Inclusive education in initial teacher education in South Africa: practical or professional knowledge?

Inclusive education is embedded in South African policy with the expectation that teacher education will equip pre-service teachers to teach inclusively. As a result, courses in inclusive education are offered in most Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes and research interest in teacher education for inclusion has grown. This paper contributes to this body of knowledge by using Legitimation Code Theory to engage critically with concepts and assessment tasks from three inclusive education courses. This meant identifying where theoretical, context independent knowledge is privileged (semantic density), and where the knowledge is derived from practice or experience and designed to be implemented within specific contexts (semantic gravity). Using examples as reference points, I discuss how inclusive education comes to emphasise practical knowledge, to be enacted in particular contexts, or with particular groups of learners. An alternative is to position inclusive education as professional knowledge where theoretically informed judgments are made in response to the complexity of learner diversity. This will require strengthening the disciplinary foundation of concepts presented in ITE courses in inclusive education

Decolonising (through) inclusive education?

Inclusive education seeks to reduce exclusion from and within schools, and to secure participation and learning success for all. Its origins are in countries of the Global North, and countries of the Global South, like South Africa, have been relatively late to introduce inclusive education. Inclusive education has been critiqued as constituting a neocolonial project and an unwelcome imposition on countries of the Global South. It can be seen as a form of coloniality because the knowledge from Euro-American countries dominates the field. Furthermore, countries are expected to fund a model of inclusion developed in the resource-rich North, and current schooling perpetuates colonial hierarchies. Responding to this critique, this article presents an Afrocentric model of inclusive education, citing scholars who claim that inclusive education is congruent with traditional African culture and community and resonates with ubuntu. It is then shown that this argument is not unassailable. An alternative is that inclusive education might be harnessed to further the decolonial project, and that aspects of inclusive education can resist the coloniality of knowledge, of power, and of being. This position may also be problematic because it could represent what has been termed settler innocence. Finally, implications for research and teaching are suggested

Truths, Realities And The Easily Transmitted Image

By the documenting and examining things that are often overlooked in everyday life, I try to find the beauty of these objects, of people, their lives and their homes. I am interested in the current technology and the influence of the easily transmitted image. What is the truth and reality of the images shared by the current youth culture because of the use of camera phones, digital image takers, and the constant image transmissions through online social networking venues such as My Space and FaceBook? The current digital image is no longer a precious object as it was in the past. The easy accessibility of technology and the growing popularity of an affordable camera have made these images a common object, easily replaced. It is my interest or concern with this technology that led me to my final body of work, images of this youth culture

Nothing Less Than an Activist: Marge Baroni, Catholicism, and the Natchez, Mississippi Civil Rights Movement

This thesis is a religious and social history of the life of Natchez, Mississippi Catholic activist Marjorie R. Baroni (1924-1986). The study examines Baroni\u27s Catholic faith-driven activism as a counter-narrative to the dominant Protestant narratives of religious motivations in the greater civil rights movement. In analyzing Baroni\u27s story as a lived theological drama, I offer Baroni as a vessel for studying often overlooked Catholic influences in the movement: (1) The activist Catholic faith promoted by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement (2) The effects of the more inclusive decrees of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) on the Catholic Church in the American South and (3) Catholic leadership, specifically Josephite priests, in local movement activities in predominantly Catholic southern cities like Natchez. In constructing this project, I conducted the bulk of my primary research in reviewing Baroni\u27s correspondence and essays, Baroni family oral history interviews, personal journals, and The Catholic Worker newsletters in the Marge Baroni Collection at the Special Collections Library of the University of Mississippi. This thesis offers Baroni\u27s story of Catholic activism in the Natchez, Mississippi civil rights movement as a substantial contribution to scholarship on the history of the Catholic Church in the South; the roles of women, Josephite priests, and African American parishioners of the southern Catholic Church in the civil rights movement; the hitherto unexplored connections between Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement and the civil rights movement; and the ecumenical religious motivations of civil rights activists

Experiences, Perceptions, and Views of Substance Use Among Emerging Adults: A Multisite Qualitative Virtual Study

The use of tobacco products, alcohol, and marijuana peaks in emerging adulthood. Research on substance use generally focuses on adolescent or adult samples, with emerging adults at times being grouped in one or the other, yet emerging adults encounter unique conditions that make them worthy of isolated study. This study investigated the experiences, perceptions, and harm reduction techniques used by college attending, college completed, and noncollege attending emerging adults regarding tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. A multisite qualitative analysis was used. Research questions focused on (a) ecological factors impacting emerging adult substance users, (b) strategies employed to reduce harm as well as perception of harm reduction as an approach to substance abuse, (c) similarities and differences between college and noncollege emerging adults, and (d) the purpose and role of substance use in emerging adult lives. Twelve participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. Four major findings were identified. The ecological factors of self, parents, and peer/environment have a deep impact on emerging adult substance use. Emerging adults utilize several strategies to manage and moderate use. College attending or completed students often view the college environment as an “exploratory moratorium” in which exploration of substance use is supported and relatively safe but noncollege emerging adults are more likely to utilize substance use as a means of emotional management, escape or coping. Finally, emerging adults used substances to belong and/or to escape

(The) influence of the cathedral setting on the characters in the novels of Anthony Trollope and Hugh Walpole ..

