Educators’ Training and knowledge of Inclusive Education
All participants received formal tertiary training and qualifications; however, it became apparent that training in special needs education varied according to learning institute. Five of the six participants felt they were not sufficiently prepared for educating a child with special needs such as ASD.
“We did an inclusive education module in my degree, but it touched on it very lightly. It didn’t give me enough. It didn’t prepare me for it. Not at all. It is only
through experience you gain that knowledge. Textbooks can say one thing, but on ground level, it’s totally different.” (P-5)
The majority of the participants invested their time in engaging in further reading regarding ASD in preparation of receiving a child with ASD who requires a facilitator. Educators stated that they read up on ASD to be more informed and to have a more extensive repertoire of strategies to support the child’s individual needs. Strategies ranged from the practical class arrangement to learning support material such as larger font for a child who also experiences Dyslexia.
Educators all said that they engaged in research once they knew that they would be the educator of the child with specific barriers to learning. The Internet and books provided the primary source of information for the educators to expand their knowledge and understanding of ASD. The majority of the participants expressed a need for in-service training.
“Not having formal training with autism … your first go would be the Internet and books and going to your support you have at the school.” (P-1)
Educators’ views on learner facilitator training
According to the data, the majority of the learning facilitators discussed in this study did not receive formal or specific training to work with children with barriers to learning. Yet some had a history of interacting with the children they accompanied, having either worked with them the previous year or knew them outside of the school environment. This shows that in some incidences, the educator has to educate the learning facilitator as well as the child with barriers to learning; highlighting the need for learning facilitators to be well educated.
“She is not a qualified teacher; she is a facilitator.” (P-1)
“No, she doesn’t have qualifications … she’s got that drive and that passion, but it is very different to being trained in something.” (P-3, P-6)
“With one facilitator who wasn’t particularly well educated herself.” (P-4)
For another participant, the learning facilitators she engaged with had been trained and, according to her, were efficient. When probed about the nature of the training the learning facilitators received she informed the researcher that the school’s educational psychologist
sources the learning facilitators and ensures the training process. All of the research participants, however, indicated that they felt that learning facilitators needed to have more training for the specific responsibilities of their jobs.
“The [current facilitator is] studying teaching at the moment, I don’t know if there’s any formal training in being a facilitator, but I do know that she’s worked with kids.” (P-2)
“I think she has been a facilitator for a long time and she is almost a qualified teacher.” (P-3)
“They have been trained and very much efficient.” (P-5)
“You might have one facilitator who may not have that much experience, and they almost need teaching to facilitate this child because they are not always qualified. They don’t always have the experience or the expertise.” (P-4)
“There will also be some very qualified facilitators who have had the training may be through ASAP (Autism Spectrum Adaptive Programme South Africa) or other organisations or be studying as teachers.” (P-4)
“It tends to be people who are doing a teaching course, and they love children and want experience, but they’re still training… you’ve got to have a natural ability.” (P-4)
Educators reported that in-service, special education training is lacking for both the learning facilitator and themselves; expressing the need for an induction programme that would be designed to assist both themselves and the learning facilitator. Realistically speaking, it is not plausible to expect a learning facilitator to have a teaching qualification, but perhaps the solution to this is to provide training and qualification as a learning facilitator for those who are studying to be a teacher or have an interest in childcare and inclusive education. All participants reported that they received no training regarding working with a learning facilitator. For both the educator and the learning facilitator, training is a critical element in the effective use of learning facilitators.
Educator training in working with a facilitator
All participants voiced how they felt ill-equipped to teach a child with severe barriers to learning. If the participant had received training in inclusive education, they felt this was not sufficient. There seemed to be a gap between theory of inclusive education and the implementation of it on ground level.
“I had no training. I had to just go with it and, you know, learn as I went along.” (P-5)
“I would have liked to have gone on a course or something … to know about Autism and I guess I can just self-study, but I think it would be useful to go to a workshop to learn how to work with either the specific autistic child or just a child with special needs.” (P-2)
“Tertiary education, in general, is lacking special needs training.” (P-2)
“I do think a learning facilitator should be trained.” (P-6)
“Neither of us had ever been in the situation. It is important for a facilitator to be trained. I would love to go on a course, and I would like [the facilitators] to be trained.” (P-3)
“Even if it exists on a school level where the school develops a sort of introductory programme, or a bank of qualified facilitators and the training would be there.” (P-4)
Research shows a lack of knowledge and support for teaching learners with barriers to learning, particularly children with ASD. As well as a limited knowledge of inclusive education in theory and practice. This is echoed in Mampane’s (2016:124) research, “more resources need to be invested in the training of special education teachers to ensure that learners with severe learning disabilities receive quality education support in the continuum of placement”.