Investigating FET college lecturers' experiences of the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in a mainstream classroom.

Abstract

This is a qualitative study that involved 7 FET College lecturers and investigated their experiences of including the learning disabled in a mainstream classroom. Both in-depth qualitative interviews and observations were used to investigate their experiences. The findings indicate that the lecturers have both positive and negative experiences of including students with learning disabilities in the mainstream classroom. Despite any formal training on inclusive education as highlighted in Education White Paper 6 (EWP6), the FET College lecturers are striving to include the learning disabled in the mainstream classroom. However, they also encounter a myriad of challenges when including the learning disabled in the mainstream classrooms. The findings indicate that the FET College is currently not equipped with adequate resources and programmes that cater for the needs of students with learning disabilities. Moreover, FET College lecturers that were interviewed indicated that they had no qualifications that specifically equip them to teach students with learning disabilities. They all felt a need for training and staff development in the area of teaching and supporting students with learning disabilities. Recommendations into improving the provisioning of support to the lecturers teaching students with learning disabilities and the students concerned are made.