HREDU82
EXAM PACK
,HREDU82 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MAY JUNE 2026
(1) Title
Supporting grade 4 teachers in mainstream classrooms for learners with ADHD
(2) Background to the Problem Statement
Inclusive education is a global idea that says all children should learn together in the
same classrooms, no matter their different needs. This idea was strongly supported by
the UNESCO Salamanca Statement (1994), which promotes equal access to education
for everyone. In South Africa, this idea is included in Education White Paper 6
(Department of Education, 2001), which aims to create one inclusive education system
where barriers to learning are identified and removed. The policy tries to move away
from the old medical model of disability (which focuses on the learner’s problem) to a
social model (which looks at how the school system can create or remove challenges).
However, even after more than 20 years, there is still a big gap between what the policy
says and what actually happens in classrooms. This study looks at that gap, especially
focusing on whether teachers are ready and supported to include learners with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a common condition that
affects attention and behaviour.
,From my own experience as a teacher and from talking to other teachers, many feel
stressed and not fully prepared. They struggle to support learners with ADHD, who may
show behaviours like not paying attention, being very active, or acting without thinking.
This problem is also supported by research. Oswald and de Villiers (2013) found that
many South African teachers feel they do not have enough training to use inclusive
teaching methods, which causes stress and negative attitudes towards inclusion. Nel et
al. (2016) also explain that teachers are the main people responsible for making
inclusion work, but they are often expected to do this without enough training or support.
This means the main problem is not the policy itself, but the lack of proper support and
training for teachers to implement it effectively.
The issues surrounding this problem are multi-layered. Firstly, teacher training
programmes have historically provided limited, theoretically-focused exposure to
inclusive education, with insufficient practical strategies for managing diverse
neurotypes in a single classroom (Forlin & Chambers, 2011). As a result, teachers often
enter the profession without a repertoire of evidence-based classroom management
techniques, differentiated instruction methods, or behavioural interventions tailored for
learners with ADHD. This knowledge gap is exacerbated by a severe lack of ongoing,
school-based support from district officials or specialised staff, leaving teachers
professionally isolated (Engelbrecht et al., 2016). Secondly, a resource gap compounds
the problem. Mainstream classrooms are frequently overcrowded, and basic teaching
materials are scarce, making individualised attention and specialised accommodations
seem like an unattainable ideal (Donohue & Bornman, 2014). Thirdly, a subtle but
pervasive attitudinal barrier exists, where uninformed teacher beliefs about ADHD being
a result of poor parenting or a lack of discipline can lead to punitive responses instead
of empathetic, pedagogically sound ones (Botha & Kourkoutas, 2012).
, If this problem remains unsolved, the consequences are profound and far-reaching. For
learners with ADHD, the mismatch between their needs and the unsupportive
environment can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes: academic underachievement,
persistent feelings of failure, low self-esteem, social rejection by peers, and ultimately,
early school dropout (Loe & Feldman, 2007). These learners are not disabled by their
ADHD, but by a rigid system that fails to adapt to them. For teachers, chronic stress and
perceived inefficacy can lead to burnout and high attrition rates, further destabilising an
already fragile education system. On a systemic level, the failure to realise the vision of
Education White Paper 6 perpetuates an unequal and exclusionary education system,
undermining the constitutional promise of quality education for all and failing to prepare
an entire generation of neurodivergent learners for meaningful participation in society.
This research is situated within the South African primary school context, specifically in
mainstream, government-funded schools, where the practicalities of inclusive policy
unfold daily. The literature provides significant insight into the nature of the problem.
International research robustly demonstrates that specific teacher factors, such as
knowledge of ADHD, perceived competence, and self-efficacy, are strong predictors of
successful inclusive practices (Pas et al., 2016). Studies have shown that even short,
targeted professional development can significantly improve teacher attitudes and their
use of proactive strategies (Moore et al., 2017). In South Africa, research often focuses
on the general challenges of inclusive education or on more visible disabilities. Studies
by Topkin and Roman (2015) have specifically investigated South African teachers’
knowledge of ADHD, revealing significant gaps and misconceptions. However, there is
a relative scarcity of qualitative studies that give voice to the lived experiences of
foundation phase teachers who are navigating these challenges daily. Even though
quantitative surveys can measure the extent of the problem, they often fail to capture
EXAM PACK
,HREDU82 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
DUE MAY JUNE 2026
(1) Title
Supporting grade 4 teachers in mainstream classrooms for learners with ADHD
(2) Background to the Problem Statement
Inclusive education is a global idea that says all children should learn together in the
same classrooms, no matter their different needs. This idea was strongly supported by
the UNESCO Salamanca Statement (1994), which promotes equal access to education
for everyone. In South Africa, this idea is included in Education White Paper 6
(Department of Education, 2001), which aims to create one inclusive education system
where barriers to learning are identified and removed. The policy tries to move away
from the old medical model of disability (which focuses on the learner’s problem) to a
social model (which looks at how the school system can create or remove challenges).
