ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Special Educational Needs
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1641336
Inclusive Education in Resource-Constrained Settings: Exploring Mainstream Teachers' Knowledge and Practices for Autistic Learners in South Africa
Provisionally accepted
- University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
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This study investigated mainstream educators' understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in South Africa's Tzaneen Circuit, aiming to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and classroom practices regarding inclusive education for autistic learners. Despite progressive policies like White Paper 6 (2001), implementation gaps persist in rural areas due to limited training and resources. Using a qualitative case study design, data from six educators revealed limited ASD knowledge primarily gained through informal means, positive but strained attitudes toward inclusion, and systemic challenges like overcrowded classrooms and lack of specialist support. While educators demonstrated adaptive strategies, the findings highlight critical needs: enhanced teacher training, accessible resources, and stronger policy implementation to achieve equitable inclusion. The study underscores the urgency of addressing these gaps in underresourced settings through collaborative, systemic reforms to empower educators and improve outcomes for autistic students.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Inclusive education, Mainstream Educators, teacher training, South Africa, Policy implementation
Received: 04 Jun 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sepadi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Medwin Sepadi, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
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