Stakeholder Support For Educators When Assessing Learners Who Experience Barriers To Learning: A Qualitative Study

Educators experienced several challenges or contextual factors in inclusive classrooms, and these are worth to be noted so that they can reduce or eliminate the barriers to learning. This study aimed at examining the challenges that affect educators' assessment practices for learners encountering barriers to learning in the Senior Phase. The study used a phenomenological research design. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews to understand challenges that affect educators' assessment practices for learners encountering barriers to learning. Sixteen educators from the four schools and two district officials between the age of 35 to 52 years from Tshwane North district were interviewed. The interviews were analysed utilising thematic analysis. This study revealed three themes: (i) parental involvement; (ii) support from school-based support teams and (iii) support from district-based support teams. These findings point to insufficient parental involvement, as well as limited support from the school and district-based support teams as experienced by inclusive education educators. The study established that educators experience challenges on finding strategies to assist their learners who experience difficulty in learning. The study contributes to understanding challenges that affect educators' assessment practices for learners encountering barriers to learning. This study provides information on the challenges that affect educators' assessment practices for learners encountering barriers to learning in the Senior Phase.