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This article analyses the complexities experienced by two student-teacher groups hailing from two diverse campuses of one Higher Education Institution. The timespan focused on their transition from face-to-face teacher education learning to online. Since COVID-19, lecturers have had to reassess curricula delivery as online teaching became the norm. This shift has been impacted by complex challenges that enable and constrain prospective teachers' professional development and academic success. Immersed in the qualitative paradigm, this paper uses a positive psychology framework to analyse students' well-being experiences. The main data production instrument utilised was an online questionnaire completed by 473 student-teachers. The narratives within this qualitative study framework were central to this study by providing a voice to the well-being of developing professional teachers during a global pandemic. A qualitative questionnaire of 473 students constituted the data. The comparative biographical profile of these participants shows that students from the rural campus could continue their studies more successfully online despite barriers. By contrast, the urban students, mostly working class, were constrained by a lack of readiness, family support, financial resources, online connectivity, and difficulty adjusting to the new pedagogy. Economic and cultural capital separate the students' development experiences to become qualified teachers. The article concludes by exposing the fundamental findings that provide insights into the possibilities of using a flexible or hybrid approach to learning and teaching based on the lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has adopted a policy on inclusive education through which White Paper 6 (2001) became the roadmap for implementation. One hundred and sixty-four (164) full-service schools were established to provide education to diverse learners. The extent to which these schools practise inclusion has not been well documented. This critical participatory action research (PAR) study was therefore aimed at exploring the development (if necessary) of an inclusion framework for full-service schools. PAR was adopted as a design through which 12 teachers and 15 learners at a full-service school in Johannesburg East District were engaged in action research over a 6-month period, entailing observations, interviewing and focus group meetings. The inductive content analysis of data has resulted in an inclusive teaching framework modelled on Booth and Ainscow's Inclusive Education Index (2002), to address the identified key pillars of inclusive teaching for diverse classes in a full-service school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: Different types of barrier can impede the learning that is critical within workplaces that are complex and challenging. Firms that identify and successfully address these barriers become better placed to create conditions that are more conducive to workplace learning. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education has featured strongly in the South African education landscape since it was first incorporated into policy in 2001. Although parents are key stakeholders in the successful implementation of inclusive education, there has not been much research exploring parents' understanding within this space. Therefore, this study aimed to explore parents' understanding of inclusion and exclusion in education from seven primary schools in the Johannesburg area. This paper is based on the qualitative data drawn from a larger mixed methods study where 559 written responses exploring parents of primary school learners' understanding were analysed and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Four core themes were identified, namely, inclusion/exclusion criteria, levels of inclusion and exclusion, effects of exclusion and the effects of inclusion. Sub-themes of interpersonal and extra-personal characteristics emerged for the theme of inclusion/exclusion criteria, while further analysis of levels of inclusion/exclusion resulted in the sub-themes of formal and epistemological access. It was clear that parents' understanding of inclusion and exclusion was grounded more in the practices of inclusion/exclusion as opposed to a more abstract, theoretical understanding. These results are discussed within the context of the SASA and Education White Paper 6 policy within South Africa, as well as literature around the types of educational access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to estimate a structural equation model that can represent the relationship between latent variables, and the relationship between latent variables and indicator variables. The latent variables studied in this research are Campus Environment (KPS), Family Environment (LK), Community Environment (LM), and Seating (TD) on oneself (DS). The method used to analyze the data is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) based on Partial Least Square (PLS). The research data was obtained through a survey using a questionnaire of Padjadjaran University students with simple random sampling technique. The research result shows that (1) Campus Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 23.5%. (2) Family Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 30.6%. (3) Community Environment has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 22.8%. (4) Seating has a significant positive influence on Oneself by 20.8%. The SEM model formed has a coefficient of determination (Rsquared) of 0.90. So, SEM-PLS is an analysis that can provide information that can be used as a support for making learning process policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on longitudinal birth cohort data for Britain to analyse participation in learning activities by people in their 30s and 40s. People in this age group have received less attention than either young adults or people in retirement. Yet technical change and the need for new skills make it important for them to engage in learning to improve their prospects at work. We investigate participation and non-participation in a range of different types of learning including gaining qualifications, vocational training and learning for interest. Statistical models explore how factors which occur before their 30s influence learning in this phase of the lifecourse. The results show that cumulative advantage is important – those with the highest qualifications in early adulthood were most likely to engage in further learning later on. Participation in learning activities of any kind in young adulthood was also a key antecedent factor predicting higher chances of participating in learning in mid-life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education is a contested domain with positions ranging from strident opposition through cautious support to strong advocacy. Some stakeholders have taken a middle-of-the-road position because while they endorse the human rights discourse that makes inclusion a global imperative, they are caught up in a dilemma between their aspirations and the realities at school level which leave them uncertain of exactly what gains and losses might be involved in a total commitment to inclusive education. This paper reports on the findings of a study that investigated perceptions of selected primary school teachers on inclusive education in order to gain an understanding of the connection between learner support and experiences in the inclusive classroom. In-depth interviews were conducted with 9 teachers at two schools in a site-based study augmented by responses to questionnaires administered to 59 teachers across four schools in one of the district municipalities in South Africa. The study, informed by a realist philosophical perspective, adopted a mixed methods