Adjusting secondary teacher training programmes in Botswana to ensure effective support within inclusive education
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Date
2010-10
Authors
Mbengwa, Elizabeth Badirwang
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Educational support to learners has for many decades followed the traditional
modernist approach predominant in special education: learners were classified and
categorized according to the medical model of need. The advent of inclusive
education towards the end of the twentieth century, with a totally different approach
to need and support, created a mammoth challenge to teachers in inclusive
classrooms and staff within education support services, especially in developing
countries. A leap had to be made from the medical model to a social and ecosystemic
model of need, where the focus shifted to a holistic view of support needs,
whether it is located in the learner, the family, the peer group, the school or the
broader society – or the interaction amongst these systems that should be
addressed.
It is evident therefore that there is a need for teacher training programmes to
undergo transformation that will enable ordinary or general education teachers or
educators to function effectively within the inclusive education system.
This study investigated whether secondary special or inclusive education teacher
training in Botswana has taken the leap towards producing “diplomates” who can
effectively support learners in their inclusive classrooms. Furthermore, the study
endeavoured to propose a future model for secondary special/inclusive education
teacher training. Participants in the empirical investigation included teachers from the
two secondary colleges of education (Molepolole – MCE, and Tonota – TCE),
teacher trainers, school heads as well as knowledgeable persons in the area of
inclusive education and support. Questionnaires and interviews were used for
collecting data.
International developments on inclusive education teacher training and support were
considered while conducting the empirical investigation. Examples of those include:
international developments on the model of special or inclusive education teacher
training; teacher competencies, knowledge and skills relevant for inclusive education
and support; challenges to inclusive teacher training in institutions and factors to
facilitate effective teacher performance in the field. Subsequent to studying international perspectives on special or inclusive education
teacher training and investigating the status of special or inclusive education teacher
training in Botswana secondary colleges, the researcher reached the conclusion that
the current teacher training programme has to a large extent not taken the leap
towards inclusive education teacher training. The programme would therefore not
enable teachers to function effectively within the inclusive system of education. The
findings included amongst others that the programme is predominantly focused on
the traditional modernist approach – teachers are trained along the medical model. It
was also established that there are other factors that contribute to the ineffectiveness
of the programme, for example, unavailability and inadequacy of human and material
resources and a lack of policy and guidelines on inclusive education and support at
institutional and currently at national level (the national policy still being in progress).
On the other hand, it has to be acknowledged that the programme has some positive
areas that match international developments on special or inclusive education
teacher training. These areas are that the programme is studied by all trainees and it
is also broad-based. Moreover, there are programme components that are of
importance to successful implementation of inclusive education support, such as the
Individualised Education Programmes/Plans (IEPs).
This study may be used as a basis for evaluating the current special or inclusive
education teacher training programmes at the Botswana secondary colleges of
education, namely MCE and TCE. It is also envisaged that the proposed teacher
training model will be of great assistance during the reviewing and restructuring of
these (and other international) programmes.
Description
Keywords
Thesis (Ph. D. (Psychology of Education))--University of the Free State, 2010, Inclusive education -- Botswana, Teachers -- Training of -- Botswana