Understanding and enhancing learner integration in a selected ex-model c school.
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Date
2022
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Abstract
This study researched the understanding and enhancing of learner integration in a selected Ex-Model C school. This study viewed learner integration as a crucial element in the South African schools’ context because this phenomenon is linked to the psycho-social elements of the learners’ well-being in their learning environment. The study also maintains that learner integration has a transformative agenda as it is now based on democracy, social justice, and emancipation of educational practices that were negatively affected by the apartheid policies inherent in the previous education system in South Africa. This implies that learner integration is essential in ensuring that democracy, equity, and equality are entrenched in South African schools, specifically in Ex-Model C schools. Furthermore, learner integration supports the emancipation of these learners and enhances collaboration with the various educational stakeholders by showing that their contribution and commitment to this issue might bring changes and create an effective learner integration for all the learners at school, whilst enabling them to learn, grow and develop holistically in their learning environment. A growing body of literature has shown that there are some shortcomings in the former Model C schools’ system that inhibit the implementation of effective learner integration as well as the learning process, growth, and development of the learners in their learning environment. This study proposes an integration wheel that illustrates ways in which Ex-Model C schools could create a conducive learning environment with an effective learner integration implementation.
This is a qualitative research study that was guided by a Participatory Action Research design within the interpretive-cum-critical paradigm. The study employed multiple data generation methods consisting of several stakeholder meetings and photovoice visual data based on a reflective writing activity in response to the research questions. The Critical Emancipatory Research (CER) is the theoretical framework because it emphasises the emancipation, promotion of social justice, and empowerment of the co-researchers. The research process of this study drew on the CER theory principles whereby, the data were generated from the coresearchers’ voices reflecting their perspectives, subjective experiences and knowledge concerning the understanding and enhancing of learner integration in their school. Moreover, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was used to analyse the data generated from the multiple methods mentioned above. CDA is compatible with PAR and CER because it is emancipatory
by nature, and it allows the co-researchers participation in the data analysis procedures by actively involving them in discourse that attempt to shape and transform their society. The study drew on the findings from the diverse lived experiences, knowledge, and perspectives of the co-researchers of the study. The findings of the study revealed three themes: (i)Multi-perspectival understanding of learner integration in an Ex-Model C school context, (ii)Dynamism in the enhancement of learner integration; and (iii) Significance of the understanding and enhancing of learner integration. The findings from the first theme revealed that multi-perspectives on the co-researchers’ understanding of the learner integration phenomenon. The second theme of the study showed that co-researchers have the capabilities to suggest dynamic strategies for the enhancement of learner integration within their schools. This theme found that effective learner integration in an Ex-Model C school could be possible through multidimensional strategies that could be employed by the school authority as well as by the school community. Finally, the third theme reveals the significance and need for the understanding and enhancing process of learner integration issues in a selected Ex Model C school. The co-researcher’s comments on this theme indicated that learner integration has a huge impact not just on a learner’s academic achievements but also on their overall well-being as individuals. However, in Chapter Seven (section 7.3) the study revealed several implications that emerged from the findings of the study regarding learner integration such as poor support from some of the parents and teachers and monocultural practices. Chapter Three (section 3.5) of this study presents a literature review on the impediments that inhibit the successful implementation of learner integration in various school contexts. Thus, to deal with the impediments that hinder the successful learner integration in a selected Ex-Model C school, this study insisted that the school itself, the Department of Education (DOE) through the curriculum developers needs to work hand-in-hand with other educational stakeholders like teachers, parents, learners, and the school community.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.