approach and a convergent parallel design. Teachers' commitment to a human rights discourse was evident. The pragmatic realities which, in teachers' experiences, constitute the major impediments to thorough-going and successful inclusive classroom practice are time, class size and insufficient training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the practice of inclusive education has recently been widely embraced as an ideal model for education, the acceptance of inclusive education practices has not translated into reality in most mainstream classrooms. Despite the fact that education policies in South Africa stipulate that all learners should be provided with the opportunities to participate as far as possible in all classroom activities, the implementation of inclusive education is still hampered by a combination of a lack of resources and the attitudes and actions of the teachers in the classroom. The main purpose of this paper was to develop a deeper understanding of a group of South African teachers' personal understanding about barriers to learning and how their understanding relates to their consequent actions to implement inclusive education in their classrooms. A qualitative research approach placed within a cultural-historical and bio-ecological theoretical framework was used. The findings, in this paper, indicate that the way in which teachers understand a diversity of learning needs is based on the training that they initially received as teachers, which focused on a deficit, individualised approach to barriers to learning and development, as well as contextual challenges, and that both have direct and substantial effects on teachers' classroom practices. As a result, they engage in practices in their classrooms that are less inclusive, by creating dual learning opportunities that are not sufficiently made available for everyone, with the result that every learner is not able to participate fully as an accepted member of their peer group in all classroom activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on educational choices and participation has tended to focus on youth and to some extent on older adults, with little attention to the group in between. This paper therefore analyses participation in various types of learning by people in their 30s and 40s. This group are often juggling career and family life commitments meaning that there are substantial barriers and time constraints on learning participation. We draw on large-scale quantitative longitudinal data for Britain to examine the trajectory of engagement with learning using latent class analysis to identify patterns in the data and regression modelling to investigate explanatory factors. We show that both highest qualification reached by their early 30s and participation in learning activities of some kind in young adulthood are key antecedent factors predicting higher chances of participating in learning in mid-life. The research confirms the importance of cumulative processes in learning as in other aspects of the lifecourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-1994, South Africa was a country riddled with inequality and discrimination stemming from the policy of ‘apartheid’. Since 1994, there have been considerable efforts made to enable the country to move toward becoming non-racial and democratic, with a culture of human rights and social justice. One of the primary tasks of the new democratically elected government was a reform of the education system. Specialized Education was initially neglected, but then in 1996 a National Commission was appointed to investigate Special Needs in Education and Education Support Services, of which the author was one of the co-ordinators. The timeline for the full implementation of the resulting White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education is 20 years. Inclusive Education in South Africa aims to meet the needs of all learners by addressing barriers to learning, welcoming diversity and fostering maximum participation by all in the culture of the school. This article, based on the author’s experience, will discuss the challenges for implementation of the policy in one of the South African districts which field-tested the recommendations in White Paper 6, a district with diverse contexts, the emerging promising practice, and the implications for specialized support professionals, in particular the role of school psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Education for learners with learning needs that can be regarded as challenging has changed over the past 30 years from education in separate school and classroom settings, especially for learners with disabilities based on a medical-deficit model, to education based on the internationally accepted belief that every learner has the right to be included in a mainstream classroom and school. This change flowed from a socially constructed view that stumbling blocks in society play an important role in discriminating against those who are regarded as being different. International organisations such as the United Nations and its agency UNESCO have played and are still playing a leading role in this regard. The publication in 1994 of the Salamanca Statement by UNESCO (signed by 92 countries, including South Africa) is regarded as a watershed event in establishing inclusive education as the guiding principle in the development of equitable education for all; the Statement argues that all learners should be accommodated in mainstream schools regardless of, for example, their physical, intellectual or emotional needs and differences or their home language. High-income countries with well- funded, well-established school systems were quick to follow this movement in developing policies and implementation strategies based on international guidelines. Lower-income countries were slower to follow the new approach and in many instances have simply tried to transfer strategies developed in high-resource countries to their own contexts. The focus of this article is to examine critically the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa against the background of international guidelines and efforts by UNESCO to monitor progress. Elements of education systems that are regarded as essential for the implementation of inclusive education and that were monitored for UNESCO's 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report on Inclusion in 2018 are placed within Bronfenbrenner's social-ecological model, in which the interaction between processes at different system levels is emphasised. These elements include laws and policies at national or macro-level, governance and finance at national and provincial levels (macro- and meso-levels), school curricula (macro- and meso-levels), facilities and infrastructure within schools and their communities (micro-levels). The development of inclusive education in South Africa should be seen as a logical outcome of the introduction of full democracy in the country in 1994 and the concomitant expectation that education would be transformed to recognise the rights of all to be educated. As a result, policy development in education, including policy on the development of inclusive education, took human rights as its point of departure, but it soon became apparent that the idealism expressed in policy documents was difficult to realise in practice. In analysing the implementation of inclusive education in South Africa in preparation for the international monitoring process, the following became clear. In the national legal framework, White Paper 6 (2001) is regarded as the point of departure to address inclusive education, the implementation of which is based on the South African Constitution (Republic of South Africa, 1996a) and supports inclusive education for learners with diverse learning needs. However, despite the fact that the White