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Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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2023
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| _version_ | 1867614027151048704 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Pienaar, Sharon |
| author2 | Dreyer, L. M. |
| author_browse | Dreyer, L. M. Pienaar, Sharon |
| author_facet | Dreyer, L. M. Pienaar, Sharon |
| author_sort | Pienaar, Sharon |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127265 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:45:30.338Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127265 Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism Pienaar, Sharon Dreyer, L. M. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Autism spectrum disorders Autism -- Diagnosis International education International schools Autistic children -- Education Inclusive education Educational psychology UCTD Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been a move toward inclusivity in education and psychology, and many policies have been implemented to create inclusive spaces over the past couple of years. Inclusive education is the practice of including learners from various backgrounds and abilities in the classroom, including learners with autism. With the move toward inclusion and the increase in the number of learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering the general classroom, it was important to understand teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of learners with autism. Teachers play a vital role in implementing inclusion; therefore, their stories are highly valued in understanding inclusion in schools. This study, therefore, sought to explore teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of learners with ASD from an international school. This research was conducted using a qualitative interpretivist paradigm to gain in-depth data to answer the research questions. The research question that guided this study was: What are teachers in an international school’s experiences regarding learners with ASD in the mainstream classroom? Purposive sampling was used to select the five participants who participated in this study to answer the above research question and sub-questions. The data collection methods used were open-ended questionnaires followed by a focus group discussion to triangulate the data. Thematic analysis was utilised to make sense of the data and report findings. The themes that emerged from this study were: perceptions of inclusive education, challenges with the inclusion of learners with ASD, creating an inclusive environment and the support needed to create an inclusive school. The results indicated that teachers generally have a positive perception of inclusion, but more support is needed for inclusion to come to fruition. It is recommended that schools and teachers engage in in-depth professional development regarding the inclusion of learners with ASD that frequent multi-disciplinary meetings occur, and that teachers with learners on the spectrum are supported through collaborative practices. Most importantly, it is vital that school management drives this inclusion for policy to come into practice. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar was ’n skuif na inklusiwiteit in beide onderwys en sielkunde, en baie beleide is geïmplementeer om oor die afgelope paar jaar inklusiewe ruimtes te skep. Inklusiewe onderwys is die praktyk om leerders van verskillende agtergronde en vermoëns in die klaskamer in te sluit. Hierdie insluiting sluit leerders met outisme in. Met die beweging na insluiting en die toename in die aantal leerders met Outisme Spektrumversteuring (OSV) wat die algemene klaskamer betree, was dit belangrik om onderwysers se persepsies van die insluiting van leerders met outisme te verstaan. Onderwysers speel ’n belangrike rol in die implementering van insluiting; daarom word hul stories hoog op prys gestel om insluiting in skole te verstaan. Hierdie studie het dus gepoog om onderwysers se persepsies van die insluiting van OSV van ’n internasionale skool te ondersoek. Hierdie navorsing is uitgevoer deur gebruik te maak van n kwalitatiewe interpretivistiese paradigma om in-diepte data te verkry om die navorsingsvrae te beantwoord. Die navorsingsvraag wat hierdie studie gelei het, was: Wat is die ervarings van onderwysers in ’n internasionale skool met betrekking tot leerders met OSV in die hoofstroomklaskamer? Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om die vyf deelnemers aan hierdie studie te selekteer om bogenoemde navorsingsvraag, en subvrae te beantwoord. Die data-insamelingsmetodes wat gebruik is, was oop-einde vraelyste, gevolg deur ’n fokusgroepbespreking om die data te trianguleer. Tematiese ontleding is gebruik om sin te maak van die data en verslag te doen oor die bevindinge. Die temas wat uit hierdie studie na vore gekom het, was: persepsies van inklusiewe onderwys, uitdagings rakende die insluiting van leerders met OSV, die skep van ’n inklusiewe omgewing en ondersteuning wat nodig is om ’n inklusiewe skool te skep. Die resultate het aangedui dat onderwysers oor die algemeen ’n positiewe persepsie van insluiting het, maar meer ondersteuning is nodig vir insluiting om tot vervulling te kom. Dit word aanbeveel dat skole en onderwysers omvattende professionele ontwikkeling sal oorweeg rakende die insluiting van leerders met OSV, dat gereelde multi-dissiplinêre vergaderings plaasvind en dat onderwysers met leerders op die spektrum ondersteun word deur samewerkende praktyke. Die belangrikste is dat skoolbestuur hierdie insluiting dryf sodat beleid in werking gestel kan word. Masters 2023-02-27T13:55:35Z 2023-05-18T07:12:56Z 2023-02-27T13:55:35Z 2023-05-18T07:12:56Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127265 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 79 pages application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Autism spectrum disorders Autism -- Diagnosis International education International schools Autistic children -- Education Inclusive education Educational psychology UCTD Pienaar, Sharon Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title | Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title_full | Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title_short | Perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| title_sort | perceptions of teachers from an international school on the inclusion of learners with autism |
| topic | Autism spectrum disorders Autism -- Diagnosis International education International schools Autistic children -- Education Inclusive education Educational psychology UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127265 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pienaarsharon perceptionsofteachersfromaninternationalschoolontheinclusionoflearnerswithautism |