Inclusive education and educational psychology : forging alliances for support of inclusion at school level in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report stakeholder views on the role of the educational psychologist in supporting inclusive education at schools in South Africa. An interpretivist paradigm with a qualitative case study design provided insight into the challenges associated with inclusive education and the potential supportive role of educational psychologists. We followed a purposive sampling procedure to select the following participants: a) two education officials b) seven teachers c) one educational psychologist d) one counsellor e) three district officials and f) one parent. Data was gathered from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with participants at a public school in Pretoria. Non-participant classroom observations were conducted. Through a process of thematic content analysis, the following themes emerged: a) Perceptions of the role of the educational psychologist in supporting inclusion and b) Improving educational psychology services to support inclusion. Findings suggest that the successful implementation of inclusive education remains a challenge in South Africa and that educational psychologists play a supportive role in implementing inclusive practices. Conclusion: The findings confirm that by means of forging alliances and collaboration between educational psychologists and stakeholders, the implementation process of inclusive education practices could be better supported.