Paper acknowledges a socially constructed view of barriers to learning in an inclusive education system, researchers indicate that recommendations regarding implementation tend to be idealistic and that realities regarding available capacities and resources were not fully taken into account. Furthermore, a strong dependence on the medical-deficit model in the recommendations for learner support by advocating a continuum of support has led to both conflict and ambiguity in the understanding of what inclusive education really means among the members of the general public, teachers, learners and their parents. In connection with governance and finances, UNESCO regards the roles of intersectoral collaborative leadership and adequate funding as crucial. Although South African implementation guidelines since 2001 emphasise the roles of collaboration and participatory leadership, there is insufficient research-based evidence that indicates effective collaboration between different role players and effective leadership regarding the implementation of inclusive education in most schools. Furthermore, budgetary constraints at all system levels continue to have a negative effect on the implementation of inclusive education. This situation involves, inter alia, disparities, especially in rural areas, in the provision of adequate learning material in order to facilitate a more inclusive curriculum, inadequate physical facilities and a lack of effective learning support from district learning support teams, which lead to negative perceptions among teachers of their self-efficacy in implementing inclusive education. Teachers are regarded as key role players and teacher education for inclusion therefore forms an integral part of implementation strategies both globally and in South Africa. An analysis of the contents of initial teacher education programmes in South Africa indicates that an additional model approach is taken when a separate course on inclusive education is added to the programme as a whole, with the result that inclusive education is still regarded as "special" and "separate" and not an essential part of the knowledge and skills that every teacher should acquire. With specific reference to attitudes towards diversity, it is globally accepted that a society's attitudes towards diversity have an important effect on the implementation of inclusive education at macro-, meso- and micro-levels, and South African legal frameworks as well as implementation guidelines therefore stress its importance. However, these attitudes at meso- and micro-levels are affected by both the socio-economic contexts in communities and culturally relevant attitudes towards formal education, especially for learners with disabilities, in specific communities. It is therefore important to note that inclusivity in communities and education is a cultural product that has specific implications, depending on the community concerned. The discussion of internationally accepted elements of inclusive education systems and how they have developed in South Africa illustrates the importance of acknowledging the complexities involved in monitoring progress in unique national contexts. It is clear that insight into and knowledge of the dynamic interaction between unique cultural-historical and socioeconomic contexts in national contexts are needed if implementation in a specific national context is analysed. The conclusion is that the time is right to question critically why there is such a strong dependence in South Africa on policies and practices developed in high-income countries. The collaborative development of more locally situated inclusive education approaches at all system levels that draw on the interaction between cultural-historical factors and socio-economic realities in South Africa is imperative if the vision of equitable access to, acceptance of and participation in mainstream education for all learners is to be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary school educators in South Africa often experience difficulties in applying recommended adaptive assessment methods in large multilingual classes, with these challenges being exacerbated when teaching and assessing English as First Additional Language (EFAL). In this article, we report on a study that explored Grade 6 educators' knowledge and use of adaptive assessment methods when teaching EFAL. The national Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support ([SIAS] Department of Basic Education [DBE], Republic of South Africa [RSA], 2014) underpins our study as a theoretical framework. We followed a qualitative research approach to examine the knowledge as well as the classroom practices of 6 purposively selected educators who taught EFAL. The study was grounded in the interpretivist paradigm and investigated educators' lived experiences integrating adaptive assessment procedures into the teaching of EFAL in Grade 6 inclusive classrooms. We relied on semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis to collect data and performed thematic analysis to identify, analyse and report repeated patterns. The findings from our study indicate that the participating educators perceived their training in inclusive education and their use of adaptive assessment methods as inadequate, especially in the context of large, under-resourced classrooms. As a result, we recommend that educators should receive the necessary support from the school-based support teams and the district-based support teams to use adaptive assessment methods when teaching EFAL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 crisis has encouraged a major shift towards greater environmental awareness and sustainable consumption. However, in times of severe crisis, SMEs primarily look to return to normalcy and their own survival rather than implementing a sustainable agenda. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the learning problems faced by small tourism enterprises in a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the learning capacity of SMEs and the importance of establishing mechanisms that provide SMEs with the keys to organizational learning as a source of continuous knowledge. Open-ended semi-structured interviews with 39 tourism SMEs managers in Galicia (Spain) were conducted during the toughest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that SMEs have not been fully involved in the learning process, which is mainly related to knowledge transfer and integration. DMOs can act as promoters of knowledge management for organizational preparedness by providing SMEs with learning mechanisms and strategies to go beyond simple problem solving when they arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, the USA and Australia, there have been calls for an increase in the number of engineering graduates to meet the needs of current global challenges. Universities around the world have been grappling with how to both attract more engineering students and to then retain them. Attrition from engineering programmes is disturbingly high. This paper reports on an element of research undertaken through an Australian Learning and Teaching Council-funded Fellowship that investigated the factors leading to student attrition in engineering programmes, by identifying barriers to student success. Here, we contrast a review of the literature related to student barriers and success with student perceptions, gathered through a series of focus groups and interviews at three Australian universities. We also present recommendations for action to try to remove barriers to student success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Inclusive education has featured strongly in the South African education landscape since it was first incorporated into policy in 2001. Although parents are key stakeholders in the successful implementation of inclusive