Abstract
During my doctoral study on the intention and impact of visible rewards (via badges, trophies, honour board listings, certificates) for academic achievement at two Gauteng high schools, it was found that academic awards were not consistent with the aims and ideals of inclusive education such as cooperation, collaboration and sharing of information (Akabor, 2020). Participants had indicated that the rewarding processes and criteria affected the participation and achievement of all learners, created a competitive ethos that promoted discrimination, and viewed their peers as rivals. Building on from here, my current project explores the practice of rewarding learners in ways that can be inclusive. Can schools demonstrate their understanding of what constitutes good practice with respect to awards? How can we make rewards change to become more inclusive? Is it possible to transform this practice into an equitable one? How can we reduce competitiveness in order to promote social justice at schools? In discovering equitable forms of rewarding learners that is aligned with the concept of Ubuntu in the provinces of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape, the project follows a mixed methods design allowing for both qualitative and quantitative data. Participants will be grade 11 learners, grade 11 parents, teachers and Senior Management Team (SMT) members at six ordinary high schools in the provinces of the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal (3 per province). Through focus group interviews of the learners, detailed perspectives of visible rewards obtained can show possible transformation in rewarding learners inclusively and equitably.
Presenters
Shakira AkaborSenior Lecturer, Curriculum & Instructional Studies, UNISA, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Competitiveness, Discrimination, Inclusion, Transformation
