Abstract
The traction of the inclusive education policy in schools in South Africa is a significant
challenge, particularly in a country like South Africa, which carries the scars of a
fractured and divided past in tandem with significant socioeconomic disparities.
These all have a bearing on schools' ability to implement inclusive education
practices that are sustainable and successful. I undertook a research project that
investigated the complex dynamic of the challenges faced by teachers and school
leaders in their pursuit of fulfilling the mandate of Education White Paper 6, calling for
its implementation across all schools in the Republic. The central investigation of this
project was to find out from teachers themselves, who are working in the classroom
spaces at a grassroots level, to what extent they are able to be inclusive educators
where they meet the challenges of teaching to a range of learners with different
learning needs. This research report aims to assist school leadership teams in
supporting teachers' pedagogical responsiveness to meet the diverse needs of
students. The findings from this study provide a window into the contradictions and
affordances of policy delivery faced in complex systems. Furthermore, the findings
indicate that, while teachers have a desire to adopt inclusive classroom practices,
they are constrained by inadequate teacher training and a perceived incapacity to do
so.