A Cross-Sectional Survey of Foundation Phase Teachers’ Beliefs About Response to Intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory cross-sectional survey was to describe teachers’ beliefs about the viability of Response to Intervention (RTI) in the South African classroom. This study was guided by the RTI framework. The sample consisted of 100 Foundation Phase teachers who had to respond to 27 statements on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The majority of respondents believed that mainstream classroom instruction is ineffective in supporting children with special needs and that classroom-based support should be the initial phase for supporting struggling learners. They also recognised the necessity for this support to be within an early intervention model. The majority of respondents believed that learners diagnosed with specific learning disorders required specialised interventions as early as possible and that additional support systems such as support staff and parent/guardian support in the intervention planning and intervention implementation process are vital for support interventions.