Abstract
Abstract : Inclusive Education departs from the notion that diversity and uniqueness in learners should be supported holistically. Literature, however, points to the challenges that support and its support structures within an inclusive environment face. One such challenge which is the focus of this study, is how learners presenting with various disabilities, in this case particularly Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD), are integrated and included with learners who do not face the same challenges in the same mainstream classroom environment and show signs of developing resilience despite the challenges their specific learning difficulties present. Research further suggests an eco-systems approach as an attempt to gain deeper insight into the term resilience by considering the resources in the learner’s immediate environments. Research from different fields point to the value of the early childhood phase as a crucial phase in establishing a lifelong foundation for learning, fraught with challenges such as SpLD. Detection and prevention of possible SpLD in learners during this crucial time-period of their developmental process, is thus vital. Literature proposes for these resources to be strengthened and that the implementation of a transdisciplinary approach may be feasible as this approach requires of members from various disciplines to share their roles in supporting learners presenting with SpLD. The transdisciplinary approach is regarded as family-centred and invites parents, care-givers, guardians to collaborate with other role-players in putting necessary interventions in place, taking the entire ecosystem of the development of the learner and its ability to bounce back from setbacks into consideration. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how a transdisciplinary approach supported a Foundation Phase learner presenting with SpLD, in building resilience within an inclusive learning environment by eliciting relevant school staff, internal therapists and parents/caregivers/guardians’ opinion on how the transdisciplinary approach was implemented; and how the identified learner benefited from its implementation. A qualitative case study design was implemented which included purposively selected participants in accordance with the aim of the study. Data was collected through individual and focus-group interviews. Collected data was analysed through thematic content analysis. xii Findings revealed that the identified learner was not the only one who benefited from the implementation of the transdisciplinary approach but the manner in which it was implemented brought about various enablers for team members to support him and build his resilience. Enablers for team members included supportive communication; collaborative sharing; team-member involvement (as especially from his mother) and trust as well as commitment. Enablers for the learner comprised strong relationships; structure; a sense of control and motivation. In addition to these enablers, findings revealed that this particular remedial school also experienced some challenges in the implementation of the transdisciplinary approach such as time- constraints and impractical suggestions for classroom interventions. Findings also indicated possible challenges that may hinder the successful implementation of a transdisciplinary approach within a mainstream environment such as lack of finances; large class sizes and overwhelmed teachers; uninvolved parents and unnoticed learning challenges.
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)