Abstract
The term "inclusive education" has gained prominence in South Africa, yet its effective implementation is hindered by a lack of robust monitoring and evaluation. This thesis focuses on the challenges associated with implementing the Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support (SIAS) policy for D/deaf learners in four special schools in Gauteng. The examination of stakeholders' challenges aims to identify gaps in daily implementation and address the educational needs of D/deaf learners. Stakeholders, including educational psychologists, teachers, school management teams, senior education specialists, speech therapists, and audiologists, provide crucial insights into the existing challenges and opportunities for improvement. This research addressed one primary question:
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What challenges do stakeholders encounter in implementing the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners in four Gauteng-based special schools?
Secondary research questions include:
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How can stakeholders contribute to overcoming challenges associated with implementing the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners?
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What SIAS policy systems are in place to accommodate individual learning needs of D/deaf learners?
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What support needs do stakeholders have to ensure the effective implementation of the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners?
This thesis advocates for a transformative change by providing clear guidelines for implementing the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners. The Theory of Change (ToC) is employed as a roadmap toward achieving this desired change, emphasising the need for the SIAS policy to consider the specific educational needs of D/deaf learners. This thesis presents findings from a qualitative study conducted in four special schools located in diverse socioeconomic contexts in Gauteng. The research delved into the
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difficulties encountered in implementing the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners. Utilising a qualitative research methodology employing thematic analysis, the researcher identified key themes that reflected the experiences of stakeholders involved in implementing the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners. The results revealed that stakeholders faced challenges stemming from inadequate training and ambiguous guidelines regarding SIAS policy implementation. Additionally, the study highlighted deficient South African Sign Language (SASL) skills among stakeholders as another obstacle in the implementation of the SIAS policy for D/deaf learners. The findings also underscore the lack of effective support due to insufficient specialised processes that fail to recognise the unique educational needs of D/deaf learners. Moreover, the study suggests that the SIAS policy falls short in addressing the learning barriers faced by D/deaf learners. Recommendations include a thorough policy review to ensure that barriers specific to D/deaf learners' learning experiences are adequately addressed.
Keywords: Barriers to learning, D/deaf, inclusive education, learning disabilities, SIAS.