THE VOICES OF DISADVANTAGED SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT LEARNERS IN AFFLUENT INDEPENDENT HIGH SCHOOLS by KELLY GEYER 512130 submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Faculty of Humanities at the UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND SUPERVISOR: DR ELIZABETH WALTON MARCH 2014 0 ABSTRACT In an attempt to promote inclusion and to improve educational outcomes, many affluent independent high schools in South Africa offer scholarships to talented and deserving learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It is often assumed that learners selected for “inclusion” in these schools benefit greatly from such an opportunity, yet the voices of these scholarship recipients are seldom heard. In this qualitative study, grounded in the methodology of phenomenography, a multimodal approach was adopted to listen to the voices of the participants, so as to obtain information-rich data. By listening to the experiences of the learner participants in a study that was framed by the concept of ‘voice research’, it was found that while the learners are grateful for the opportunity to attend affluent independent high schools, they are also aware of the limits of benevolence1. When learners’ perceptions regarding their access to such independent schools were explored, it was found that learners believed that they were deserving of their scholarships, based on their proven academic performance and diligence and the potential that they showed. It was also found that learners’ full participation in the academic, sporting and social life of the school was constrained by their economic disadvantage. With reference to the findings in the literature and the voices of the participants in the study, it can be asserted that while such scholarship programmes offer many advantages, they also have limitations, which need to be addressed at an individual level. KEY WORDS: inclusive education, inclusion/exclusion, marginalisation, scholarship programme, independent education, disadvantaged learners, benevolence, voice research Note 1 Benevolence refers to the moral obligation to help those less fortunate. i DECLARATION I, Kelly Geyer, hereby declare that the work contained in this research report is entirely my own unaided work. It has been submitted exclusively to the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education. It has not been submitted for any other degree or examination at any other university. _____________________ Kelly Geyer Signed on this __________ day of ___________ 2014 NOTE: A journal article based on this research report has been accepted for publication in the South African Journal of Higher Education in 2015, volume 29(1). ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge and express my sincere thanks to the following people for their help in the completion of this study:  My supervisor, Dr Elizabeth Walton, for her continual support and commitment throughout the research process. Your guidance and encouragement were invaluable in carrying me through the tough times.  The principals of the independent schools, for allowing me to conduct my research there.  The participants in the study, who gave of their time to share their perceptions and experiences with me.  My family, my partner Brandon, and closest friend, Tarryn, for your unwavering love and belief in me. Your understanding and words of support have helped me in ways I cannot describe.  Anthony Sparg, for editing the report. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... i DECLARATION ................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ........................................................................... 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ........................................................................................ 4 1.3 AIM OF THE STUDY .............................................................................................. 5 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ...................................................................................... 5 1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................... 5 1.6 CLARIFICATION OF RELEVANT TERMS ............................................................. 6 1.6.1 Inclusive education ........................................................................................... 6 1.6.2 Disadvantaged learners ................................................................................... 6 1.6.3 Bursary versus scholarship .............................................................................. 6 1.6.3.1 Scholarship recipients ......................................................................................... 7 1.6.4 Affluent independent schools ........................................................................... 7 1.6.5 Student Sponsorship Programme .................................................................... 8 1.6.6 Marginalisation ................................................................................................. 8 1.7 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY .................................................................................. 9 iv CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 10 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 10 2.2 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA ..................................................... 10 2.3 DEFINING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ................................................................... 12 2.4 INDEPENDENT EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA .............................................. 18 2.5 NON-ACCESS TO AFFLUENT INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ................................ 21 2.6 INCLUSION, EXCLUSION, AND MARGINALISATION ........................................ 22 2.6.1 INCLUSIVE/EXCLUSIVE EDUCATION ........................................................ 22 2.6.2 MARGINALISATION ..................................................................................... 25 2.7 LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF LEARNERS .................................................... 27 2.7.1 INCLUSION AND VOICES............................................................................. 29 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................ 31 3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 31 3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH ..................................................................................... 31 3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................... 32 3.4 DATA-COLLECTION METHODS AND INSTRUMENTS ...................................... 34 3.4.1 INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS ............................................................................ 34 3.4.1.1 PHOTO DIARY ................................................................................................. 37 3.4.1.2 MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE ................................................................................. 39 3.4.2 JOURNAL ...................................................................................................... 39 3.5 PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................................... 40 3.5.1 SELECTING SCHOOLS ................................................................................ 40 3.5.2 SELECTING PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................ 41 3.6 ETHICAL PROCEDURES ..................................................................................... 42 3.7 DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................................. 43 3.8 VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY ............................................................................... 45 3.9 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 46 v CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ............................................ 47 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 47 4.2 ACCESS ............................................................................................................... 47 4.2.1 FORMAL ACCESS ........................................................................................ 47 4.2.2 EPISTEMOLOGICAL ACCESS ..................................................................... 48 4.3 PARTICIPATION ................................................................................................... 50 4.3.1 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ....................................................................... 50 4.3.2 SPORT AND EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES .................................................... 51 4.3.3 SCHOOL TOURS/CAMPS ............................................................................. 52 4.4 BELONGING ......................................................................................................... 53 4.4.1 PEER RELATIONSHIPS ................................................................................ 53 4.4.2 FINANCIAL STANDING ................................................................................. 55 4.5 POSSIBLE POSITIVE CHANGES ........................................................................ 57 4.6 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER 5: REFLECTIONS, SUMMARY AND, CONCLUSION ... 60 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 60 5.2 ANSWERS TO THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................... 60 5.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................................ 63 5.3.1 LIMITATIONS IN THE DESIGN OF THE STUDY .......................................... 63 5.3.2 LIMITATIONS IN THE EXECUTION OF THE STUDY ................................... 64 5.4 STRENGTHS ........................................................................................................ 65 5.5 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 65 5.5.1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMMES AND SCHOOLS ................................................................................................... 65 5.5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION .............................. 66 5.5.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ............................................. 66 5.6 REFLECTIONS ON THE RESEARCH .................................................................. 67 vi 5.7 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 67 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 69 APPENDIX A: ............................................................................................................. 79 (i) INFORMATION LETTER TO THE PRINCIPAL .................................................... 79 (ii) INFORMATION LETTER TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY ............................................................................................ 81 APPENDIX B: INFORMATION LETTER TO PARENT/GUARDIAN/CAREGIVER ..... 83 APPENDIX C: INFORMATION LETTER TO PARTICIPANT (LEARNER) ................. 85 APPENDIX D: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF INFORMATION LETTER 87 (i) PRINCIPAL ........................................................................................................... 87 (ii) CHAIRPERSON OF THE SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY .................................... 89 APPENDIX E: PARENT/GUARDIAN/CAREGIVER CONSENT FORM ..................... 90 APPENDIX F: PARTICIPANT (LEARNER) CONSENT FORM .................................. 93 APPENDIX G: INTERVIEW 1 PROCESS AND QUESTION SCHEDULE ................. 97 APPENDIX H: INTERVIEW 2 PROCESS AND QUESTION SCHEDULE ................ 101 APPENDIX I: ETHICS COMMITTEE CLEARANCE LETTER ................................... 103 vii LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: A brief summary of the selected schools and the participants ..........................42 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: Shadows cast by the acts of benevolence ......................................................57 viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CSI - corporate social investment DBE - Department of Basic Education DoE - Department of Education EFA - Education for All IEB - Independent Examinations Board ISASA - Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa NPC - non-profit company SSP - Student Sponsorship Programme UNCRC - United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child WP6 - White Paper 6 ix