However, even after more than 20 years, there is still a big gap between what the policy
says and what actually happens in classrooms. This study looks at that gap, especially
focusing on whether teachers are ready and supported to include learners with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is a common condition that
affects attention and behaviour.
,From my own experience as a teacher and from talking to other teachers, many feel
stressed and not fully prepared. They struggle to support learners with ADHD, who may
show behaviours like not paying attention, being very active, or acting without thinking.
This problem is also supported by research. Oswald and de Villiers (2013) found that
many South African teachers feel they do not have enough training to use inclusive
teaching methods, which causes stress and negative attitudes towards inclusion. Nel et
al. (2016) also explain that teachers are the main people responsible for making
inclusion work, but they are often expected to do this without enough training or support.
This means the main problem is not the policy itself, but the lack of proper support and
training for teachers to implement it effectively.
The issues surrounding this problem are multi-layered. Firstly, teacher training
programmes have historically provided limited, theoretically-focused exposure to
inclusive education, with insufficient practical strategies for managing diverse
neurotypes in a single classroom (Forlin & Chambers, 2011). As a result, teachers often
enter the profession without a repertoire of evidence-based classroom management
techniques, differentiated instruction methods, or behavioural interventions tailored for
learners with ADHD. This knowledge gap is exacerbated by a severe lack of ongoing,
school-based support from district officials or specialised staff, leaving teachers
professionally isolated (Engelbrecht et al., 2016). Secondly, a resource gap compounds
the problem. Mainstream classrooms are frequently overcrowded, and basic teaching
materials are scarce, making individualised attention and specialised accommodations
seem like an unattainable ideal (Donohue & Bornman, 2014). Thirdly, a subtle but
pervasive attitudinal barrier exists, where uninformed teacher beliefs about ADHD being
a result of poor parenting or a lack of discipline can lead to punitive responses instead
of empathetic, pedagogically sound ones (Botha & Kourkoutas, 2012).
, If this problem remains unsolved, the consequences are profound and far-reaching. For
learners with ADHD, the mismatch between their needs and the unsupportive
environment can lead to a cascade of negative outcomes: academic underachievement,
persistent feelings of failure, low self-esteem, social rejection by peers, and ultimately,
early school dropout (Loe & Feldman, 2007). These learners are not disabled by their
ADHD, but by a rigid system that fails to adapt to them. For teachers, chronic stress and
perceived inefficacy can lead to burnout and high attrition rates, further destabilising an
already fragile education system. On a systemic level, the failure to realise the vision of
Education White Paper 6 perpetuates an unequal and exclusionary education system,
undermining the constitutional promise of quality education for all and failing to prepare
an entire generation of neurodivergent learners for meaningful participation in society.
This research is situated within the South African primary school context, specifically in
mainstream, government-funded schools, where the practicalities of inclusive policy
unfold daily. The literature provides significant insight into the nature of the problem.
International research robustly demonstrates that specific teacher factors, such as
knowledge of ADHD, perceived competence, and self-efficacy, are strong predictors of
successful inclusive practices (Pas et al., 2016). Studies have shown that even short,
targeted professional development can significantly improve teacher attitudes and their
use of proactive strategies (Moore et al., 2017). In South Africa, research often focuses
on the general challenges of inclusive education or on more visible disabilities. Studies
by Topkin and Roman (2015) have specifically investigated South African teachers’
knowledge of ADHD, revealing significant gaps and misconceptions. However, there is
a relative scarcity of qualitative studies that give voice to the lived experiences of
foundation phase teachers who are navigating these challenges daily. Even though
quantitative surveys can measure the extent of the problem, they often fail to capture