Typewritten sheets in cover. Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University Bibliography: p. 56-58

Superovulation And Infertility In Immature Rats

This study examined the possible causes of infertility in immature rats following superovulation (SOV) with pregnant mares\u27 serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). The areas looked at included the timing of ovulation, oocyte normality, fertilization, oviductal transport, early embryo development and implantation.;SOV with a single injection of PMSG or continuous infusion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was compared and in some rats the period of action of PMSG was restricted to (TURN) 58 h by use of a specific antiserum (a/s). Pregnancy was observed in most FSH-infused rats whereas following SOV with PMSG pregnancy failed prior to day 5. Increased ovarian oestradiol secretion was implicated in the infertility associated with PMSG. Pregnancy continued to term in some a/s-treated animals.;Ovulation in SOV rats occurred from 22 h after PMSG onwards with a burst of ovulations at 64 - 70 h; the latter time was comparable to that seen in control rats. In vivo fertilization rates of oocytes in cumulus from SOV rats were lower, probably due to the long time span of ovulation. However the developmental capacity of oocytes collected from the oviduct of SOV rats shortly after ovulation was equal to that of oocytes from control rats, when assessed by transfer to a synchronized recipient.;In SOV rats the majority of embryos was lost between days 1 and 3 of pregnancy. Use of PMSG a/s ensured the presence of blastocysts in the uterus on day 5 of pregnancy but implementation only occurred in (TURN) 50% of rats. The ability of the uteri to undergo decidualization was frequently impaired but transfer studies showed that the blastocysts were normal.;The results of this research suggest that the infertility seen after SOV results primarily from changes in the maternal environment resulting from excessive gonadotrophic stimulation. Excessive oestrogen secretion was particularly implicated. The preovulatory elevation in oestrogen concentrations appeared to prevent implantation in many rats and elevated postovulatory oestrogen concentrations caused loss of embryos by accelerated transport. Oocytes and blastocysts from SOV rats were normal if transferred to suitable recipients

Approaches to assessing preservice teachers’ learning in authentic and rigorous ways: The case of an inclusive education module

Initial teacher education programmes offer inclusive education modules that seek to prepare teachers for teaching diverse learners. While there is growing research on the content and pedagogy of inclusive education modules, relatively less attention has been given to the assessment of these modules. This paper focuses on the challenges of promoting authenticity, academic depth and rigour in inclusive education through assessment tasks. Drawing on Cochran-Smith and Lytle’s (1999) concepts of knowledge for-, in- and of- practice in education, we critically reflect on three approaches used to assess an inclusive education course over a number of years. The first approach required pre-service teachers to articulate their understanding of important concepts associated with inclusive education, the second required them to provide evidence of their ability to use inclusive strategies, while the third approach provided opportunities for them to participate in a research project about inclusionary and exclusionary practices in schools. We find that these approaches represent inclusive education knowledge with different degrees of conceptual integrity and provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to participate in authentic academic and professional practices to different extents. We conclude by suggesting how the assessment of inclusive education can be approached so that neither academic rigour nor authenticity is compromised

The Effect of Deprivation on Triggers and Rates of Cardiology Outpatient Referrals from Sheffield General Practitioners. A Two-Phase Study.

People living in the Most Deprived (MD) areas of Sheffield experience more than double the rate of premature mortality from coronary heart disease when compared with Least Deprived (LD) areas. While the social determinants of health are likely to be the most significant factors contributing to this inequity, this two-phase pragmatic health services research project explored the effect of deprivation on the triggers and rates of cardiology outpatient referrals from Sheffield General Practitioners (GPs). The first qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews and a focus group with GPs working in socio-economically contrasting areas of Sheffield. The second quantitative phase produced a retrospective observational analysis of the relationship of deprivation upon GP cardiology outpatient referrals in Sheffield (2008/09). Themes influencing referral triggers from GPs working in MD areas included patient fear, reluctance and health literacy. In contrast, themes from GPs working in LD areas included articulate patients with high expectations, private referrals and awareness of litigation. Decision-making in MD areas was described as being ‘doctor-led’ which contrasted with ‘patient-led’ descriptions from participants in LD areas. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed a positive relationship between deprivation and elective cardiology referrals for patients aged ≤70 years; however, this relationship was lost for older patients* The novel findings of this research present the GP experience when making referral decisions, and reflect the differing pressures of consulting with patients at the extremes of socio-economic position. The findings highlight some of the many challenges faced by people living in deprived areas, contributing to health inequity. Despite the encouraging positive association found between deprivation and referral rates, further analysis is needed to confirm if referrals are proportionate to need, and therefore equitable. *(70 years: OR= 0.96, p=0.095, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.01)

Teacher beliefs about grade repetition: an exploratory South African study

Inclusive education is described as an ‘apprenticeship in democracy’ as it is concerned with the identification and dismantling of exclusionary practices in schools. One such practice is grade repetition, which is known to result in school disaffection and early school leaving. In South Africa, grade repetition is disproportionately experienced by black and poor learners, resulting in the unequal realization of the democratic right to education. The rate of grade repetition in this country is high, but little is known about teachers’ beliefs about the practice. This article presents the results of a self-administered questionnaire in which Johannesburg teachers described what they regarded as the benefits and drawbacks of grade repetition. The data showed that teachers believe that the additional time spent in a repeated year compensates for immaturity, allows learners to ‘catch up’, and be better prepared for the subsequent grade. Teachers do acknowledge negative emotional and behavioural consequences of grade repetition, but many see no drawbacks to the practice. These beliefs are discussed with reference to the context in which they are engendered, with particular focus on the strong teacher and curriculum control over the pace at which knowledge acquisition is expected. It is argued that addressing the high levels of grade repetition will need critical examination of both the teacher beliefs that sustain the practice, and the habits of schools that make failure inevitable for some learners