Exploring educators' experiences with regard to coping-strategies within an inclusive educational setting

Abstract

In South Africa, inclusive education has been recognized as an important model of education for all learners, including those with disabilities. However, although this model is implemented within a South African context, many challenges to make it feasible remain. As educators can be identified as pivotal in the successful implementation thereof, facilitating and managing these settings result in a variety of occupational demands and stressors. To ameliorate these experiences, educators concurrently apply various coping strategies in reaction to these demands. Although studies focussing on inclusive educators’ coping strategies are well described, attention to these educators’ experiences thereof is negligent. Moreover, relevant literature regarding this topic of interest within a South African context is lacking. Yet it is stated that knowledge related to the stress and coping skills of inclusive educators provides an essential backdrop for established and effective inclusive educational practices. This qualitative research study followed a phenomenological research design to explore, identify, and describe educators’ experiences regarding their own coping strategies in an inclusive educational setting. Purposive sampling allowed for the focus to be drawn to educators within the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District in the North West Province of South Africa. The final sample for this research study consisted of eight female participants aged 24-57. Data collection consisted of demographic questionnaires and in-depth interviews, whereas thematic analysis was followed to identify relevant themes for this research study. Thematic analysis yielded the following main themes: utilised coping strategies within the inclusive classroom; situational aspects contributing to coping strategies and the experiences thereof; personal aspects contributing to coping strategies and the experiences thereof; and knowledge gained during inclusive teaching career. This research study pioneered in research focusing on educators’ experiences of their own coping strategies in an inclusive educational setting. The findings can therefore be used as a foundation for future research studies related to inclusive education within a South African context, as it identified the pivotal role educators’ coping strategies and the related experiences thereof play in the effective implementation of inclusive educational practices. Additionally, the identified needs and further suggestions within this research study can also be taken into consideration in future, as it provides a framework to develop educator- and child-based intervention programs to further enhance the quality of inclusive education within a South African context.