education, there has not been much research exploring parents’ understanding within this space. Therefore, this study aimed to explore parents’ understanding of inclusion and exclusion in education from seven primary schools in the Johannesburg area. This paper is based on the qualitative data drawn from a larger mixed methods study where 559 written responses exploring parents of primary school learners’ understanding were analysed and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Four core themes were identified, namely, inclusion/ exclusion criteria, levels of inclusion and exclusion, effects of exclusion and the effects of inclusion. Sub-themes of interpersonal and extra-personal characteristics emerged for the theme of inclusion/exclusion criteria, while further analysis of levels of inclusion/exclusion resulted in the sub-themes of formal and epistemological access. It was clear that parents’ understanding of inclusion and exclusion was grounded more in the practices of inclusion/exclusion as opposed to a more abstract, theoretical understanding. These results are discussed within the context of the SASA and Education White Paper 6 policy within South Africa, as well as literature around the types of educational access.

The engagement of undergraduate students with their university is an important factor in the quality of their learning experience. The central question of this paper is how to understand the apparent disengagement from university of a cohort of first year civil engineering students. A questionnaire was used to investigate the motivation and barriers to learning of the students. The results suggest that students may be well motivated and may also severely restrict contact with their university due to commitments to employment and family. In conclusion, implications for the academic management of courses are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although governments have recognized the need to make education more accessible to children with developmental disabilities and/or learning difficulties, many children remain excluded from participation in regular school settings, let alone receive adequate education. Though every country which ratified the United Nations (UN) 2006 Convention on the Rights of People with Disability has committed itself to inclusive education, there are many obstacles. One of them is the currently preferred way of assessing children with standardized, psychometric diagnostic tests with a classifying purpose. This type of assessment, based on a medical impairment model and a static model of intelligence, results in reports which are sometimes not very useful for educational advice. This paper reports an overview of the results of the DAFFODIL project (Dynamic Assessment of Functioning and Oriented at Development and Inclusive Learning), created by a consortium of eight European partners in order to research more inclusive alternatives and suggest reforms to assessment and coaching procedures. It starts with a critical review of current assessment practices; then it presents criteria for good practices for assessing children with additional educational needs in a more dynamic, inclusion-oriented and contextual way. A Delphi procedure was used by 150 professionals and parents to develop a consensus for guidelines for assessment procedures oriented at mapping functional difficulties, context, interaction and possibilities for learning, with the objective to understanding learning processes, to develop more inclusive, challenging and suitable educational programmes and more useful recommendations for teachers, parents and rehabilitation staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa underwent political reform in 1994 from an Apartheid government to a democratic state. This shift impacted on all population groups and resulted in a shift in the social orientation of black youth (Tyson & Stones, 2002; Everatt, 2002; Möller, 2005; Ganagakis, 2004). These authors consistently report that black adolescents value academic qualifications as a means of escaping traditional black working-class work and the constraints deriving from a heritage of oppression. Therefore, former white universities, known for their high standards and academic excellence experienced an influx of black students who previously were excluded from these institutions. The only admission criterion for universities in the current dispensation is the m-score, which is a rating scale where points are allocated according to marks obtained in each Senior Certificate subject passed. The sum of these points determines a person's m-score. Although black students comply with the prescribed m-score, there still remain remnants of a past characterized by social deprivation and mediocrity in the provision of education. These barriers, such as lack of finances to purchase study material, language barriers and being exposed to inner-city conditions, hamper achievement on tertiary level, thus continuing the social inequity and educational imbalances from the past. This paper will report on a study, which investigated the extent of learning barriers that black students at the University of Pretoria experience, and endeavors to determine the learning support they need in order to succeed academically. A qualitative approach was followed and data were gathered by means of focus group interviews and participants' photo portfolios. The data were interpreted with reference to recent perceptions on adult learning, particularly in the African context. Implications for higher education in general will be indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes key elements for mathematics teachers, through the faculty development process, to increase student engagement and motivation in learning mathematics. It addresses common barriers facing student motivation and achievement in the field of mathematics and provides potential remedies from a faculty development viewpoint to alleviate these barriers. The paper offers practical examples from the authors' own faculty development programs and experiences in teaching mathematics to both foster and grow the intellectual curiosity of students and offers suggestions for successful faculty development programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intent of this paper is to explore how to engage reluctant adult learners who may have barriers to education. These can include language barriers, past experience, family life, and not valuing education or themselves; all which can impact learning. Some learners expect courses to be based on traditional teaching methods, for example being teacher led, and presume it will be like school. Some are also surprised at the amount of paperwork that is required, from enrolment forms to learner journals and the formalities of Adult Community Learning (ACL). This paper includes two learner case studies that explore strategies researched through reading and techniques trialled in sessions. Key findings show tutors have to build a strong relationship in a safe environment. Guidance and suggestions for tutors can be found in the strategies sourced for this paper. Adjustments to teacher practice can be shown to have an impact on engaging learners. These include understanding the learners’ motivation, making learners feel safe, respected and valued, using their contexts as learning opportunities, getting to know learners personally, showing openly that the tutor learns from the learner, listening and acting on learners’ opinions, building bonds between learners, sharing emotions with them, and signposting for progression. Tutors and community courses can offer opportunities for reluctant learners to engage in education, helping to lower their barriers and build self-confidence. However, suitability of venues, courses offered, and the recruitment process can be reassessed to make further impact.

