Strategies to enhance the inclusion of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in Gauteng schools: Teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

The inclusion of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in schools remains a global challenge and South African schools are no exception. The increasing number of national and international immigrants and refugees contributes to cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) in classrooms. Teachers thus grapple with the inclusion of CLD learners. In this study we explored the perspectives of teachers on strategies that could enhance the inclusion of CLD learners in secondary schools. We contend that the inclusion of CLD learners has not been fully addressed in South African schools. A qualitative phenomenological design located within the interpretivism paradigm was used. We employed culturally responsive pedagogy as theoretical framework for the study. From a population of South African teachers in Gauteng, South Africa, 12 secondary school teachers were sampled through critical case sampling. Data were generated through interviews. Research findings identify the need for amendment of government policies, in-service training, and workshops for teachers, incorporating ethnically and culturally diverse content during instruction. Within this study, we extend awareness of the strategies that teachers in CLD classrooms can use to enhance inclusive education and propose further strategies that can also be considered in teaching in CLD classrooms. It is concluded that there is a great need to incorporate inclusive education in the higher education curriculum to capacitate pre-service teachers on the inclusion of learners – CLD learners included.