Learner Support in Education

Study Notes

Learner support refers to any form of help, assistance, and guidance given to individual learners or groups of learners who experience barriers to learning.
It encourages active participation in schools, where individuals think and solve problems with others engaged in similar tasks.
Elements of support include academic, counselling, and peer support.

Medical-deficit model: focuses on diagnosing and remediating the "deficit-within-the-child" with a remedial intervention approach.
Medical model perspective results in discriminatory practices.
Medical knowledge is valuable in the assessment and learning support process of learners experiencing barriers to learn.
Socio-ecological model: a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders, acknowledging the context of diverse learning needs.
It takes into account factors within and around learners, and involves equal partners in education.

Barriers to learning emanate from factors within and around learners.
Support is provided in all schools and classrooms.
Environment must be changed, and teaching practices need to respond to learner diversity.
All learners need support.

Low level: basic intervention, preventative, and partial sight/hearing difficulties.
Moderate level: high-risk learners, dyslexia, mute/sight loss.
High intensity: e.g. down syndrome, autism.

Ordinary school: provides support for low-intensive learner barriers, refers moderate and high-intensive barriers to other structures.
Full-service schools (FSS): equipped to provide for the full range of learning needs, celebrates diversity, and adopts a holistic, flexible, and inclusive approach.