While the practice of inclusive education has recently been widely embraced as an ideal model for education, the acceptance of inclusive education practices has not translated into reality in most mainstream classrooms. Despite the fact that education policies in South Africa stipulate that all learners should be provided with the opportunities to participate as far as possible in all classroom activities, the implementation of inclusive education is still hampered by a combination of a lack of resources and the attitudes and actions of the teachers in the classroom. The main purpose of this paper was to develop a deeper understanding of a group of South African teachers' personal understanding about barriers to learning and how their understanding relates to their consequent actions to implement inclusive education in their classrooms. A qualitative research approach placed within a cultural-historical and bio-ecological theoretical framework was used. The findings, in this paper, indicate that the way in which teachers understand a diversity of learning needs is based on the training that they initially received as teachers, which focused on a deficit, individualised approach to barriers to learning and development, as well as contextual challenges, and that both have direct and substantial effects on teachers' classroom practices. As a result, they engage in practices in their classrooms that are less inclusive, by creating dual learning opportunities that are not sufficiently made available for everyone, with the result that every learner is not able to participate fully as an accepted member of their peer group in all classroom activities.

Key policies on teacher development emphasise the necessity of a teaching force that is competent to apply learner-centred practices. Barriers to learning, like poverty, present huge classroom challenges and have implications for in-service programmes intended to develop learner-centred practices. This study endeavoured to determine factors that influenced the effective implementation of in-service programmes to assist teachers with learner-centred teaching in the Blue Waters area of the Western Cape. It was anticipated that identifying these factors would assist teachers in poverty-stricken schools in an area like Blue Waters to effectively deal with poverty-related challenges of individual learners. A qualitative case study approach was applied with convenience and purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews and a document study were used as tools to collect data. The participants of this study consisted of one principal, one social worker, and one district officer from the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). Qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis. The competencies of teachers, Department of Education (DoE) and Department of Basic Education (DBE) policy intentions, socio-economic issues, and the types of in-service development programmes were revealed as factors inhibiting the In-Service Development Programmes at schools. This study recommended that the application of this strategy needed the holistic development of teaching skills at schools in Blue Waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa, a country that suffered from discriminatory practices in the past, is still feeling the impact of these practices currently. One of these practices limited access to educational institutions, particularly for children experiencing barriers to learning. The focus of this article is on parents' perceptions of barriers to learning as they aid or constrain learners' access to education. In addition, the article explores how the notion of value, as it is expressed in the capability approach, influences support for formal and epistemological access. Four hundred and six parents of children without barriers to learning completed a self-report questionnaire from seven mainstream primary schools in Gauteng, while two hundred and twenty-two parents responded to the open-ended questions. The questionnaire comprised a demographic section and 61 item Likert-type scale and two open-ended questions which explored parents' perceptions of barriers to learning. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the responses to the open-ended questions, while responses to the scale were analysed using SPSS. The results clustered around the themes of behaviour, school climate/environment, learning ability, discrimination and teachers, which indicate that parents assign greater value to the functioning of education than to inclusivity. The general stance however was in favour of formal access over epistemological access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of CEPS Journal is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Advances in school psychology and mental health highlight the role of collaborative teacher-parent engagement to ensure optimal psychoeducational support. The objective of this South African study was to explore the views of parents and learners regarding Adelman and Taylor's Initial Assessment and Consultation (IAC) shared problem-solving approach to psychoeducational intervention. This approach promotes a paradigm shift from a reductionist and individual deficit orientation to a model which places emphasis on family empowerment and systemic intervention. Data was collected using focus group interviews with 44 parents as well as by administering pre- post-IAC intervention questionnaires to 72 learners who experienced a range of barriers to learning. The research was conducted in 18 under-resourced mainstream regular education schools. Despite acknowledging challenges, parents felt that they had actively participated in the problem-solving and decision-making process with respect to their children. Paired t-test results showed a significant improvement in the views of learners regarding their school work, behaviour and home situations after participation in the IAC family sessions. While further research is recommended, the findings of this exploratory study suggest that the IAC is an adaptable approach which can potentially be applied within diverse school contexts to foster teacher-family collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explored the academic barriers that prevent the inclusion of learners with visual impairment in mainstream schools. It is a purposive study that was conducted in two schools in Tigray Regional State in Ethiopia. The data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions from 2 school principals, 4 teachers, and 12 learners with and without visual impairment. The findings reveal a lack of books in braille, a shortage of computers with "Job Access With Speech" (JAWS) software, few audio-recorded materials, and minimal curriculum adaptation to suit learners with visual impairments. It was discovered that these academic barriers affect the teaching and learning