Training South African Teachers to Include Learners with Autism: Reflections from Participants
摘要
Teachers need rigorous continuous professional development and support to enable them to address the diverse needs of learners with autism, and to conceptually grasp autism as a spectrum condition. In addition, teachers need to understand how to develop individual education and support plans for learners with autism. In our study, we interrogate the conceptions of inclusive teaching practices of 50 students who are in-service teachers and support staff, enrolled on a continuous professional development programme, “Teaching Learners with Autism” offered in South Africa. This training programme aims to add to the teachers’ continuous professional development by employing Knowles’ andragogy combined with Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour, to focus holistically on teachers’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes to include learners with autism in their classrooms. Data were generated using qualitative focus group discussions that were held with five groups of ten teachers each, supplemented by field notes and policy documents, and then analysed thematically. In this chapter, we share our findings related to the participants’ conceptions of inclusive teaching practices for learners with autism.