Abstract
South Africa is still striving to meet inclusive education goals; however, there are still ongoing challenges when it comes to teachers adequately supporting children with specific learning needs (SLNs) in mainstream settings. The current study aimed to explore and investigate the teachers’ competencies when it comes to tailoring Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for learners with SLNs.
The current study made use of a qualitative research design. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews consisting of eight teachers, and a focus group discussion involving six teachers to access more in-depth experiences that may have been left out during the semi-structured interviews. The participants were purposefully selected from a mainstream school in Gauteng. The study was guided by the constructivist paradigm. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis, which resulted in the following themes being identified: teacher capacity and professional gaps, planning and implementation of IEPs, together with seven subthemes. The theoretical framework that guided the current study is the self-efficacy theory by Bandura, which linked teachers with high self-efficacy as being better able to engage with subject content, more receptive to learning new teaching strategies, and more likely to be supportive and patient with learners who have learning challenges.
The findings of the current study were that teachers face difficulties in the classroom when supporting learners with SLNs because they are not adequately trained to support them. There is a lack of resources to create IEPs for SLNs learners, and due to time pressures of having to also cater for learners without SLNs and meeting the Annual Teaching Plans’ targets, they struggle to implement the IEPs. However, the findings also show that when teachers tailor their lessons and implement strategies such as peer-supported learning and differentiation, it improves the self-confidence of learners with SLNs and their engagement in the classroom.