as well as the implementation and actualization of inclusive education. Therefore, this article calls for the Ministry of Education (MoE), schools, communities, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to intervene and ensure the balance between accessibility of education and availability of resources to cater to all learners with visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted higher education institutions in the United States (US). Given the dangers of close social interaction in spreading COVID-19, colleges and universities closed their campuses to minimize and often restrict face-to-face instruction of any kind, including supplemental skill development training and experiential learning. In exchange, higher education institutions implemented online learning strategies to continue education for students, including in-person experiential field experiences. This paper describes the adaptation of an in-person experiential field experience into an eight-day virtual workshop as a result of COVID-19 restrictions along with results from participant surveys evaluating pre-and post-test changes in knowledge and their overall assessment of the virtual workshop. This workshop, the Public Health and Cancer Research Workshop (PHCRW), was tailored for students from health-related graduate programs with the primary goal of introducing students to the causes and impacts of cancer disparities in the US/Mexico border region and research related to mitigating those disparities. The course facilitators added a professional development curriculum necessary for student success and the pursuit of advanced degrees such as academic/job interviewing skills and scientific and grant writing. The objectives were for students to (1) understand introductory and intermediate curriculum on public health, cancer, and cancer research; (2) examine the interrelationships among factors impacting public health problems; (3) describe the components of the research process; (4) describe various components of scientific writing; and (5) demonstrate professional strategies associated with school admission and employment. Students completed pre-and post- self-assessments that indicated gains in knowledge about cancer topics, particularly cancer prevention strategies (Mpre = 3.43; Mpost = 4.43), social determinants associated with cancer (Mpre = 3.29; Mpost = 4.43), and cancer rates by characteristics (Mpre = 3.43; Mpost = 4.43). Additionally, students overwhelmingly stated that they appreciated the opportunity to supplement their educational experience in a virtual format. Though the virtual format proved challenging in some respects, students expressed high satisfaction with the workshop. In addition to achieving the goals, the workshop successfully increased students' skills, knowledge, and self-confidence. Despite the last-minute adaptation of the PHCRW, students' satisfaction indicated that this program was an overall success.

Research indicates that the success of inclusive education lies within the provision of adequate support for learners who experience barriers to learning in mainstream schools as well as in the changing roles of teachers and support services staff. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) implemented a learning support model, designed to systemically deal with barriers to learning in some primary schools in the province. An evaluation of the WCED model established that this learning support model is not completely contextually responsive to the South African context with specific reference to resources, both human and physical. Although the WCED endeavours to distribute resources more even-handedly across schools in the Western Cape Province, there is still a general lack of resources and institutional capacity which hampers the successful implementation of inclusive education. This situation creates specific barriers that are responsible for the gap between current educational policies and the implementation thereof in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning for self development and professional development has almost become a necessity in the face of rapid technological advancement, knowledge explosion and socio-economic change among others; and for most adults combining work with study may be the only way out for them to further their education. Part-time study is thus becoming trendy worldwide including Ghana. But it also comes with its challenges. This paper sought to find out what these problems are in Ghana. The survey design was used with the questionnaire being the principal instrument and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. There were 160 students who were sampled from four institutions offering part-time study in Accra. Three of them were offering professional courses with City Campus of University of Ghana offering academic courses. The findings revealed that part-time students have problems relating to family responsibilities, work, institutional commitments and finance among others. The findings indicated that course deliveries at the distance need to be flexible in terms of structure and time. Distance education provision must consider fee payments in instalments in order to retain the students in the learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that South African teachers need knowledge and skills for the practical implementation of inclusive education. With the assumption that inclusive schools will reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, teachers are expected to ensure that the learning needs of all learners, including those who experience barriers to learning, would be met in ordinary (as opposed to separate or special) classrooms. Much as the international experience of inclusion can inform local practice, South Africa's unique historical, socio-economic and educational context will determine how inclusion is implemented in this country. South African teachers can learn much from inclusive practices that have been shown to be successful in the developed and developing world, but have to work with the challenges and opportunities of the post-apartheid classroom. Key inclusive strategies, such as training, differentiation, collaboration and modification can and must be made relevant in South African schools. Guided by local policy and legislation, teachers not only have to employ class-wide strategies that acknowledge diversity, but also need to provide the support necessary to allow individual learners who experience barriers to learning to succeed. By using authentic classroom examples and the national education department's 'Guidelines for Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support', teachers and members of institution level support teams can be assisted to ensure quality teaching and learning relevant to all their learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to discover what students