Teacher perceptions of inclusion in early childhood care and education in an informal settlement.

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand teacher perceptions of inclusion in early childhood care and education (ECCE) in an informal settlement using the case study design. ECCE is the period from birth to age four before formal schooling begins. This has been identified as a critical period to optimise learning and development, with ripple effects throughout the human lifespan. However, mere access to ECCE services is not enough, as low-quality programmes cannot achieve what high-quality programmes achieve in terms of early learning and development. Creating inclusive ECCE learning spaces is one way to ensure high-quality early learning experiences. Despite the need for quality in this sector, ECCE in South Africa remains marginalised with poor funding, low salaries, poor infrastructure, and unqualified personnel. This plight of ECCE is further exacerbated in poor communities such as informal settlements with makeshift homes, poverty, lack of municipal services, pollution, and inadequate health facilities for children. This study, therefore, attempts to investigate teacher perceptions of inclusion in ECCE in an informal settlement. The study was located within the interpretive paradigm, and a qualitative case study design was adopted. Data were generated from four ECCE teachers in an informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. Findings show that teachers have both myopic and broad understandings of inclusion. The findings also reveal that although research participants stated that they did not receive any training on inclusion, they did attempt to implement inclusion. The study also highlights that the implementation of inclusion in an informal settlement is a challenge for teachers, as they do not receive support to create an inclusive programme for all children. Furthermore, the findings highlight limited learning resources to accommodate all children’s educational needs and the lack of necessary skills to implement inclusion. The study highlights the plight of children attending an ECCE in an informal settlement and the urgent need for government intervention to improve the quality of education and care to the most vulnerable members of our society.