The action research journey of Knysna Motumi, Chief Education Specialist
School-Based Support Teams (SBSTs) should create an inclusive learning environment. School Management Teams (SMTs) should provide them with effective guidance, assistance and monitoring support. 'Giving ownership works wonders', Chief Education Specialist Knysna Motumi discovered.
Knysna Motumi is Chief Education Specialist for Education Development and Support. He participated in an action research (AR) cohort in the Free State, in March 2018. His AR question was ‘How can I support School Management Teams (SMTs) of a primary school to support their School-Based Support Teams (SBSTs)?’
‘SMTs and teachers change their situation in their own way. They feel in charge. Giving them ownership works wonders.’ Firstly, Knysna divided the SBST into three categories: learner needs, teacher development and school development. ‘It makes an SBST more functional. Together, they can take care of all learners’ needs.’
‘A learner must see and touch, he must even smell’
Knysna’s Action Research had a concrete impact on inclusive education practices. ‘This school provides quality education for all learners’, the vision of the school now states. A new focused strategy helps both progressed and retained learners to improve their results. 'Our missions says we leave no learner behind', the Chief Education specialist explains.
In the classroom, teachers now differentiate in terms of learning styles, learning environment, and in terms of the assessment of the learners. Learners now use all their senses: ‘A learner must see and touch. He must even smell where possible, and learn through his or her senses’, Knysna states. Educators indicate that this strategy has improved their learners’ performance.
Upscaling to different schools
With the successful pilot in one school, Knysna wants to engage all schools in his circuit in action research. ‘I’ve seen the benefits. The school performance has improved’, he says. ‘It’s wonderful that teachers have accepted it, because they develop themselves now.’
Mindshift
Knysna himself adopted an attitude of continuously reflecting to improve his practice. ‘I used to say, “This is the problem.” But with that attitude, people withdraw.’ He explains how action research helped him to start listening to his SMTs. ‘In the future, I will ask teachers themselves to identify the problem. They can come with suggestions or recommendations. Together, we will put a strategy in place. I only come to give support. It’s all about progress’, he claims. ‘It’s a cycle, so you can improve forever. There is no finish line.’
