What challenges will the learning support teacher encounter in

Inclusion is a relatively new concept in South Africa and the notion of providing support as an ongoing, integral feature of education may not yet have been fully accepted or internalised by all parties involved in independent education. One of the initial difficulties that a learning support teacher may experience in promoting an inclusive model of education is convincing management of the positive potential of the social systems model of support. Support of this nature differs from medical deficit support whereby remediation occurs out of the classroom at the financial expensive of the relevant parents. In respect of this study it took six months of negotiations with management to procure permission to offer in class support. The learning support position is temporary and comes under review on a yearly basis. In this study the Head of Department plays an active role in liaising with management to give feedback on the success of the inclusive model and to motivate for sustained and additional budget allocation. The Head of Department is of the opinion that communication in the form of feedback from general education teachers and modeling by the learning support teacher have been effect means of keeping management informed of the worth of this inclusive model of education.

The challenge of staffing was raised by a learning support teacher. She was concerned that “there aren’t enough qualified staff to provide the support needed within our school.” In an attempt to approach this proactively it was discovered that there are four employees in the school who are qualified learning support teachers, but do not make specific use of this qualification. It is possible that their expertise may be harnessed with negotiations and creative timetabling. A more urgent challenge would appear to be the need to find appropriate partners as learning to value and respect a partner’s professional viewpoint is essential to successful co-teaching (Walther-Thomas et al. 2000:198).

Structuring a timetable to incorporate learning support lesson is a very real challenge that confronts the learning support teacher in her efforts to promote an inclusive model of education. The general education teachers expressed their desire for support lessons to occur early in the morning in order to fit in with their routine and to be at a time when the learners are “fresh and available to learn.” It is important that channels of communication are kept open regarding timetabling and that the learning support teacher is realistic and flexible in meeting the requirements. The Head of Department suggested the possibility of employing an additional learning support teacher in a bid to alleviate the constraints of the timetable.

A challenge that is pivotal to the success of this model of inclusion is the development of sound, collaborative working relationships between the learning support teacher and the general education teachers. According to Sands et al. (2000:122), collaborative relationships are based on direct interaction among co-equal parties, who voluntarily participate, share responsibility and accountability, make decisions together, grow to trust and respect one another and begin to move towards similar value positions. A healthy relationship needs to be consciously nurtured and developed through the process of communication and co-planning. This is a time consuming process and definite periods should to be routinely allocated for this purpose. The Head of Department considers it important to “set ground rules” at the outset of the relationship to ensure that there is a full awareness that the partnership is being entered as co-equals and that the learning support teacher is not there to usurp, criticize or judge the general education teacher. A general education teacher raised the point that the learning support teacher must not become “fixated on her own ideas” and this reiterates the importance of mutual professional respect.

In collaborative co-teaching the content expertise of the general education teacher is combined with the pedagogical skills of the learning support teacher. Typically the general education teacher turns to the learning support teacher for information about unique learning characteristics, classroom accommodations and modifications and other strategies for individualising instruction whilst the learning support teacher needs the support of the general education partner as she learns about general education classrooms (Walther-Thomas et al. 2000:203). The learning support teacher may experience challenges in formulating supportive activities that accommodate diverse

learning needs. The data collected in this study suggest that support that is interactive, activity based and contains an element of fun such as games and puzzles are the most successful means of accommodating barriers to learning within the general classroom. Taking cognisance of learners’ input and aligning activities to the interests and cognitive developmental levels of the learners are ongoing challenges for a learning support teacher.

A further challenge that the learning support teacher faces is to be ethical and honest in evaluating the success of the learning support programme. A concern was raised by a learning support teacher that “Individual therapy may be more effective for some children.” It is incumbent of the learning support teacher to be professional and objective in her assessments of individuals. In this study the learning support progamme is still in its infancy and if this form of support is unable to sustain the necessary progress for a specific learner then other support options should be explored and appropriate referrals made.

4.8 CONCLUSION

Data were collected by means of interviews, observations and documents. This information was read several time to gain a sense of the whole and from this certain categories emerged which were subsequently analysed. According to Tesch (1990) in Creswell (1994:154) while much of the work in the analysis process consists of “taking apart” (for instance, into smaller pieces), the final goal is the emergence of larger, consolidated picture. Internal validity of the information has been taken into consideration by: mechanically recording data, verbatim transcription of the participant’s responses and performing “member checks” whereby the identified categories and resultant interpretations of the data have been taken back to the adult informants for verification of its authenticity. The data were interpreted in the light of a relevant literature review.

The purpose of this study, to explore and describe ways in which a learning support teacher can promote the development of an inclusive model of education regarding Numeracy and Literacy in the foundation phase at an independent school has thus been achieved and the research question answered. In Chapter 5 findings are made, recommendations are offered and conclusions are drawn.