ECOLOGICAL MODEL USED IN THE STUDY

The data corpus which is the entire data set used including the secondary data (Braun & Clarke, 2006), was coded and used in conjunction with the review of literature in Chapter 2 to develop themes. Table 3.1 as seen in Chapter 3 includes the themes and sub-themes used to analyse the data corpus. Each theme is discussed below with reference to the data corpus conducted at a school in the south of Johannesburg. This was done to answer the questions and sub-questions of this research. Because of the limited scope of this research, the microsystem and mesosystem of the ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) was used to analyse this data, as this research is concerned with the exploration of social construction, with regards to the screening, identifying, assessing and supporting learners with ADHD. Social construction is the building of knowledge beliefs, ideas and values in a social context (Denis, 2012). Using this framework allowed for the gaining of an understanding of how teachers develop and construct beliefs

around ADHD. Due to the explorative nature of this research that was concerned with teachers and their immediate context, broader aspects of the model related to the exosystem and macrosystem were not explored. The aspect of time, otherwise known as the chronosystem in Bronfenbrenner’s (1993-2006) (as cited in Rosa & Tudge, 2013), Process-Person-Context- Time model in his bioecological systems theory relating to his later work (Rosa & Tudge, 2013) was not used in this analysis as the researcher did not take into account changes that have occurred over the participants’ lifetime. Instead the researcher focused on the microsystem and mesosystem of Bronfenbrenner’s earlier work of the ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), as this model was deemed relevant to this discussion and analysis in which the research question was concerned with teachers’ experiences. Experiences are built through interactions with different systems individuals are exposed to and are influenced by. This framework was most appropriate when analysing and discussing teachers’ experiences in their contexts in relation to the research question which is:

1. What are teachers’ experiences in implementing the Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support policy for learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

And the sub-questions were:

1.1 What do teachers understand about ADHD?

1.2 What are teachers’ experiences of learners with ADHD, in the classroom?

1.3 How does the SIAS tool assist teachers with screening, identifying, assessing and supporting learners with ADHD?

1.4 How does the SIAS tool inform or assist teachers in implementing strategies for learners with ADHD?

1.5 What strategies do teachers use to support learners with ADHD in the classroom?

Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model (1979), a diagram (Figure .2) was developed to place the sub-themes identified in Table 3.2 in relation to this theory. According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), development occurs due to influences from all of the different systems and their relationships. The diagram below describes each sub-theme and its placement within the ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). It looks specifically at the microsystem and mesosystem and how those interactions influence teachers’ development of understanding and support of learners with ADHD. Because of the limited scope of the research, the exosystem,

macrosystem and chronosystem were not represented. Instead, the detail focused on the influence of the micro- and mesosystems on teachers’ understanding and experience of ADHD and how this informs their support processes for learners with ADHD.

Figure 2: Ecological model of micro- and mesosystem

The centre circles depict the microsystem. “A microsystem is a pattern of activities, roles, and interpersonal relations experienced by the developing person” (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, p. 22). For the purpose of this research the teacher has been placed as the central focus as the research looks at teachers’ experiences in the screening, identification, assessment and support for learners with ADHD which is the main question of the research. First, the teacher has interactions with learners who have ADHD which provide answers to sub-question (1.1) What

do teachers understand about ADHD? By looking at how these experiences influence teachers’

understanding of ADHD, as well as sub-question (1.2) What are teachers’ experiences of

learners with ADHD, in the classroom? by looking at the experiences teachers have had with

learners who have ADHD, in the classroom. It also provides answers to sub-question (1.5)

part of the microsystem looks at teachers’ interactions with the school and the SBST. This interaction provides answers to sub-question (1.3) How does the SIAS tool assist teachers with

screening, identifying, assessing and supporting learners with ADHD? As it looks at how the

SBST and school system assist teachers with the implementation of the SIAS process. The third part of the system looks at teachers’ interactions with parents and how that interaction affects support for learners with ADHD, thus providing answers to sub-questions (1.4) How

does the SIAS tool inform or assist teachers in implementing strategies for learners with ADHD? as well as (1.5) What strategies do teachers use to support learners with ADHD in the classroom? This teacher-parent interaction also explores the effects of the socio-economic

status of parents as that has a direct impact on support provided to learners with ADHD as Kriegler (2015) indicates that the socioeconomic status of families has an impact on access to support thus, providing answers to sub-question. (1.5) What strategies do teachers use to

support learners with ADHD in the classroom? The fourth system involves the teachers’

interactions with their own families. This interaction is better described in the mesosystem as these interactions create a personal experience for teachers that play a pivotal role in teacher interactions with learners with ADHD and with the parents of learners with ADHD.

According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), the mesosystem is a combination of microsystems. These microsystems constantly interact with one another (Donald et al., 2014). The first interaction of microsystems analysed is that of the teachers and their personal home experiences and how that impacts the communication and expectation of their interaction with the parents of learners who have ADHD. Looking at this interaction provided answers to sub-question (1.5) What

strategies do teachers use to support learners with ADHD in the classroom? The second

mesosystem analyses teachers’ roles and responsibilities and how that impacts the implementation process of the SIAS for learners with ADHD. This analysis provided answers to sub-questions (1.4) How does the SIAS tool inform or assist teachers in implementing

strategies for learners with ADHD? and (1.5) What strategies do teachers use to support learners with ADHD in the classroom? The third interaction looks at parent and community

stereotypes about ADHD and how those stereotypes affect support as Denis (2012) indicates that social expectations may be imposed on learners with labels or diagnosis; furthermore, Upadhyay, Srivastava, Singh, & Poddar (2016) indicate that social expectations and stereotypes can have a negative effect on behaviour. thus, providing answers to question (1.5)

4.4 MICROSYSTEM: UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCES OF WORKING