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Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture
Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613933938933760 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jagles, Colette Sellen |
| author2 | Damons, Lynne |
| author_browse | Damons, Lynne Jagles, Colette Sellen |
| author_facet | Damons, Lynne Jagles, Colette Sellen |
| author_sort | Jagles, Colette Sellen |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132521 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:01Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132521 Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture Jagles, Colette Sellen Damons, Lynne Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. Inclusive education Early childhood education Multicultural education Classroom environment Teachers -- Attitudes UCTD Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Jagles, C. S. 2025. Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/7f27329a-c59f-4a8b-8353-ccd41980a702 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study aimed to examine the teaching strategies utilised by educators in the Foundation Phase to promote an inclusive classroom culture that addresses the needs of all learners, with a particular focus on average learners who are often overlooked in academic and literary settings. Average learners present a unique challenge as they neither need intensive support nor significantly excel. The study took place within the context of mainstream Foundation Phase classrooms in the Western Cape province and sought to uncover how educators can support the academic and social development of average learners to ensure they are neither neglected nor overshadowed by the attention given to high achievers and learners with special needs. The study adopted a social constructivist perspective and used a participatory action learning and action research methodology which emphasised collaborative inquiry between educators and the researcher (Rowell et al., 2016). The educators, all of whom had extensive experience in the Foundation Phase, worked together to explore, implement, and reflect on strategies aimed at fostering a more supportive and inclusive classroom environment for average learners. Using the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner and inclusive education models, the research explored how teacher expectations, classroom dynamics, and teaching strategies impact the learning experiences of average learners. Data were collected through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and a reflexive researcher’s journal (Hathorn, 2020). Thematic analysis of the data provided important insights on the difficulties educators encounter while taking into account average learners’ needs, as well as practical strategies for promoting and creating a positive classroom culture. These strategies include differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and the use of reflexive praxis to ensure every learner feels valued and engaged. The findings revealed that strategies such as differentiated instruction, cooperative learning, and reflective teaching practices significantly promote inclusivity for average learners. The findings further highlighted the importance of raising awareness to recognise and support the often-overlooked average learners in classrooms, and the necessity for continued professional development to equip educators with effective, practical tools for inclusive teaching. This study contributes to the growing body of research on inclusive education and provides valuable insights for educators and policymakers aiming to create more equitable learning environments in the Foundation Phase. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie het ondersoek ingestel na opvoeders se strategieë in die Grondslagfase om 'n inklusiewe klaskamerkultuur te bevorder wat die behoeftes van alle leerders aanspreek, met spesifieke fokus op gemiddelde leerders wat dikwels in akademiese en literêre omgewings oor die hoof gesien word. Die navorsing is in die konteks van hoofstroom Grondslagfase-klaskamers in die Wes-Kaap provinsie gedoen en het ten doel gehad om te onthul hoe opvoeders die akademiese en sosiale ontwikkeling van gemiddelde leerders kan ondersteun om te verseker dat hulle nie verwaarloos of oorskadu word deur die aandag wat aan hoogpresterende leerders en leerders met spesiale behoeftes gegee word. Die studie is vanuit 'n sosiaal-konstruktivistiese perspektief benader en het 'n deelnemende aksie-leer- en aksienavorsingsmetodologie gebruik, wat samewerkende ondersoek tussen opvoeders en die navorser beklemtoon. Die opvoeders, wat almal uitgebreide ervaring in die Grondslagfase gehad het, het saamgewerk om strategieë te verken, te implementeer en te reflekteer op die bevordering van 'n meer inklusiewe en ondersteunende klaskameromgewing vir gemiddelde leerders. Deur Bronfenbrenner se ekologiese stelsels teorie en modelle van inklusiewe onderwys te benut, het die navorsing ondersoek hoe onderwyserverwagtinge, klaskamer dinamika en onderrigstrategieë die leerervarings van gemiddelde leerders beïnvloed. Data is versamel deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, fokusgroepbesprekings en die navorser se reflektiewe joernaal. Tematiese analise van die data het sleutelinsigte onthul oor die uitdagings wat opvoeders mee gekonfronteer word om die behoeftes van gemiddelde leerders aan te spreek, sowel as praktiese strategieë om 'n positiewe klaskamerkultuur te bevorder en te skep. Hierdie strategieë sluit gedifferensieerde onderrig, samewerkende leer en die gebruik van reflektiewe praktyk in om te verseker dat elke leerder waardeer en betrokke voel. Die bevindings het beklemtoon hoe belangrik dit is om meer aandag te gee aan gemiddelde leerders wat dikwels misgekyk word, en die noodsaaklikheid van voortdurende professionele ontwikkeling om opvoeders met effektiewe, praktiese hulpmiddels vir inklusiewe onderrig toe te rus.Hierdie studie dra by tot die groeiende navorsingsveld oor inklusiewe onderwys en bied waardevolle insigte vir opvoeders en beleidmakers wat streef om meer gelyke leeromgewings te skep. Masters 2025-06-10T12:20:29Z 2025-06-10T12:20:29Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132521 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 194 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Inclusive education Early childhood education Multicultural education Classroom environment Teachers -- Attitudes UCTD Jagles, Colette Sellen Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title | Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title_full | Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title_fullStr | Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title_short | Foundation phase educators' strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| title_sort | foundation phase educators strategies to promote inclusive classroom culture |
| topic | Inclusive education Early childhood education Multicultural education Classroom environment Teachers -- Attitudes UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132521 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jaglescolettesellen foundationphaseeducatorsstrategiestopromoteinclusiveclassroomculture |