Abstract
M.Ed.
While the task of the school is to educate, the aim should be to carry out this task as
effectively and efficiently as possible. These tasks and aims should apply equally to
specialised schools. The H. Moross School, the site of this research, is a school for
learners with special educational needs and serves the inpatient-scholars at Tara
Hospital.
This research therefore, aims to explore and describe the educational needs of
adolescents with emotional barriers to learning and development. These educational
needs are investigated within two interrelated and interdependent systems; the
learners' individual systems and this psychiatric hospital-school system. Both these
systems are viewed within the larger context of the hospital community as well as the
learners' families and home-school systems. Furthermore, cognisance is taken of the
influence that international education theory, national education policies and local
education structures have on this hospital-school system and therefore on the
individual learner-patient. The concepts of adolescent development, mental health
and health promoting schools are discussed.
The qualitative research design chosen for this study is viewed within an ecosystemic, social constructivist perspective. The investigation takes place through individual learner interviews, an educator focus group discussion as well as through ongoing, informal observation of the participants in their hospital-school setting. The data thus gathered is analysed by the phenomenological reductionist method. The systems, themes and categories that emerge are contextualised within the framework of current literature.
The findings of this study show that it is the nurturing qualities of the human relationship that is a prerequisite for emotionally barriered adolescents to access the education offered to them. A learner-centred, dependable and disciplined environment, with flexibility in both the curriculum and teaching strategies, are found to be further facilitators in this regard.
The study concludes with implications for further research. Guidelines to educators
are suggested with respect to facilitating access to the education offered to emotionally barriered adolescents. These guidelines are prescribed within three emergent systems; the educational needs of learners within their individual systems, the learners' needs of their educators as well as their needs of the school as an educational institution.