Abstract:
Construction of their role in inclusive education by parents of a child with Down’s Syndrome. The purpose of this study was to
understand the way in which parents construct their roles in the inclusion of their child with Down's Syndrome. The study was conducted in the South African context with the parents of children with Down's Syndrome, who were included in Grades 1, 2 or 3 in different schools in Gauteng at the time of the study. The role that these parents constructed, before and during the inclusion of their children, was examined
and identified by means of semi-structured interviews according to a qualitative research design. Questionnaires, field notes and audiotape recordings were used as data collecting strategies. Results from this study indicated that parents construct their roles in a multifaceted manner. In this context parents construct their roles in terms of self-empowerment, inclusionists, pro-active preparation for inclusion, striving towards inclusion, public awareness, provision of information, facilitation, expertise and the setting of priorities in the inclusion process.
The primary contribution of this study is towards the expansion of theoretical knowledge about the role of parents in inclusive education of learners with Down’s syndrome.
