2.8 Educators’ experiences of teaching AIDS Orphans and Vulnerable Children
2.8.3 Educators’ attitude and responses towards AIDS orphans and vulnerable children
2.8.3 Educators’ attitude and responses towards AIDS orphans and vulnerable
diagnose possible resistance they may encounter. Thirdly, they need to communicate their intentions to the children in the classroom and select possible strategies (Davidoff and Lazarus 1997).
How well educators implement inclusive programmes towards AIDS orphans and vulnerable children depends on their attitude toward OVC. The educators have to believe that all learners can be educated; learners experiencing barriers to learning can be educated in regular classrooms; and that inclusive education is a beneficial program if they are expected to accept working with included learners (Vaughn, Schumm, Jallad, Slusher and Saumell, 1996). Study on educators’ attitudes has been carried out in most regions of the world and reflects the political schemas of these countries in focusing attention on the exclusion of children from educational opportunities (UNESCO, 1994b). One of the most important factors affecting educators‟ attitudes toward OVC is the type and severity of vulnerability or barriers to learning. Research has revealed that, irrespective of teaching experience, severity of disability or barriers to learning shows an inverse relationship with positive attitudes such that as the perception of severity increases, educators’ positive attitudes decrease (Dupoux, Hammond, Ingalls and Wolman, 2006).
It has been reported that male educators’ attitudes toward integration of OVC are more negative than female educators (Alghazo and Naggar Gaad, 2004). Factors related to administrative support have been linked to educators’ attitudes toward inclusive education.
Educators consider the presence of organizational support and resources as critical in forming positive attitudes toward inclusive education (Kruger, Struzziero and Vacca, 1995). An additional element of positive attitude is linked to class size. Mainstream educators reported that reducing class size to 20 learners would ease their inclusion effort (Scruggs and Mastropieri, 1996).
The extent to which special and general classroom educators are ready to work in inclusive environment largely determines the crucial success of inclusive programmes (Luseno, 2001). These authors note that teachers are more willing to include students with mild vulnerabilities than students with more severe disabilities and vulnerabilities due to their perceived ability to successfully implement instructional goals for the entire classroom. Luseno (2001) reports that previous research indicates that educators do not
47
believe the academic and social needs of majority of learners experiencing barriers to learning can be best met in general education classrooms.
Previous research indicates that effective educators in mainstream schools tend to be less tolerant of maladaptive behaviour and learning problems, and have higher standards for acceptable classroom behaviour (Roaf, 2003). These educators believe that learners experiencing barriers to learning are disruptive in the classroom; therefore they tend to be more likely to resist the placement of these learners in their classrooms. These educators also believe that educating these learners requires additional time, work, and attention; and there are significant classroom changes that need to be made to accommodate these learners, in addition to perceiving inclusion as requiring significant changes in classroom and instructional procedures and curricula (Salend and Duhaney, 1999).
Subban and Sharma (2006) report that previous research in the educators’ attitudes toward AIDS orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) links demographic and contextual variables to educators’ attitudes toward inclusion of the OVC. Variables such as the educators’
gender, age, level of qualification in special education, and the severity of the learner’s disability have previously been investigated as factors that may shape educators’ attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with barriers to learning. It was found that older, more experienced educators appear to foster less positive attitudes than younger educators (Cartledge & Johnson, 1996; Subban and Sharma, 2006). Also, the lack of training in the field of inclusive or special education may lead to less positive attitudes toward the inclusion of vulnerable learners with barriers to learning into mainstream schools, while increased training has been associated with more positive attitudes in this regard (Briggs, Johnson, Shepherd and Sedbrook, 2002).
Avramidis, Bayliss, and Burden (2000) state that another variable makes reference to the perceived confidence of mainstream educators. Teachers who perceive themselves as confident enough to include students with barriers to learning appear to hold more positive attitudes toward inclusive education; and, previous experience educating learners experiencing barriers to learning may allow the mainstream teacher to view inclusive educational practices more positively (Avramidis et al., 2000). Another finding was that the educators‟ attitude toward the inclusion OVC to mainstream schools may also be
48
influenced by the severity of the vulnerability experienced by such learners (Kuester, 2000). The inclusion of learners with behavioural disorders and emotional difficulties appear to attract the least favourable responses from mainstream educators (Kuester, 2000).
Avramidis et al., (2000) report that previous studies support the opinion that educators perceive OVC learners with behavioral and emotional disorder as more challenging in the classroom, and most mainstream educators believe that they lack the knowledge, skill and competence to effectively include these learners. There is also evidence that educators are reluctant to include learners with behavioral and emotional disorders, while preferring to include vulnerable learners with learning disabilities (Briggs et al., 2002).
2.8.4 Factors that may contribute to attitude changes in educators towards