A Case Study of a Learner's Transition from Mainstream Schooling to a School for Learners with Special Education Needs: Lessons for Mainstream Education
This case study considered the experiences of a learner with special educational needs who transited from a mainstream school environment to one that catered for special educational needs. Inclusive education and ecological systems were the theoretical underpinnings of this study. The findings revealed that the learner benefited from placement within the special school environment on a personal, social and academic level. The writers use the findings to indicate how mainstream schools could learn lessons from the special school environment to make inclusive education a reality in South African schools at the regulatory, infrastructural and instructional functional levels.
Keywords: Transition, Mainstream Education, Learners With Special Educational Needs, Case Study, Ecological Systems, Inclusive Education
Prof. Jace Pillay
Vice-Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg
Marisa Di Terlizzi
PHD Student, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg