Date of Award

6-26-2026

Date Published

July 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Leadership

Advisor(s)

Beth Ferri

Keywords

Disability Studies;DisCrit;Inclusive Education;Indigenous Knowledge Systems;South Africa;Ubuntu

Abstract

In this multi-site, interpretivist, qualitative study, I explored how participants in two socio-culturally and geo-historically distinct South African inclusive primary schools conceptualize dis/ability, smartness, and successful (inclusive) education. I also examined how participants’ interpretations of these constructs informed each school’s unique and culturally sustaining inclusive education practices. I aimed to answer two overarching research questions for this dissertation: (1) How do Saamgroei and Oakview participants conceptualize dis/ability, smartness, and successful (inclusive) education? (2) How do participants’ constructions of dis/ability, smartness, and successful (inclusive) education inform their culturally sustaining inclusion strategies? Saamgroei is a Quintile 1 (government-funded) rural school, serving predominantly Coloured and Indigenous or Indigenous-descending (Khoi, Nama, and San) learners. Oakview is a suburban, racially diverse, former Model C (White children only) school, serving mainly middle to upper middle-class families. South Africa’s Department of Basic Education and international institutions (e.g., UNESCO and T4 Education) have recognized both schools as “model” inclusive schools. Employing a bricolage of critical and emancipatory theoretical frameworks—including South African Indigenous Knowledge Systems, particularly Ubuntu—this dissertation offers a comparative case study to examine how mindsets, ideological positionings, local resources, histories, and cultures impact inclusive practices. Findings indicate, for instance, that participants at both schools extended dis/ability conceptualizations beyond requiring biopsychological “impairments,” labels, or special education placements, to include other forms of marginalization (e.g., poverty). Saamgroei personnel conceptualized dis/ability, in part, as a loss of interdependent and community relations. People in and around Saamgroei, therefore, prioritized fostering Indigenous values of meaningful relationships with humans, animals, plants, and religious beings and sustaining local Coloured and Indigenous Knowledges. They purposefully worked to dismantle traditional Eurocentric physical and conceptual boundaries that isolated schools from communities. Conversely, Oakview participants viewed dis/ability as the result of individuals being deprived of the ability to express unique identities and talents. Oakview actors, thus, enacted inclusive education by engaging children in classroom discussions about dis/ability, (ab)normality, morality, and ethics. They also fostered respect for diverse interests and strengths by dismantling the hierarchy between academics and practical subjects. This dissertation ultimately foregrounds a plurality of ontological, epistemological, and axiological positionings to challenge the universalism espoused within global and national inclusion agendas. The dissertation concludes with implications for future research, policy, theory, and practice.

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