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dc.contributor.advisorWilson, L.
dc.contributor.authorVan Sittert, Hester Wilhelmina
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-26T08:25:25Z
dc.date.available2017-10-26T08:25:25Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10394/25934
dc.descriptionMSW (Play Therapy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2017en_US
dc.description.abstractSchool social workers have played an important role in schools for many years. In the South African context, school social workers render a service within the framework of inclusive education. This implies that all learners have the right to mainstream education, no matter what their circumstance are or what barrier to learning they may have. What is more, learners often find the process of learning difficult because they are affected by their circumstances at home, in their community or by certain experiences in the classroom. In South African schools, school social workers have various roles to play and fulfil their duties as part of a multi-disciplinary team. The duties of school social workers may include grief counselling, crisis intervention and case management. The Department of Basic Education promotes the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner as a framework to understand the interactions, influences and interrelationships between the learner and other systems as the different systems influence each other. This study aimed to explore the perceptions school social workers have of their role within the context of inclusive education and to provide a basis for further studies on this important issue. This study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore and describe school social workers’ perceptions of their role within inclusive education. A literature review was undertaken to explore the definition of social work and more specifically school social work, of a multi-disciplinary team, the term inclusive education and how school social workers form part of it. It also probed the ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner and how school social workers utilize this model. During data collection, ten participants were selected through purposive sampling based on certain inclusion criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured telephone interviews using an interview schedule until data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and findings were compared with the information garnered from the literature review. The findings revealed that the participants feel that they have different roles and responsibilities in schools, including providing support to learners through individual therapy and group work, emotional support to learners, empowerment of educators and the development of proactive programmes. Participants mentioned that part of their duties is to collaborate with other professionals in their efforts to best assist the child. They confirmed that they form part of a multi-disciplinary team with specific roles, depending on whether they are based at the provincial, district or school level. The participants at school level usually form part of a team that may include the principal/deputy, clinical psychologists, a professional nurse, the curriculum teacher, parents, occupational psychologists and the child’s teachers. The participants had a good understanding of inclusive education and how they can assist the child within this framework. They mentioned the challenges that they face within the education system, including a lack of support for programme development. A minority of the participants indicated that there is no universal job description and that their roles differ from that of their colleagues at other schools. Supervision is also a problem in some provinces, where participants indicated that they receive no support or guidance. Lastly, participants mentioned that they want school social work to be recognized as a specialized field in social work. The participants indicated that they make use of various theoretical models in schools and that they do not necessarily utilize the ecological systems theory. Services are rendered by first assessing the child’s problem and needs before deciding on which model to use. The models used by participants include the strengths perspective, where the focus is on positive factors in the child’s environment, and the problem-solving model. They did not abandon the use of the ecological systems model, but indicated that it is not the only model they use. The participants also highlighted the fact that they feel they can make a valuable contribution in schools because of the mere fact that school social workers have specific skills and knowledge that can be applied in schools. They specifically mentioned that school social workers know the legislation regarding children and have the skills to help to empower children. Lastly, they felt that the school social worker is the first person available to which the child can reach out, in other words the first person to assess the situation and to refer the case to the right person. Keywords: School social work, inclusive education, ecological approach OPSOMMING Die skool maatskaplike werker speel vir jare reeds ’n baie belangrike rol in skole. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks lewer skool maatskaplike werkers hulle dienste binne die raamwerk van inklusiewe onderwys. Dit impliseer dat alle leerders die reg het tot hoofstroomopleiding, ongeag hulle omstandighede of moontlike struikelblokke tot leer. Wat meer is, leerders vind leer dikwels moeilik vanweë hulle omstandighede tuis, in hulle gemeenskappe of binne die klaskamer. In Suid-Afrikaanse skole het skool maatskaplike werkers verskeie rolle en hulle vervul hierdie rolle gewoonlik as deel van ’n multidissiplinêre span. Die take van skool maatskaplike werkers kan berading rondom verlies, krisisintervensie en gevallewerk insluit. Die Departement van Basiese Onderwys staan die ekologiese sisteemteorie van Bronfenbrenner voor as ’n raamwerk vir die verstaan van die interaksie, invloed en onderlinge verhoudinge tussen die leerder en ander sisteme soos wat die verskillende sisteme mekaar beïnvloed. Hierdie studie was gemik daarop om die persepsies van skool maatskaplike werkers van hulle rol binne die opset van inklusiewe onderwys te ondersoek en om sodoende ’n basis vir verdere studie in die verband te bied. Die studie het gebruik gemaak van ’n kwalitatiewe beskrywende navorsingsontwerp om skool maatskaplike werkers se persepsies van hulle rol binne inklusiewe onderwys te ondersoek en te beskryf. ’n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om definisies van maatskaplike werk, en veral skool maatskaplike werk, ’n multidissiplinêre span en inklusiewe onderwys te ontgin en om te ondersoek hoe skool maatskaplike werk deel vorm hiervan. Die literatuurstudie het verder die ekologiese sisteemteorie van Bronfenbrenner nagespeur en gekyk na hoe skool maatskaplike werkers hierdie model aanwend. Tydens die data-insameling is tien deelnemers geïdentifiseer deur middel van doelgerigte steekproefneming aan die hand van insluitingskriteria. Data is ingesamel deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde telefoniese onderhoude met die gebruik van ’n onderhoudskedule tot by die punt van dataversadiging. Tematiese analise is gebruik om die data te analiseer en om kodes toe te ken. Daarna is die data met die resultate van die literatuurstudie vergelyk. Die resultate het getoon dat skool maatskaplike werkers voel dat hulle verskillende rolle en verantwoordelikhede by skole het, onder andere ondersteuning aan leerders met individuele terapie of groepwerk, emosionele ondersteuning aan leerders, die bemagtiging van onderwysers en die ontwikkeling van proaktiewe programme. Deelnemers het genoem dat een van hulle take is om met ander professionele persone saam te werk as deel van die taak om die kind tot die beste van hulle vermoë by te staan. Hulle het bevestig dat hulle binne multidissiplinêre spanne werk en spesifieke rolle vervul, afhangende van of hulle op die provinsiale-, distrik- of skoolvlak werk. Die deelnemers wat in skole werk vorm gewoonlik deel van ’n span wat uit die volgende persone kan bestaan naamlik: die hoof/onderhoof, kliniese sielkundige, ’n professionele verpleegkundige, die kurrikulum-onderwyser, ouers, arbeidsterapeute en die kind se onderwysers, of na gelang van die behoeftes van die spesifieke skool. Die deelnemers het ’n goeie begrip getoon van inklusiewe onderwys en hoe hulle die kind kan bystaan binne hierdie raamwerk. Hulle het struikelblokke genoem wat hulle binne die onderwysstelsel ervaar, waaronder ’n gebrek aan ondersteuning vir programontwikkeling. Enkele van die deelnemers het aangedui dat daar nie ’n universele taakbeskrywing beskikbaar is nie en dat hulle rolle baie verskil van dié van hulle kollegas by ander skole. Supervisie is ’n probleem in sommige provinsies, waar deelnemers aangedui het dat hulle geen leiding of ondersteuning kry nie. Laastens het deelnemers genoem dat hulle graag sal wil sien dat skool maatskaplike werk erken word as ’n gespesialiseerde veld binne maatskaplike werk. Die deelnemers het aangedui dat hulle van verskeie teoretiese modelle gebruik maak en dat hulle nie slegs die ekologiese sisteemteorie gebruik nie. Dienste behels dat hulle eers die kind se probleem/behoeftes assesseer voordat hulle besluit watter teorie om te gebruik. Die modelle wat die deelnemers gebruik sluit die sterktebenadering in, waar daar gefokus word op positiewe faktore in die kind se omgewing, en die probleemoplossingsmodel. Hulle verwerp nie die ekologiese sisteemteorie nie, maar het aangedui dat dit nie die enigste model is wat hulle gebruik nie. Die deelnemers het ook beklemtoon dat hulle ’n waardevolle bydrae in skole kan maak vanweë die feit dat skool maatskaplike werkers sekere vaardighede en kennis het wat in skole toegepas kan word. Hulle het veral genoem dat hulle die wetgewing rondom kinders ken en die vaardighede het om kinders te bemagtig. Laastens het hulle gevoel dat die skool maatskaplike werker die eerste persoon is waartoe die kind toegang het in die skool en daarom die eerste persoon is wat die situasie kan assesseer en kan verwys na die regte persoon.en_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherNorth-West University (South Africa), Potchefstroom Campusen_US
dc.subjectSchool social worken_US
dc.subjectInclusive educationen_US
dc.subjectEcological approachen_US
dc.subjectSkool maatskaplike werkeren_US
dc.subjectInklusiewe onderwysen_US
dc.subjectEkologiese benaderingen_US
dc.titleSchool social workers' perceptions of their role within the framework of inclusive educationen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.thesistypeMastersen_US
dc.contributor.researchID23376147 - Wilson, Lizane (Supervisor)


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