This study investigates the objectives of psychological assessment and evaluation of learners by Free State child counseling clinics in order to realize the objectives of Inclusive Education. Education changes included the review of the use of psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in schools.
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1
BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM 4
Psychology as a profession is thus challenged in terms of the transformation of psychological assessment and evaluation. The goals of the psychological assessment and evaluation and decisions based on the results of the assessment and evaluation are of key importance.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 5
It then becomes imperative to look critically at the purposes of assessment and psychological assessment of students and how this affects their learning. An ecosystem approach to psychological assessment and student assessment in an inclusive educational setting is suggested.
CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM 5
Practitioners' (therapists') views on the objectives of psychological assessment and evaluation of students were analyzed. It also focuses on the use of the ecosystem approach for psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in an inclusive education system.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 10
- The ecosystem theory 13
The purpose of this study is to examine the goals for the psychological assessment and evaluation of students in inclusive education. The two approaches gave a clearer picture of the psychological assessment and evaluation of students in an inclusive education system.
INTRODUCTION 89
SUBJECTS, PROCEDURES AND RESEARCH DEVELOPMENTS
The first page of the questionnaire contained an invitation to participate in the study and explained that the information collected would be treated with high confidentiality. Child guidance clinics and therapists were identified as relevant settings and participants for this study. Data collected included demographics, participants' qualifications, reasons for working at a child guidance clinic, experiences with student psychological assessment, and the objectives and uses of psychological testing.
DATA ANALYSIS 90
RESULTS 90
- Response to the questionnaire 90
- Academic qualifications of participants 91
- Age category 92
- Gender and race groups 93
- Language and culture 94
- Positions of specialists at the clinics 96
- Participation per clinic 96
- Reasons for working at the clinic 97
- Groups of psychological tests 97
- Individual and group Intelligence Tests 97
- Motor Ability Tests 98
- Personality Assessment Tests 98
- Mental ability tests and assessment techniques 98
This study indicates that there are more female than male assessors in child guidance clinics in the Free State. It can be concluded that in the Free State Child Guidance Clinics assessment and white females dominate student evaluation. This figure indicates which specialists in the clinics form the majority, indicating that they dominate the assessment and evaluation of students.
There were very few other specialists and some child guidance clinics in the Free State had none, causing problems when a student needed to be assessed by a speech therapist, for example. Participants at the child guidance clinic in Bethlehem were more than willing to participate in the study. One of the questionnaires used in child guidance clinics in the Free State is the South African Personality Questionnaire (SAPQ) (Lehmann and Mehrens, 1991).
FILE ANALYSIS OF LEARNERS REFERRED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL
15 11 Black White 3 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Additional education 16 9 Black Black 2 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Additional education 17 10 Black White 3 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Additional education 18 10 Black White 2 Bender Gestalt. 19 10 Color white 2 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Additional education 20 7 Black and white 2 Group test 7/8 Perceptual problems Special education. 26 10 Black White 3 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Special education 27 7 Black Black 1 Group test 7/8 Perceptual problems Additional education.
28 8 Black Black 1 Group Test 7/8 Perceptual Problems Remedial Education 29 6 Black with Color 1 Group Test 5/6 Perceptual Problems Remedial Education 30 10 Black Black 1 SSAIS-R Perceptual Problems Remedial Education 31 9 E white with color 1 SSAIS-R Perceptual problems Remedial education 32 11 White with color 1 SSAIS-R Poor academic. 48 10 Black White 3 SSAIS-R Special Education Special Education 49 8 Color White 2 Group Test 7/8 Perceptual Problems Psychotherapy 50 8 Black White 1 Group Test 7/8 Perceptual Problems Special Education. According to Table 5.5, many students were recommended to enroll in special and supplementary education programs.
CONCLUSION 111
ANALYSIS, DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION
- INTRODUCTION 113
- ANALYSIS 113
- Assessment tests used at clinics 116
- Relevance of psychometric tests 120
- LITERATURE REVIEW 121
- DIFFERENT THEMES EMERGING FROM DATA 121
- Age 122
- Gender 122
- Race 123
- Qualifications of assessors 124
- Reasons for working at the clinic 124
- Cultural and language influence on psychological assessment and evaluation 128
- Relevance of psychological tests and techniques 131
- PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF LEARNERS
- THE CHANGING ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN AN
- THE USE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN AN INCLUSIVE
- AIMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN
- CONCLUSION 146
Actual words and conversations of the research participants provided evidence of the conclusions drawn about them. At each stage of the analysis, conclusions and interpretations are made related to the concepts developed in Chapters 2 and 3, and the findings in Chapter 5.
