CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.3 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.3.1.4 Challenges regarding professional development
either planning lessons or marking. Some educators complained that having to work long hours interferes with their family life and has a negative effect on their personal relationships. An excessive workload and an unbalanced work-life will have an affect on the educators' well-being, leading to a negative effect on teaching and learning.
Although most participants bemoaned an increase in workload, it does not mean that all special needs educators experienced an increase, as one participant stated:
My paperwork is no more than usual. I have daily assessments, daily class planning, annual planning, and themes.
It is necessary for educators to have time to reflect on their work and daily lesson planning. They need time to develop skills and knowledge and to interact with colleagues (Bubb and Earley, 2005), which cannot happen with an increased workload.
Itis important for educators to receive specific and focussed training and support to help them teach learners with autism. Educators who have not received any training will be unfamiliar with educational and behavioural issues (Williams et al.,2005;Al- Shammari,2006; Brooke and Dvortcsak,2006; Jones,2006) and may feel that they are not professionally equipped to work with learners with autism.
According to the Department of Education (DoE,2001a), educators are supposed to receive training. Education White Paper 6 (DoE, 2001a) states that effective development programmes will be provided for educators. As educators are the primary resource to implement inclusive education,they need to improve their skills and knowledge and develop new ones. In a special school/resource centre, educators should be trained to focus on the individual learner's strengths and competencies.
According to the Department of Education Directorate: Inclusive Education (DoE, 2005b:15), "In-service courses and training initiatives will be organised to orientate teachers and support staff in Special Schools as Resource Centres (SSRC) to their new roles". Training should alter the educators' attitudes and help them deal with learners who experience barriers to learning. This may enhance educators' confidence and help them experience success because of it. Training is thus effective in order to bring about change and progress in the educators' professional lives. The role of Special Schools as Resource Centres is to give support to full-service schools regarding the curriculum (DoE, 2005b),but the SSRC cannot do this if they have not been trained themselves.
Similarly, according to the Draft National Strategy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (DoE, 2005a:66), educators should receive training on Inclusive education and diversity management, identifying of barriers to learning, how to self-reflect,how to develop intervention strategies to support the learner and more.
The Policy Framework for Education for Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) (2001b:12), states that "educators should be assisted with classroom management and teaching practices regarding LSEN". They are of the opinion that
ongoing training will assist educators with the necessary attitude and skills to teach LSEN in a supportive classroom environment.
The above statements clearly indicate that educators need training in order to develop skills, and experience success in their professional lives (Jacobsson et al.,2001; DoE, 2005a). Professional development is important to improve teaching effectiveness,and reduce stress (Jacobsson et.al.,2001). This will be the same for educators who teach learners with autism.
On the other hand, educators cannot only rely on training to help them teach learners with autism. The best way to learn about autism is to actively work with learners with autism. Educators could thus also be used as informants; to teach other educators or parents about autism (DoE,2005b). The participants concur with the above:
The best wayyou can get help is by talking to other people who work with children with autism ... basically with teachers.
That training IS needed, is confirmed by Greek educators (Mavropoulou and Padeliadu, 2000) and Scottish educators (McGregor and Campbell,2001) who teach learners with autism, and who also endorsed the need for training and support to develop the capabilities of the learner, and to focus more appropriately on the academic and emotional needs of the individual (Mavropoulou and Padeliadu, 2000).
Similarly,research carried out at a school for learners with severe learning difficulties and autism in England, concurs with the view that educators need training in the following areas: the implications of autism and a study of what autism is; special educational provision needed; any specialized and additional curriculum materials required; information on specialized teaching techniques and individualized learning aids, as well as how to modify the teaching environment for these learners.
Fortunately for these educators, the school management team organized in-service training to equip educators with the above knowledge and skills (Aird and Lister,
1999).
Not only should educators teaching learners with autism be trained, but all mainstream educators who have contact with learners with autism because of inclusion should receive some training. This was confirmed by a study in England that showed that educators in mainstream schools lacked an understanding of autism and needed practical advice and support (McGregor and Campbell, 2001). This would ease the burden of educators oflearners with autism,as Jennett et al. (2003:584) put it: "... unless they possess appropriate teaching tools, educators of students with autism may be at risk for burnout."