Abstract
This study explored teachers' experiences in supporting learners who present with symptoms of dyslexia in mainstream schools, particularly in the Gauteng-West district, South Africa. In conducting this study, I sought to understand the challenges that teachers faced, their positive experiences, the teaching strategies they employed, and the methods they adopted to identify learners who present with symptoms of dyslexia. The conceptual framework informing this study consisted of three learning theories: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Guided by an inductive research approach within an interpretive paradigm, this qualitative study employed the following data collection methods: semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The data was collected from four participants who were selected purposively. Of the four participants, two were selected from township mainstream schools, while the other two were selected from suburban mainstream schools.
Data were analysed using the constant comparative method to identify themes grounded in participants’ experiences. Four themes emerged from the findings: (1) Teachers' knowledge of dyslexia, (2) Institutional influences on inclusion: barriers and enablers, (3) Support from internal and external stakeholders, and (4) Professional development. These themes are testament that though the participants showed commitment to institutionalising inclusion, their efforts were often constrained by their limited knowledge of dyslexia. Additional challenges included varied trends in institutional influences contributing to the barriers or enablers to inclusion, insufficient support from internal and external stakeholders such as the School Management Team (SMT), district, and other specialists and a lack of adequate teacher training. Therefore, these call for ongoing professional development, early intervention strategies, and multidisciplinary collaboration to enhance teachers’ experiences when supporting learners who present with symptoms of dyslexia in mainstream schools. While the main limitation was that the data were collected from a small population, the depth of the participants’ experiences was enough to inform recommendations for future research, practice, and policy aimed at strengthening inclusive practices in mainstream educational settings.