South African teachers’ attitudes towards working with learners with severe intellectual disabilities in schools for Learners with Special Educational Needs

Abstract

There is no consensus about whether the needs of the large number of learners with supportive and additional educational needs, such as Learners with Severe Intellectual Disability (LWSID) are being met in South Africa. The challenge to implement specialised education programmes and facilitate equal learning falls mainly on teachers. There is a lack of research on teachers’ attitudes towards working with LWSID in South African Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) schools. The theory of planned behaviour is used as an explanatory model to describe the influence of contextual factors on the teacher’s attitudes towards these learners. A quantitative, descriptive online survey design was utilised to investigate the attitudes of South African teachers in LSEN schools regarding LWSID. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit teachers on Facebook support groups. The questionnaire was made available using the survey software Qualtrics and divided into three sections, namely a vignette of LWSID, the Modified Teachers’ Attitudes Scale (MTAS), followed by the biographical questionnaire. The questionnaire was subjected to a validation process, and a factor analysis was conducted. A total of 221 teachers working with LWSID completed the survey. The teachers expressed their attitudes regarding the LWSID’s communication, socialisation and participation in the classrooms, and their attitudes towards inclusion, their capabilities, and the LWSID’s needs and future outcomes. The data revealed that teachers possess negative attitudes regarding the communication, socialisation, and future outcomes of the LWSID. The teachers revealed positive attitudes towards inclusive education and their capabilities when teaching LWSID. An overall neutral attitude was obtained towards LWSID participation needs in the classroom. Keywords: Educators; Inclusive education; Intellectual Disability; Learning Support Educators; South Africa; Special schools