Teachers’ Inadequate Support in the Implementation of Inclusive Education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng Province

Little is known about the inadequate teacher support towards inclusive education in South Africa. This study was aimed at exploring the inadequacy of support regarding the implementation of inclusive education in the Johannesburg East District, Gauteng province. The ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner was used as a theoretical lens for this study. Face-to-face individual interviews were carried out, whereby 15 teachers were interviewed. This study used a phenomenology design, underpinned within a interpretive paradigm, to gain insight on the inadequacy of support regarding the implementation of inclusive education. The data was inductively analysed using the thematic analytic methods that search for themes. The study used convenient and purposive sampling as initial plan to select teachers that a researcher can easily access. Non-probability sampling was used as sampling technique; thus, the sampling was unable to give all individuals in the population an equal chance of being selected. This study revealed that inadequate teacher support was prevalent in the district where this study was conducted. Teachers in this study mentioned that they struggled to implement inclusive education in schools, owing to insufficient support given to them Teachers need to be empowered through continuous development platforms such as training and provided with guiding manuals. In addition, structures should be made accessible to accommodate all learners and resources and supports should be made available for use in the inclusive schools. This study would contribute significantly in the understanding of the inadequate support provision provided to teachers in the implementation of inclusive education.