The school staff members consist of a principal, two deputy principals and five heads of department. There are three heads of department for the practical side and two for the academic side. The school has 65 teaching staff and all teachers at this school are employed by the state.
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Some of them are qualified artisans who teach practical subjects that equip learners with basic skills, while others teach academic subjects.
Below shows the distribution pattern of the study participants based on their level of education and teaching experience.
Table 4.1 Summary of the participants’ biographical profile
Name Age Grade Level teaching Teaching
Experience (years)
Qualification
Miss G1 27 1-4 5years M.Ed
Mr SI2 46 1-4 14years B.Tech
Mr BE3 45 1-4 20years SPTD
Miss BAR4 64 1-4 38years M.Ed
Mrs KAN5 51 1-4 26years B.Ed
Mr MONY6 41 1-4 11years B.Tech
Mrs SHO7 48 1-4 23years B.Ed. Hons.
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Mrs SLABB8 64 2-4 33years M.Ed
Mrs LEM 55 1-4 9years HDE
Mrs DEJ 55 1-4 34years HDE
Gleaning from the summary table, the participants range from relatively novice teachers to teachers who are about to retire. All, except for one teacher have taught in classes across the school grades. Most of the participants have substantive teaching experience in the researched school.
Most teachers are qualified as teachers, some with post-graduate qualifications up to Masters Level. There are some teachers who do not have a formal teaching qualification but do have post- school education.
Teacher Participant G
Teacher G. during her interview, described herself as a young, dynamic, vibrant teacher. She was the youngest of the participants but does have experience of teaching special needs learners in the school. She has been teaching for the past 5years and has a MastersDegree in school management.
She is an English teacher who describes herself as being passionate about her teaching and having good communication skills.
Teacher Participant SI
Teacher SI described himself as a 47-year-old gentleman with almost 14 years teaching experience in this case study school. He further stated that he has a good working relationship with his learners as well as with his colleagues. He teaches boys’ practical subjects since he is one of the specialists in the field of Art and Craft. He described himself as an individual very passionate about his schoolwork, caring and loving towards his learners. He has a B. Tech Degree in Fine Art which gives him a deep understanding of his subject field. He is constantly researching the latest trends in Art teaching.
65 Teacher Participant BE
Teacher BE is a teacher of 45 years of age who has been in the teaching field for the past 20 years.
He defines himself as a very strict and inspiring gentleman who always does things according to the book. He further postulated that he adheres to the policies of the Department of Education.
While doing this, he also uses innovative teaching methods to enhance teaching and learning in his classroom. He is a social science teacher and has a teaching Diploma. His colleagues further state that he is dedicated to his work and he excels in providing educational guidance. His learners like to spend time with him doing their work.
Teacher Participant BAR
Teacher BAR: described herself as a hard worker who loves to teach, an individual that perceived herself as caring, honest andtrustworthy, who loves both teachers and learners. Learners enjoy spending time with her even during break times. She is patient, committed to her work and is an expert in dealing with special need learners. She is good at creating an interesting and positive learning environment. She has been in the teaching field for the past 38 years and has a vast experience in teaching and dealing with challenged learners. Teacher BAR has a Masters Degree in psychology and has a respectable work ethic.
Teacher Participant KAN
Teacher KAN is an individual who is described by her fellow teachers as a devoted worker or individual who remains behind after school; does her marking and daily planning. She is friendly, adores her learners, passionate about her work and does not mind sacrificing her break times helping learners with their work. She has been a teacher for the past 26 years and was trained as a special needs teacher. She is calm, patient and is capable of dealing with all kinds of behaviour.
Teacher Participant MONY
Teacher MONY has been in the teaching field for the past 11years. He is described by his colleagues as an active individual who loves his teaching and likes to take part in extra mural activities that take place at a school. He is a coach for the school soccer and volleyball teams. He is friendly towards his fellow teachers and learners and shows dedication to his work. He likes to
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share jokes with his colleagues. He has a B. Tech Degree in Fine Art which is a great benefit to his art students.
Teacher Participant SHO
Teacher SHO is a lady of 48 years who described herself as an active individual who is passionate about her work. She ensures that everyone is happy. This enhances the smooth running of the school. She is a good listener to both teachers and learners. She shows a very caring and compassionate attitude to all her learners and staff members. She has been in the teaching field for the past 23 years and has been a principal for almost 18 years. She has a B.Ed. Honours Degree in Management which adds value to her career as the school manager and head of the institute.
Teacher Participant SLAB
Teacher SLAB: described herself as very strict, loving and a hard worker who spends most of her time with her class of girls trying to discuss all difficult parts of their work. She is a cookery teacher who has been in the teaching field for the past 33 years. She has spent all these years in the case study school which makes her understand special needs learners. She is empathetic towards vulnerable learners and helps them wherever possible. She places great emphasis on learners having manners and does not accept rudeness.
Teacher Participant LEM
She is described by her fellow teachers as a loving soft-spoken individual who is passionate about her work. She enjoys spending time with her class, gives them advice and guides them to be responsible future adults. She has been in the teaching field for many years but has only spent the last 9 years at a special needs school teaching Natural Science.
Teacher Participant DEJ
Fellow teachers described her as a hard worker, a disciplinarian of the school who is passionate about her work, loves her learners, is approachable and a good listener who knows most learners by name. She pays attention to each and every learner. She enjoys spending time at school doing her administrative work and does her daily lesson planning. She has been a teacher for the past 34
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years at the case study school which makes her understand special needs learners and their challenges.