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Conceptualising a framework for school leaders as they foster an inclusive education culture in schools
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The need to identify and address South African school leaders’ challenges in developing an inclusive education culture frames the purpose for the current study. A qualitative methodology using a multiple case study design in three secondary schools was employed. Data collection ensued through focus group interviews with School Management Teams (SMTs) and teachers. The findings highlight areas, which both challenge and overwhelm SMTs. These areas include the inadequate implementation of the Screening, Identification Assessment and Support (SIAS) policy, the need for parent support for inclusivity, and inclusive pedagogy limitations. Furthermore, there is a need for human and financial resources to support inclusive education. The study proposes a framework that clarifies the role of the SMT in facilitating inclusivity. The framework posits the need for visionary, strategic and social justice leadership, focuses on ways to transform the school culture and offers practical guidance for translating the SIAS policy into practice.  
RURAL SETTING: THE PARADOX OF ITS ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY IN THE URBAN PLANNING AND POLITICAL ACTIONING
Get PDFThe argument that rural areas or rurality will disappear in the face of undoubted urbanisation remains vague andinconclusive. However, the infrastructure poverty and poor service delivery that characterise rural spaces are evident.Using data from interview and focus group discussion (FGD) collected from sampled rural communities in Oyo StateNigeria, this study asks the question if there is no confusion or rather a paradox in what planning and politics oughtto be in rural areas. The study concludes that planning and politics in the sampled community driving at oppositedirection of public rural infrastructure and service good. The recommendation was for planning to be more ruraloriented and the urban bias (as it relates to planning standards) corrected. The need for a more inclusive andresponsive rural governance towards achieving inclusion that will promoted national rather than urban developmentwas emphasised
Exploring the use of assessment for learning in the mathematics classroom
Get PDFThe study explored mathematics teachers’ use of assessment for learning (AfL) to create a classroom culture that responds to learners’ acquisition of knowledge in classrooms in Alexandra Township, South Africa. Within an interpretivist paradigm this study was guided by a qualitative approach, using a case study design. Nine Grade 6 primary school mathematics teachers were purposively selected for face-to-face semi-structured interviews to determine their understanding of AfL practices. Thereafter, participants were observed on their use of assessment for learning. Subsequently, documents were analysed. The findings revealed that mathematics teachers have an understanding AfL and that they depend on textbooks for AfL activities, which do not always take learners’ contexts into account. The study revealed AfL challenges because teachers teach mathematics in a language other than learners’ home language. Lastly, the study revealed the need for teachers’ pedagogical knowledge in using AfL practices to create an environment that responds to learners’ needs
An Inclusive Expression Of Genius Loci: A Case Study Of The Urban Evolution Of Asmara, Eritrea
Get PDFAlthough Asmara developed during the era of modernist urban planning and Italian colonial influence, its genius loci is firmly rooted in place and time. This paper aims to explain the history, impact of administration, planning, and the dynamic synergies between tangible and intangible attributes of place, that led to Asmara being listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. This qualitative study analyses the layered expression of genius loci through a timeline mapping the development of Asmara. The methods include map analysis, drawings, and photographs, based on the author’s research of the city since 2005. A decolonial conceptual framework underpinned the study. The author’s lived experience, having grown up in Asmara, provides a deeper layer of autoethnographic understanding of the city, including the cultural-spatial characteristics that safeguard its genius loci. The article concludes with findings and a proposition for an inclusive transformation of postcolonial cities
Improve pre-service teachers’ online learning attendance and accessibility through multiple platforms
Get PDFn this paper, we report on the use of multiple platforms to circumvent challenges associated with nonattendance because of limited accessibility to conventional video conferencing digital tools such as Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) and Blackboard collaborate. One hundred and sixty-five participating pre-service teachers were given the autonomy to connect using any of the given platforms from a prescribed list that worked for them. The platforms’ attendance tracking systems were used to gather data. The findings revealed that using multiple online platforms lowered the challenges associated with lack of access to high-end technological tools and resources. Most of the registered pre-service teachers attended an average 60% of the live classes and 50% of the students strongly agreed that they had followed the recorded sessions. Multiple platforms afford preservice teachers a choice on what works better for them based on the technology to which they have access to and with which they are familiar
Using empathetic-reflective-dialogical re-storying as a teaching-learning strategy to confront xenophobic attitudes in a context of higher education
Get PDFXenophobia poses a threat to social cohesion in South Africa. It is vital that pre-service teachers engage with their beliefs and attitudes about this phenomenon, so that they can promote socially inclusive education in a way that is sustainable. In support of the March 2019 National Action Plan in South Africa to address racism, including xenophobia, a small-scale research project, underpinned by the notions of diversity and inclusivity, was recently undertaken at a Higher Education Institution, in the School of Education. This article offers a methodological contribution, arguing for the efficacy of empathetic-reflective-dialogical re-storying as a teaching-learning strategy that contributes to transformed teaching praxis. This could provide a pathway to social inclusivity for educationThis teaching-learning strategy, serves a decolonisation agenda, changing the way in which teaching-learning takes place. The participants, as agents of their own learning, engaged in a way that is transdisciplinary. They explored various perspectives and positions with regard to the ‘other’ in the interests of building a sustainable foundation for future generations to live with dignity, regardless of ethnicity
VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN FLOOD-PRONE COMMUNITIES IN IBADAN: MEASURES TO IMPROVE THEIR STATUS WITHIN THE INCLUSIVE IBADAN CITY FRAMEWORK
Get PDFThe study assesses the impact of the last major flood disaster in Ibadan on the vulnerable groups (the poor, elderly, children and physically challenged). It investigates how vulnerable HHs have responded to post-disaster events. The study finds that HHs from 56% of the affected buildings suffered temporary displacement and 207 (7.4%) of the affected buildings were abandoned with Ibadan South-West LGA recording the highest cases of abandonment (23%).There exists a positive correlation between income and period of displacement (r=0.26) and a significant difference in the period of displacement across income groups. The study reveals disparities in access to relief/recovery items among the flood-affected populations. Urban dwellers had better access to relief packages than rural dwellers
Decolonial Thinking And Practice, Towards Spatial Transformation In The South African Built Environment
Get PDFThe paper explores the effects of colonial systems on spatial inclusivity in Global South communities, with a focus on the South African built environment. The aim of the study is to critically review predominant modes of curricula, pedagogy, and practice, to identify possibilities for inclusive approaches towards transformative spatial thinking and practice. The main question guiding the study is, how can an alternative system facilitate inclusion in the spatial transformation of historically marginalised communities? Decoloniality, socio-economic emancipation and pedagogic inclusion define the theoretical framework of the paper. This qualitative study is supported by a phenomenological paradigm. The research methods include a literature review, precedent study, and refers to the South African context as a case study. It must be noted that the paper is written in a decolonial style that draws on the author’s lived experiences in a marginalised South African community. The study proposed an alternate dispensation in the form of a conceptual framework for spatial transformation defined by transformed modes of built environment, thinking and practice facilitated through the formation of an inclusive, critical learning community
Land Resettlement In Post-Colonial Zimbabwe: A Look Into The Government Land Resettlement Approaches
Get PDFIn Zimbabwe, ever since the government embarked on a disastrous land reform agenda in the early 2000s, the issue of land reform and its social-economic effects, such as relocating people, remained a bone of contention. Extensive research has shown that land reform laws and relocation approaches in some remote areas of Zimbabwe are politicised and not consistent and, therefore, catastrophic. However, most studies in land reform and resettlement have been limited, persistently focusing on the impacts and constitutionality of Zimbabwe’s 2000s land reform program. This study seeks to contribute to the land reform debate by examining the Zimbabwean government’s land reform and relocation activities between 2015 and 2021 using a case study of the Chilonga and Mazoe governmentled resettlement programmes. Three key empirical questions are asked - What are the government’s intended strategies when relocating the Chilonga and Mazoe people? Is there any resemblance with the colonial resettlement approaches? What legal instruments were used, and were they constitutionally justified? Data for this study was drawn mainly from a systematic review of documents and interviews with key informants and victims (n=40) of the government-led resettlements. Analysis shows that the government’s resettlement approaches bear a significant resemblance to the unconstitutional procedures the colonial government employed. We argue that the government’s post-2000 land reform laws, especially between 2015 and 2021, must be cleansed of the colonial elements that allow the government to manipulate the laws to suit their political needs at the expense of the general populace
Telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic: the case of Uruguay
Get PDFTelemedicine has been an important resource for achieving universal health coverage and mitigating access problems. The health crisis that arose as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic poses the challenge of increasing its incorporation and appropriation by users. This paper describes the use of telemedicine in Uruguay in the context of the pandemic, analysing the regulatory framework and the perception of health system users. Methods: We used information collected through interviews with qualified informants linked to the health system and two surveys, 2020 and 2021, on health and access to medical care during the pandemic in Uruguay. Results: During the health crisis, almost half of consultations were implemented through telemedicine. However, both users and institutions recognised that this modality was mainly carried out through telephone consultations, with great heterogeneity among providers. One of the possible problems of telemedicine refers to who defines the modality: the physician, the patient or the health centre, or whether it should be defined jointly. The survey results show that the consultation modality was mainly defined by users. Patients with chronic non-communicable diseases and those older than 54 years were among those who used non-face-to-face consultations the most. Conclusions: Telemedicine allowed for continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay. However, the surveys conducted and the available data show disparities in its use related to age, gender and health coverage, indicating that although it has potential, special attention should be paid to the supply and demand barriers that may arise in its implementation