Deaf Educators’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education in the Gauteng Province, South Africa
Andile Alfred Mdikana *
Department of Inclusive Education, School of Educational Studies, University of South Africa, P.O.Box 392, Unisa 0003, South Africa.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the nature of the attitudes of Deaf educators towards inclusive education. The respondents were a non-probability sample of seven educators (Speaking educators = 3 and Deaf educator = 4) aged between 40 years and 55 years and with more than five years of teaching Deaf learners. A questionnaire with open-ended questions was designed and piloted before being administered. The data collected was analysed thematically. The results show that the respondents have a negative attitude towards inclusive education, with the main reason given being that mainstream schools are not yet ready for inclusion.
Keywords: Special education, teacher attitude, deaf educators, attitudes, inclusive education