find difficult or uninteresting in areas known to be troublesome in their materials engineering degree programmes, questions were posed to students in four universities across the UK as part of a larger study conducted by the UK Centre for Materials Education. We were keen to find out what it is that makes students like and dislike certain concepts in physics and mathematics which are compulsory parts of their degree programme. This paper considers this data in the light of the work by Meyer, et al., on threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge [1] together with our recent work on blocks and pathways to knowledge negotiation [2]. Ultimately we hope to uncover those pathways through threshold concepts allowing students access to a higher level learning potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and evaluates a process by which the professional development needs of community pharmacists (CPs) were identified and recommendations made as to how they might be addressed. Twenty CPs were recruited onto the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme and asked to complete a reflective logbook over a four-week period. Day one of the programme involved participation in seven skills evaluation workstations, a focus group to explore their views about CPD and a one-to-one interview with a facilitator to review the reflective logbooks and individual perceived training needs. Day two involved the presentation of the results of pharmacists' performance in the skills workstations, followed by individual feedback to inform their personal development plans (PDPs). Fourteen pharmacists completed the CPD programme. Three key training needs were identified from the skills assessment workstations and six themes from the focus groups. Evaluation of the CPD programme indicated that it was highly rated and improved their understanding of the CPD process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators are one of the stakeholders in the education system working to ensure learner success. According to the Minimum Requirements For Teacher Education Qualifications, educators must fulfil 7 roles in their quest to impart education. In the study reported on her, we investigated Grade 6 educators' knowledge and use of mediation as one of their roles in teaching English as First Additional Language (FAL) in Grade 6 inclusive classrooms. We further investigated how educators responded to learners who had diverse learning needs in English as FAL in Grade 6 inclusive classrooms. Six educators who taught English as FAL were purposively selected to participate in this study. Data were collected using qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews and observations, in addition to document analysis. The participating educators indicated that large classes, a lack of training on inclusive education, and the scarcity of teaching resources made their mediation roles in teaching English as FAL in Grade 6 inclusive classrooms very challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variety of difficulties that individuals with developmental dyslexia face makes it challenging to diagnose, to develop appropriate intervention strategies, and teach coping and learning skills. An instrumental single case study was used to explore the experiences of a young man who had been formally diagnosed with severe developmental dyslexia. The various barriers he faced because of having developmental dyslexia were examined. A multi-dimensional interactive model was developed from the results of the study, as well as from cases of people with developmental dyslexia diagnosed before and after this case study was conducted. This multidimensional interactive model illustrates the five primary barriers or factors, which a person with developmental dyslexia may have to deal with on a daily basis, and thus have to compensate for, in order to pass secondary school. All five factors form a continual flow or interplay between one another. This means that there is a constant influence of one or more factors on another. The model assists to illustrate the complexity of developmental dyslexia and the difficulty in diagnosing and treating the disorder, as each individual presents with a different set of difficulties or factors. This multi-dimensional model includes: the neurological factors, the intrapersonal factors, the interpersonal factors, the behavioral factors, as well as the emotional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, students with disabilities (SWD) are increasing in numbers in higher education institutions. SWD are legally required to be supported by their institutions to ensure equity of access and outcome. Most research around SWD is focused on the provision of support and accommodation to achieve equitable access. Recent research has shown that the majority of students who would qualify as 'disabled' choose not to disclose and receive no support. This research asks SWD (n = 553) to describe the impact of their disability on their learning. Impacts described included limited access, decreased engagement and cognitive differences. Meeting the needs of these students, who in the main are non-disclosed, is explored through consideration of impairment and disability within the institution with the goal of improving the experience of learning for these students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learners in MOOCs often experience challenges that can be identified as barriers to learning. These barriers may be MOOC-or not MOOC-related. By knowing about potential barriers learners would be better prepared and more likely to handle and overcome them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to advance insight and knowledge about barriers to learning in MOOCs. Assessment and reassessment of the data using exploratory factor analysis provided a good model fit for a 6-factor structure. This was confirmed by a confirmatory factor analysis. Further classification of the factors revealed that barriers experienced by learners were predominantly non-MOOC related. To get insight into the barriers learners experience, it was suggested to convert the identified factor structure into a diagnostic instrument (dashboard) powered by learner self-report. This dashboard then provides information about barriers learners experience and can be valuable for making (re) design decisions and for developing learner supporting tools and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulties that individuals with developmental dyslexia face, makes it challenging to diagnose, to develop appropriate intervention strategies and teach coping and learning skills. However, many individuals with developmental dyslexia develop their own strategies and compensatory skills to cope. An instrumental single case study was used to explore the experiences of a young man, Paul, who had been formally diagnosed with