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, CRITIQUE,
SUMMARY 147
- Aims and goals restated 147
- Hypothesis restated 148
- Quantitative operationalisation revisited 149
- Quantitative findings revisited 149
- Qualitative procedures highlighted 149
- Qualitative findings in a nutshell 150
The purpose of the study was to investigate the goals of psychological evaluation and assessment of students from Free State child guidance clinics towards the realization of the goals of inclusive education. How assessment and evaluation practices affect the achievement of the goals of inclusive education. This showed that there is no consistency in the assessment and evaluation of students in child guidance clinics.
When this study was conducted, very little alignment was found between the goals of psychological assessment and evaluation of students and the goals of inclusive education. The results produced confirmed the hypothesis that the purposes of psychological assessment and evaluation of students at the free state child guidance clinics are not compatible with the goals of inclusive education. Production of knowledge and contextualization of the objectives of psychological assessment and evaluation of students were highlighted.
Selection, type and use of psychometric tests in different clinics 150
This shows that although they have knowledge about psychological assessment, their knowledge does not align well with the principles of inclusive education. The study shows that the majority of evaluators were white women, while the majority of students were black. This was a challenge for the evaluators because they did not share the same culture and language as most of the students.
A semi-structured qualitative interview plan was conducted with the research participants to gain an in-depth understanding of psychological assessment and evaluation of students in an inclusive educational context. These interviews were conducted with specialists (ie, psychologists, social workers, speech therapists, remedial and special education specialists) on psychological assessment and evaluation of students. It is unfortunate that even in the era of inclusive education system; students have continued to be marginalized using psychological assessment.
The influence of age, race and gender of assessors in the assessment process 151
There is also no agreement among them about which tests are good for assessing "intelligence". This indicates that although psychometric assessment is used to assess students, the tests are not valid for the population in which they are used. Another factor that invalidates the use of psychometric assessment is that clinics operate differently.
The influence of culture and language on psychological evaluation of learners 151
The use of psychological evaluation in South Africa was political and power-driven, and may still be the case. As has been indicated, psychological assessment was used to support the apartheid policies of the then National Party. Psychological theories and psychometric tests used are filled with the white western culture which did not consider other cultures in South Africa like the African culture.
This study found that there is no compatibility between the principles of inclusive education and the goals of assessment and psychological assessment of students. The psychological assessment tools and techniques used in child guidance clinics in the Free State are inconsistent with the goals of outcomes-based education. It is logical to say that students cannot be evaluated with psychological tools that are not consistent with the specific results of OBE.
The role of therapists in an inclusive education context 152
Their institutions have not yet offered training modules in cross-cultural psychology and psychological interventions in a comprehensive educational context. This again challenges the validity of the psychological assessment made by white therapists in terms of the linguistic factor and cultural diversity. Therapists still use psychometric assessment in clinics to assess students and feel that they cannot work without using psychological tests.
This study also shows that there is a need to revise the objectives of psychological assessment and evaluation of students so that they become compatible with the principles of inclusive education system. This study provides a baseline through which psychological assessment and evaluation of students can be critically analyzed, particularly in an inclusive educational context. The results of this study challenge therapists to change their scope of work in an inclusive teaching context.
Inclusive education support services 156
- Conclusion 157
- CRITIQUE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 157
- RECOMMENDATIONS 158
- SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 159
- FINAL WORD 160
Literature on psychological assessment and evaluation of students in an inclusive educational environment was too limited. I am currently undertaking a research study in all Free State child guidance clinics on psychological assessment and evaluation of students. The topic of my thesis is psychological assessment and evaluation of students at Free State child guidance clinics to realize the goals of inclusive education.
I am currently undertaking a research study in all Free State child guidance clinics on psychological assessment and evaluation of students. The topic of my thesis is psychological assessment and evaluation of students at Free State child guidance clinics to realize the goals of inclusive education. Research topic: Assessment and evaluation of students at Free State Child Guidance Clinics: towards realizing the goals of inclusive education.
Sotho
Sotho
Whites dominated the clinic staff and this created problems with psychological assessment and student evaluation. Participants were free to express their understanding of the purposes of the assessment and psychological assessment. In discussing this aspect, the chapter shows the aims of psychological assessment and assessment of students in a comprehensive educational context.
The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of the psychological assessment and evaluation of learners. There have been different conceptualizations of the goals of psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in our schools from different people and organizations. This further empowers the researcher and the researched about the objectives of the psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in an inclusive education context.
Participants were free to express their understanding of the objectives of the psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in an inclusive education environment. Through the questions that were asked, themes were generated about the psychological assessment and evaluation of learners for the realization of the goals of inclusive education. This suggests that there is a strong need to review the objectives of the psychological assessment and evaluation of learners in an inclusive education environment.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the goals of psychological assessment and evaluation of students by Free State child guidance clinics in the direction of achieving the goals of inclusive education.
