An Evaluative Study Of The Implementation Of The 2014 Screening, Identification, Assessment And Support Policy In Lejweleputswa District, Free State

Abstract

This research evaluated the implementation of the SIAS 2014 policy in the primary and secondary schools of Lejweleputswa District, Free State. The study sought to evaluate the policy by exploring the nature of the SIAS 2014 policy; examining how the introduction of the policy leads to an all-inclusive and more effective teaching and learning process; and determining how educators screen, identify, and assess barriers to learning as well as supporting learners with barriers. To this effect, a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design was used to answer the research questions and satisfy the research objectives. The target population was educators in primary and secondary schools in the Lejweleputswa District. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 320 male and female participants from both primary and secondary schools for the quantitative strand of the research. The quantitative data was collected using a structured questionnaire which elicited responses from a total of 250 educators comprising of 66 (26%) males and 184 (73.6%) females by means of variables of closed-ended items which were measured on a seven-point semantic differential scale specifically developed by the researcher. The respondents were from 89 (35.6%) primary schools and 161 (64.4%) secondary schools. A purposeful sampling technique was also used to select seven school principals and five members of the District Based Support Team which added to a total of 12 participants for the qualitative part. Guided by relevant literature, the sections of the fifty-five questionnaire items measured the educators‟ inputs about the SIAS 2014 policy framework; rationale and principles; implementation of screening, identification and assessment of learning barriers; as well as the implementation of support. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data on the educators‟ scores about the extent to which they implement the SIAS 2014 policy. For the inferential statistics part of the quantitative strand, nine hypotheses were formulated which were tested through t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Descriptive statistics revealed that the implementation of the SIAS 2014 policy was modest. Inferential statistics revealed that there was some statistically significant difference in mean screening scores of learning barriers between male and female educators and between primary and secondary schools. However, no statistically significant difference in mean screening scores of learning barriers between educators‟ teaching experiences was established. A further inferential statistics revelation was that there was some statistically significant difference in mean identification and assessment scores of learning barriers between primary and secondary schools while there was no statistically significant difference in mean identification and assessment scores of learning barriers between male and female educators or between educators‟ teaching experiences. Inferential statistics also revealed that there was some statistically significant difference in mean support scores of learners with barriers between primary and secondary schools while there was no statistically significant difference in mean support scores of learners between male and female educators or between educators‟ teaching experiences. Two structured interview schedules based on the findings of the descriptive and inferential quantitative data analysis were conducted. The verdicts of the school principals and DBST members accounted for the quantitative diagnosis which generally established that the SIAS 2014 policy implementation is generally not effective owing to a number of factors such as insufficient educator training and development; educators‟ excessive workloads; and insufficient DBST resources to support schools. Informed by the research findings and the Bronfenbrenner‟s bioecological model of social systems, the researcher developed a SIAS 2014 Specialist Support Model. The model emphasises the importance of every individual who plays an active role in the school life of a learner to maximise support of learners who experience learning barriers. The recommendation is that there should be a full-time School-Based psychometric assessor who will coordinate the SIAS 2014 policy processes for learners who experience barriers to learning.