Date 29 August 2018
Student Number 59074779
Module ETH306W
Inclusive Education
Educational Themes B
Semester 02
Assignment 02
Unique Number 701706
Table of Contents
Page 1 Title page
Table of contents
Plagiarism declaration
Pages 2-3 Question 1
Page 4-6 Question 2
Page 7-9 Question 3
Page 10-11 Question 4
Page 12-13 Question 5
Page 14-15 Question 6
Page 16 References
Plagiarism Declaration
I, BG Kyle (Student Number 59074779), declare that this assignment is my own original work.
Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been
carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what
plagiarism is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow
or copy my work.
1|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
, Question 1
1.1 Discuss the meaning of the concept “learners who experience barriers to learning”.
The concept of a learner who experiences barriers to learning is a holistic view of a
child/learner whose capacity and ability to learn and achieve their full academic potential is
adversely affected by various factors. Such factors can cause a difficulty/deficit in their
learning ability and potential. Basically, a barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way
of a child being able to learn effectively.
Learners can be subjected to many different factors which could affect the learner’s optimal
development, acquisition of competent learning skills, cognition, literacy and other academic
skills. Learners can experience intrinsic, extrinsic, cognitive, educational, environmental and
social / emotional factors that can negatively influence their ability and potential to learn and
develop optimally.
1.2 Distinguish between internal and external barriers to learning.
Internal (also known as intrinsic) barriers to learning are intrinsic factors located within
individual learners themselves. A person with an impairment is either born with a physical
and/or mental deficit or acquires specific physical and/or mental deficits later in life.
The most prominent internal factors that could result in barriers to learning are namely:
Physical impairments that pertain to permanent defects in the structure of the body
(for example missing or crippled limbs, blindness, club foot etc.)
Genetic factors
Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal brain damage.
Sensory impairments that pertain to a permanent defect in one or many of the
senses (for example aural disability and hearing loss)
Physiological impairments that pertain to permanent defects that affect the
functioning of the body (for example chronic diseases including AIDS, diabetes,
cancer etc.
Mental or intellectual impairments as well as communication, behaviour and
personality disorders render the affected learner less capable than average therefor
creating difficulty in comprehension and learning (for example autism, epilepsy,
bipolar disease and so forth).
Such impairments and intrinsic factors do not necessarily need to become disabilities and
barriers, however, the learners’ impairment can become a disability when they are exposed
to a poor environment, ineffective education and inapplicable education which hampers the
learner’s ability to function normally as well as impede their individual ability to learn and
develop accordingly.
External barriers to learning are not within the learners themselves and are not present
within the child at birth. Extrinsic factors that the learner becomes exposed to (such as their
environment, home, school, teaching, languages, culture and/or upbringing) can cause
learning barriers for the learner through circumstances beyond or outside the learners
themselves. Such external factors could be so inadequate and/or influential that there is an
2|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
, adverse effect on the development and learning ability of the child therefor creating a barrier
to learning that is brought about through external factors and negatively affects the ability of
the learner to achieve their full academic potential. Further extrinsic factors that can cause
external barriers to learning include:
Socioeconomic factors
Discriminating attitudes
Inflexible curriculums
Language and communication
Inaccessible and unsafe environments
Inapplicable and inadequate provision of support services
A lack of empowering and protective policy
A lack of parental recognition and involvement
A lack of human-resources development
3|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
Student Number 59074779
Module ETH306W
Inclusive Education
Educational Themes B
Semester 02
Assignment 02
Unique Number 701706
Table of Contents
Page 1 Title page
Table of contents
Plagiarism declaration
Pages 2-3 Question 1
Page 4-6 Question 2
Page 7-9 Question 3
Page 10-11 Question 4
Page 12-13 Question 5
Page 14-15 Question 6
Page 16 References
Plagiarism Declaration
I, BG Kyle (Student Number 59074779), declare that this assignment is my own original work.
Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been
carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what
plagiarism is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow
or copy my work.
1|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
, Question 1
1.1 Discuss the meaning of the concept “learners who experience barriers to learning”.
The concept of a learner who experiences barriers to learning is a holistic view of a
child/learner whose capacity and ability to learn and achieve their full academic potential is
adversely affected by various factors. Such factors can cause a difficulty/deficit in their
learning ability and potential. Basically, a barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way
of a child being able to learn effectively.
Learners can be subjected to many different factors which could affect the learner’s optimal
development, acquisition of competent learning skills, cognition, literacy and other academic
skills. Learners can experience intrinsic, extrinsic, cognitive, educational, environmental and
social / emotional factors that can negatively influence their ability and potential to learn and
develop optimally.
1.2 Distinguish between internal and external barriers to learning.
Internal (also known as intrinsic) barriers to learning are intrinsic factors located within
individual learners themselves. A person with an impairment is either born with a physical
and/or mental deficit or acquires specific physical and/or mental deficits later in life.
The most prominent internal factors that could result in barriers to learning are namely:
Physical impairments that pertain to permanent defects in the structure of the body
(for example missing or crippled limbs, blindness, club foot etc.)
Genetic factors
Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal brain damage.
Sensory impairments that pertain to a permanent defect in one or many of the
senses (for example aural disability and hearing loss)
Physiological impairments that pertain to permanent defects that affect the
functioning of the body (for example chronic diseases including AIDS, diabetes,
cancer etc.
Mental or intellectual impairments as well as communication, behaviour and
personality disorders render the affected learner less capable than average therefor
creating difficulty in comprehension and learning (for example autism, epilepsy,
bipolar disease and so forth).
Such impairments and intrinsic factors do not necessarily need to become disabilities and
barriers, however, the learners’ impairment can become a disability when they are exposed
to a poor environment, ineffective education and inapplicable education which hampers the
learner’s ability to function normally as well as impede their individual ability to learn and
develop accordingly.
External barriers to learning are not within the learners themselves and are not present
within the child at birth. Extrinsic factors that the learner becomes exposed to (such as their
environment, home, school, teaching, languages, culture and/or upbringing) can cause
learning barriers for the learner through circumstances beyond or outside the learners
themselves. Such external factors could be so inadequate and/or influential that there is an
2|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
, adverse effect on the development and learning ability of the child therefor creating a barrier
to learning that is brought about through external factors and negatively affects the ability of
the learner to achieve their full academic potential. Further extrinsic factors that can cause
external barriers to learning include:
Socioeconomic factors
Discriminating attitudes
Inflexible curriculums
Language and communication
Inaccessible and unsafe environments
Inapplicable and inadequate provision of support services
A lack of empowering and protective policy
A lack of parental recognition and involvement
A lack of human-resources development
3|P a g e ETH306W: Assignment 02 Student # 59074779
