Life Orientation and Research as a University lecturer at the University of Limpopo. She trained in-service teachers on Inclusive Education and Curriculum Differentiation in all nine Provinces of South Africa. Currently, she supervises teaching practice for both pre-service and in-service student teachers of UNISA. She hold a PhD on inclusive education.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to express their sincere thanks to the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the South African Humanities Deans’ Association (SAHUDA) for their financial assistance.