An´ alisis Temporal de los indicadores de eutrofizaci´ on y estratificaci´ on t´ ermica 66

According to Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2011) conclusions provide closing comment or judgement on a particular study. The main aim of this study was to explore leadership for inclusive education: a case study of a SMT in an urban primary school. The following conclusions seek to answer the three critical research questions that were used to elicit data for the study.

5.3.1 Leadership practices of a SMT for inclusive education

The findings indicated that the leadership practices of the SMT provided educators with the assurance that they are not isolated and alone in implementing the inclusive education policy. The SMT provided the necessary support required by educators, for them to develop a sense of confidence to improve their practice in the classrooms. It became evident that leaders mentoring educators, being role models and creating space for professional development could be regarded as essential leadership practices that enhanced the implementation of inclusive education.

The review of literature in Chapter Two included the leadership styles for inclusive education. From the findings, it was determined that mentoring of educators formed a vital role in the leadership process. SMT members stated that educators experienced numerous challenges with respect to teaching learners with barriers to learning, disabilities and those who projected challenging behavioural manifestations. This generally culminated in educators experiencing feelings of frustration and worthlessness, as they appeared unable to cope with the various challenges presented to them. One-on-one mentoring sessions provided the appropriate intervention to educators in order to address the specific needs of the learners. In addition, the cordial, empathetic and understanding nature of the leaders created a

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conducive climate for educators to be encouraged motivated and inspired to perceive the implementation of inclusive education in a positive light.

SMT members as role models also served to create a desire within the educators to develop a positive attitude towards the implementation of inclusive education. As role models, managers did not abdicate their teaching responsibilities; instead they accepted a teaching load, thus experiencing similar challenges implementing inclusive education as the level one educator. The SMT stated that considering this, educators regarded them as being approachable and understanding. In combination with this, leaders could provide the necessary support and guidance that educators needed, by virtue of the fact that they possessed the appropriate skills, knowledge and expertise associated with leading inclusive education. Educators developed admiration and respect for the leaders eventually resulting in most of them emulating the leaders. This is symptomatic of one component of Bass’s Theory of transformational Leadership: - idealised influence. Idealised influence, as mentioned in Chapter Two, deals with the aspect of leaders being role models, characterised by trust, admiration, respect and emulation. Leaders, by being role models to their educators, have the potential to enable the educators to accept their vision of inclusive education, ensuring that it is successfully implemented in the classrooms.

SMT members also recognised that their capacity to assist educators needed to transcend the normal procedures that they followed. Creating space for professional development provided a broad scope for leaders to empower and capacitate educators whilst simultaneously rejuvenating and refreshing their own practices. The SMT initiated their own workshops to cater for the specific development of educators’ needs. If they lacked the capacity to facilitate a certain aspect of inclusive education, external professional intervention was sought. Generally, the unions and private service providers were keen to host workshops to cater for the professional development of educators, with respect to issues related to inclusive education. Educators would invariably feel that they are being assisted in developing professionally which would have a ripple effect on the learners who would ultimately benefit by having his/her need addressed. According to the SMT, a contributory factor that enhanced educators’ desire to develop professionally was the acquisition of CPTD points as required by SACE. The component of the Theory of Transformational Leadership that attests to creating space for professional development is individualised consideration, where the leader develops their followers to their maximum potential through coaching and teaching. Support and

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direction are also rendered when and if necessary in a secure environment which is not intimidating.

5.3.2 Challenges of fostering and leading inclusive education

The research findings acknowledged that, in spite of the SMT providing the necessary support to the educators, challenges continually inhibit the successful leading and implementation of inclusive education. The SMT discussed their frustration in receiving very little or no support from departmental structures, which often resulted in the learner who has a special need, referred to them by the educator, not obtaining the proper professional intervention that he/she requires. According to the leaders, the Psychological Services Unit at the Department of Education is grossly understaffed and with thousands of referrals they receive from schools, they are unable to address all and, only a few get the intervention that they need. Most cases are then redirected to schools which lack the capacity and the funding to intervene.

Most schools are adequately equipped to cater for mainstream learners. Opening the doors to learners with different learning challenges and disabilities may require an infrastructure change e.g. the building of ramps for wheelchairs, which has major monetary implications. Depending on the type of school, modifying the infrastructure may be impossible as there is generally a lack of financial resources. SMT members shared their experiences and stated that, employing additional specialised personnel, which is advisable, would also prove difficult in view of the financial constraints. The department provides a subsidy, usually a LTSM (Learning and Teaching Support Material) allocation but it is too low and cannot cater for all the inclusive needs of schools. The SMT also observed that educators did not have the appropriate teaching resources to address the needs of learners with special needs. Inadequate funding was an inhibiting factor where resources needed to be purchased. In addition, leaders stated that more specialised human resources were vital for the implementation of inclusive education. Unfortunately, funding was cited as a restricting factor yet again. The challenges enunciated by the leaders are not unique to leaders, educators experience similar challenges. Inspirational motivation, a component of the Transformational Theory of Leadership, clearly depicts how leaders need to address these challenges through motivating and inspiring their followers. Team spirit, enthusiasm and optimism are encouraged by the leaders to enable the educators to perceive their futures in a positive light.

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The SMT mentioned that educators did not project enthusiasm to embrace inclusive education. Most of the educators were not trained at a tertiary level to teach inclusive education and therefore did not feel confident to implement it. Their lack of knowledge created a barrier between them and the implementation of inclusive education. The contrary is also applicable. There are opportunities for educators to empower themselves on inclusive education but many educators appear to be in a comfort-zone and are not willing to stray from that position. This stance does not allow for any growth or development. Another factor that prevents educators from fully embracing inclusive education is the workload associated with the proper implementation. Individualised educational programmes need to be formulated for each learner who has a special need and this is not only time consuming but it involves an adaptation to the normal teaching strategy of the teacher. The lack of support from the departmental structures frustrates educators who feel that they are doing the best in the classrooms but the department restricts any further help and leaves educators with the learners in a stagnant position. Educators feel helpless and demotivated; hence embracing inclusive education is a challenging aspect. It therefore becomes imperative for the leaders to recognise the reasons why educators are not equally excited to embrace inclusive education and to assist them in developing a more positive attitude in order to fully embrace inclusive education in their classrooms. All four components of Bass’s (1985) Theory of Transformational Leadership is applicable to the theme above. Educators are not equally excited to fully embrace inclusive education in their classrooms, hence idealised influence, where the leader is a role model would reassure them that the hurdles confronting them will be overcome. Inspirational motivation will enable the leaders to motivate and inspire the educators as they work towards a shared vision. Intellectual stimulation would reveal to the educators that the leaders are concerned with the efforts they are demonstrating and they are encouraged to view problems and challenges from different perspectives. Finally, the last component, individualised consideration deals with the leader coaching and mentoring the educators, providing avenues for growth and development. The individual, distinctive needs of each educator are catered for. In this way, by using the characteristics of the four components of Bass’s Theory of Transformational Leadership, the leaders may be able to assist educators to fully embrace inclusive education in their classrooms.

5.4 Recommendations