In my analysis and discussion of Baobab School and the foundation phase classrooms, informed by my research, I worked with Walton and Nel’s (2012, p.10) spider’s web analogy
of an inclusive school to act as a lens and heuristic to identify the criteria for the macro and micro levels of the web (refer to Figure 6.2 below).
Figure 6.2: An inclusive school conceived as a spider’s web [Source: Walton & Nel (2012:10)]
As depicted in the inclusion web, I began at the macro level by analysing and discussing the inclusive culture of the school which was at the centre of the web, and then the school’s inclusive policies, the “strengthening zone” of the web. This was followed by analysis and by addressing the macro level criteria in the “radii of the web”, and the organisation and practices to support inclusion at the school, all of which is included in the criteria presented in Table 6.1 below:
Table 6.1: Macro Level: Radii of Web
Radii of Web Evidence Cross
reference
Literature reference 1. Teacher training Interviews – Grade 1
and 2
4.3.2 4.4.2
Prinsloo et al., 2001 Swart et al., 2002 Walton, 2006
Engelbrecht et al., 2007 Schwille et al., 2007 Walton et al., 2009 Landsberg et al., 2011 Geldenhuys et al., 2013 McConnachie, 2013
Pienaar et al., 2013 Donohue et al., 2014 2. SBST (ILST) Interviews – Grade 1
and 2 4.3.3
4.4.3 South Africa. DoE, 2001
Walton, 2006 Walton et al., 2012 Pienaar et al., 2013 Donohue et al., 2014 Okeke et al., 2014 3. Support and
Specialist Personnel
Interviews – Grade 1, 2 and 3
4.3.2 4.4.2 4.5.1
Brice et al., 2000 Engelbrecht et al., 2001 Walton, 2006
Walton et al., 2012 Geldenhuys et al., 2013 Okeke et al., 2014 Engelbrecht et al., 2015 4. Instructional
practices
These will be more fully analysed in the micro level web as seen in Table 6.3 below
5. Assessment Modification 6. Individual Support
7. Accessibility Interviews – emergent factors – extrinsic barriers to learning - inappropriate LoTL
4.6.2
Prinsloo, 2001 Walton, 2006 Walton et al., 2012 Pienaar et al., 2013 Florian, 2014 Okeke et al., 2014
8. Reducing Exclusion and Welcoming Diversity
Overview of the
school 4.2
South Africa. DoE, 2001; Booth et al., 2002 Landsberg et al., 2011 Walton et al., 2012 Nel et al., 2013 Pienaar et al., 2013 Florian, 2014 Okeke et al., 2014 Engelbrecht et al., 2015
I then addressed the “frame of the web” at the macro level, which included links to the school’s community support structures as presented in Table 6.2 below:
Table 6.2: Macro Level: Frame of Web
Frame of Web Evidence Cross
reference
Literature reference
1. NGO’s Overview of the
school.
Classroom
observation – Grade 2, Lesson 3.
Interviews– Grades 1 and 2.
Emergent factors from the interviews.
4.2 5.3.3 4.3.2 4.4.2 4.6.2
Walton et al., 2012 Nel et al., 2013
2. DBST Interviews – Grades 1
and 2.
Emergent factors from the interviews.
4.3.2 4.4.2 4.6.2
South Africa. DoE, 2001
Walton et al., 2012 Geldenhuys et al., 2013 3. Social services Interviews – Grades 1
and 2
4.3.2 4.4.2
Walton et al., 2012 Nel et al., 2013 4. Parents Interviews – Grades 1,
2, and 3.
Emergent factors from the interviews.
4.3.2 4.4.2 4.3.3 4.5.1 4.6.2
Prinsloo, 2110 Swart et al., 2002 Engelbrecht et al., 2007 Landsberg et al., 2011 Walton et al., 2012 Pienaar et al., 2013 Donohue et al., 2014
5. Special Schools - -
6. Other Community Based Support (The university, fee-paying schools)
Interviews - Grades 1 and 2
4.3.2 4.4.2
Walton et al., 2012 Nel et al., 2013
7. Hospitals Interviews - Grades 1
and 2 4.3.2
4.4.2 Walton et al., 2012 Nel et al., 2013
Finally, I addressed the micro level criteria (Table 6.3 below), the teaching and learning strategies, practices, techniques and skills that the foundation phase teachers used in their classrooms to enable an inclusive education for their learners, including the learners experiencing barriers to learning, depicted as the radii in the micro level web (Figure 6.1 above).
Table 6.3: Micro Level: Radii of Web
Practices Evidence Cross
reference
Literature reference 1. Number of learners in the
classroom Emergent factors
from the interviews – extrinsic factors
4.6.2 Swart et al., 2002 Engelbrecht et al., 2007
Landsberg et al., 2011
Geldenhuys et al., 2013
Pienaar et al., 2013 2. Infrastructure and organisation
of the classroom
Overview of the school
Emergent factors from the interviews – extrinsic factors
4.2 4.6.2
Swart et al., 2002 Engelbrecht et al., 2007
Landsberg et al., 2011
Geldenhuys et al., 2013
Pienaar et al., 2013 Makoelle et al., 2016 3. Classroom and learner
resources
Emergent factors from the interviews – extrinsic factors
4.6.2 Swart et al., 2002 Engelbrecht et al., 2007
Landsberg et al., 2011
Geldenhuys et al., 2013
Pienaar et al., 2013 4. Shared sense of responsibility Overview of the
school
4.2 Brice et al., 2000 Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Beattie et al., 2006 Pienaar et al., 2013 Okeke et al., 2014 5. Positive attitude of the teacher Emergent factors
from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5
Swart et al., 2002 Beattie et al., 2006 Nel et al., 2013 Donohue et al., 2014 6. Supportive classroom
environment
Emergent factors from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5
Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Pienaar et al., 2013
7. Learners feeling comfortable,
safe and appreciated Emergent factors from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5 Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Pienaar et al., 2013
8. Routine and structure Emergent factors from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5
Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Pienaar et al., 2013
9. Positive reinforcement – praise Emergent factors from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5 Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Pienaar et al., 2013
10. Discipline Emergent factors
from classroom observations – classroom environment
5.5
Engelbrecht et al., 2001
Pienaar et al., 2013
11. Planning, organisation and presentation of lessons (flexible implementation of the
curriculum, reviewing previous lesson, short and clear
instructions, repetition, use of a variety of examples, modelling think-aloud techniques)
Emergent factors from classroom
observations 5.5
Beattie et al., 2006 Pienaar et al., 2013 Okeke et al., 2014
12. Encouraging diverse learning styles
Emergent factors from classroom observations – accommodating different learning styles
5.5
Nel et al., 2013 Pienaar et al., 2013
13. Engaging learners – active involvement of learners
Emergent factors from classroom observations – active involvement of learners
5.5
Pienaar et al., 2013
14. Importance of reading Emergent factors from classroom observations – working in pairs and groups.
Interview with Grade 2 teacher – extrinsic factors – inflexible curriculum – reading.
Interviews – emergent factors – extrinsic factors.
5.5
4.4.2
4.6.2
Slavin, 2009