severe developmental dyslexia as a child, with co-morbid difficulties with attention and dyspraxia. The five dimensions of difficulties or barriers that Paul experienced, and thus where compensation had to take place were explored in this study. These allowed him to develop the strategies, methods and skills necessary to cope with the barriers he faced to become a pilot. Ongoing evidence of difficulties drawn from a screening test, despite the presence of a high IQ level, are also presented to enrich the data, and quotations from interviews included to allow the adult's voice to be heard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study reported on here, we focused on the use of English as language of learning and teaching (LoLT) for isiXhosaspeaking Foundation Phase learners in a historically disadvantaged school in the Western Cape, South Africa. It was a qualitative case study within an interpretive research paradigm. We used focus groups and interviews for data collection and conducted thematic analysis for the qualitative findings. The participants were 12 Foundation Phase learners (6 females and 6 males aged 7-9 years), 8 female Foundation Phase teachers (aged 29-56 years) and 12 parents/caregivers (aged 29-57 years). The results from this study show that isiXhosa-speaking Foundation Phase learners growing up in historically disadvantaged areas and attending disadvantaged schools experience several barriers to learning. The barriers to learning investigated included exposure to isiXhosa as primary language, psychological-social barriers, English as language barrier to teaching and learning and a lack of parental involvement and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MOOCs are promising opportunities for lifelong learning, but as promising as these learning opportunities seem, many learners do not succeed in pursuing their personal learning goals. Barriers to learning are the main reason for not finishing the intended (parts of the) MOOCs. This study addressed the question whether the factors age, gender, educational level, and online learning experience affect barriers faced while learning in MOOCs. The results show that it is challenging to combine work and family life with lifelong (online) learning activities, especially for learners in their early adulthood and mid-life. However, more experience with online learning positively affects individuals' ability to cope with these challenges. Also, learners with a lower educational level may experience a lack of knowledge or difficulties with the course content. These findings may serve as input to inform potentially vulnerable learners about these issues and support them in successfully achieving their personal learning goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article draws on an evaluation of the Poverty proofing the school day initiative. It outlines an argument arrived at through abductive reasoning to explain the generic and widespread instances of the stigmatisation of disadvantaged pupils that have been uncovered. The process of abductive reasoning necessitated broadening the conceptual framework through which we usually understand poverty and its impacts on education, and in so doing we take account of the affective or psychosocial dimensions and the attendant coping strategies that result. Listening to children's descriptions of poverty and its impacts on schooling is an essential aspect of better understanding these non‐material aspects of poverty and their ramifications for all involved. There is, however, a lack of time and appropriate structures in schools to attend to this wider conceptualisation of poverty, yet the outcomes of Poverty proofing the school day demonstrate that schools do have a significant role to play in reducing the barriers to learning that result. We make the case that the specific conditions of high‐stakes performativity in which schools operate, and the dominance of instrumental and metrics‐based responses to issues around poverty and learning, reduce the visibility of the affective dimension and in so doing enable unwitting stigmatisation to result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for assessment procedures that are more fair and useful have led to the investigation of alternatives to traditional forms of intellectual assessment. This study explored an alternative which combined a dynamic assessment approach with the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive Processing (PASS) model of cognitive processing. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of a planning intervention programme based on Feuerstein’s criteria for Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) with a group of Grade 4 and 5 remedial school learners who presented with a range of barriers to learning. Twenty six learners were assigned to the experimental group and 25 to the control group. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in the experimental group’s Planning Scale score on the Cognitive Assessment System, following the intervention. These results imply that children often have far greater potential than is realised and that intentional mediation can help to enhance cognitive functioning and assist in further developing children’s learning potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While prevailing research links language proficiency to fundamental literacy acquisition, research is, however, limited when language and literacy acquisition are simultaneous as is the case with young (4-6 years) English language learners (ELLs) in K1, K2 and Grade 1 who acquire first time literacy in an inclusive classroom and in a L2 (additional language). The study draws on a synopsis of current research, globalisation, the concomitant cultural and linguistic diversity, inclusive education, barriers to learning, and social justice. The aforementioned supports the discussion for the comparative study of the language and literacy profiles (LLP) of the ELLs and the English-speaking, monolingual learners. The LLPs are established by qualitatively analysing cultural and linguistic differences and differences in letter knowledge, rhyme knowledge, basic concepts, vocabulary, phonic knowledge, sight word recognition, and listening comprehension. A causal-comparative approach to the mixed model research design and a complementary mixed methods approach are applied to the study. Findings are discussed in relation to the classic and current theoretical frameworks pertaining to child development, and language acquisition for both first and second language acquisition. Aspects such as. globalisation, inclusive education, barriers to learning, and social justice are central to this study An at-risk, educationally vulnerable minority was isolated and specified by defining their limited English proficiency, and limited emergent literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]