Educational change : a support programme for educators in an inclusive school setting

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:In the movement towards inclusive education, demands that quality education for all presentchallenges for educator support to facilitate educational change in South Africa. Theproposed link between effective educational transformation and understanding andmanaging change stimulated the researcher's desire to develop an in-service education andtraining programme for educators within the concept of whole school development. Such aprogramme could ensure the simultaneous development of competence of the individual andthe school as an organisation.The first phase of this study comprised the development of a particular in-service educatorsupport programme aimed at addressing the identified needs of a specific target group ofeducators to facilitate educational transformation within an inclusive setting. The primaryfocus of the study was the development of educator competencies that would help educatorscope with educational change by means of the establishment of school-based supportteams. The content was based on a comprehensive overview of the literature on individualand institutional development as well as change. This was synthesized into four modules(Module one: change, transition, reviewing and clarifying vision and mission; Module two:leadership, teamwork and support; Module three; organisational change, the learningorganisation and organisational culture; Module four: application).In the second phase an evaluation research design was used to conduct a comprehensiveevaluation of the programme in order to make judgements (from an accountabilityperspective) to facilitate programme improvement (from a development perspective) and togenerate knowledge (from the perspective of academic value). The programme waspresented in ten sessions of three hours each over a period of seven months during andafter which qualitative and quantitative data was obtained and combined to ensure higherquality data for the identification of outcomes. An interpretive version of content analysis wasapplied for the identification of patterns from which subcategories, categories and a maintheme was constructed.The programme succeeded in achieving the primary objective of facilitating theestablishment of school-based support teams: 95% of the schools that participated in theprogramme established school-based support teams. It also contributed to the developmentof personal and professional competency in educators that helped them cope witheducational change. Participants experienced significant positive changes in their ownthinking and perceptions regarding inclusive education, educational change, support andteamwork. They understood why they needed to change, and developed a betterunderstanding of how to deal with the effects of change. From the patterns identified, thesub-categories of personal, professional and school development were constructed. Changeemerged as the overarching main theme. Embedded within this were the roles of thefacilitator and of transformative learning.The research flndinqs confirmed that the problem was appropriately conceptualised and thatthe design of the programme adequately addressed the needs of the participants.Respondents reported that they were more knowledgeable and skilful, and that they hadexperienced positive changes in their attitudes. These personal changes contributed tobetter educational service delivery and improved schools.This study demonstrated that educators can be given the support they need to cope witheducational change through an in-service support programme which is needs driven andwhich focuses simultaneously on individual and organisational development.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University