Effects of Educational Policies on Design of Inclusive Schools: SERÇEV Case

The main obstacle of children with special needs to advance is access to education as high as possible not to the disability, but to social acceptance of the community. This study aims 1) To determine the acceptability of children with special needs in the inclusive elementary school environment. It includes principals, teachers, learners, and parents. 2) To determine the factors those influence the acceptance of children with special needs in the inclusive elementary school environment. This is an interactive qualitative research. The research site is Wirosaban Elementary School, Yogyakarta City. Data collection techniques are interviews, observation and documentation. Data analysis technique is analytic descriptive data analysis. The results show: 1) Acceptability of children with special needs in inclusive school environment is quite good after going through various processes. School trying to accept children with special needs even though the school realized its service on some things still not maximal 2) There are four factors that affect the school environment perception of children with special needs. These factors are: knowledge and insight factor on inclusive education, b. environmental support factor outside the school, c. facilities factor, d. the persistence factor of the guardians of the special needs students.

Inclusive education aims to ensure equal opportunities for all learners, and Universal Design (UD) offers practical and actionable principles to support this goal. As higher education increasingly embraces both physical and digital inclusive learning environments, there is a growing need to understand how UD is implemented and evaluated in these contexts. This systematic literature review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, synthesizes findings from 16 empirical studies and reviews published between 2013 and 2023. The review identifies a variety of inclusive actions, such as offering multimodal learning materials, designing flexible assessments and integrating accessible technologies. These approaches illustrate the adaptability of UD principles and their relevance across disciplines and modalities. The study confirms that UD can be an effective, holistic framework for designing inclusive higher education environments. However, clear causal links between specific UD‐informed actions and their corresponding outcomes are still lacking, making it difficult to assess which principles drive particular results. Furthermore, not all UD principles are addressed equally, with more emphasis placed on easily implementable aspects while others remain underexplored. These gaps point to a need for greater integration of UD across institutional levels, as well as for interdisciplinary collaboration. This review not only maps current practices but also identifies critical contextual and methodological blind spots and offers a future research agenda. It further proposes nine priority components for advancing inclusive higher education through UD, supporting teachers, researchers and policymakers alike. Context and implications Rationale for this study: why the new findings matter: Despite strong policy ambitions, inclusive higher education continues to fall short in practice. While Universal Design (UD) is frequently promoted as a promising framework to address learner diversity, empirical insight into how UD is actually implemented and evaluated in higher education remains limited and fragmented. This review matters because it goes beyond advocacy by systematically examining which UD‐informed actions are implemented, how they are interpreted, often through Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and what kinds of outcomes are reported. By revealing uneven application of UD principles and persistent conceptual ambiguity between UD and UDL, the study clarifies why current evidence is difficult to compare and why causal claims about effectiveness remain weak. In doing so, it addresses a critical gap between inclusive aspirations and actionable, evidence‐informed design in higher education. Implications for research: For research, the findings highlight the urgent need for greater conceptual and methodological clarity. The dominance of UDL terminology, combined with inconsistent operationalisation of UD principles, limits the ability to establish causal links between specific design actions and learning outcomes. Future studies should therefore adopt clearer and more transparent frameworks that explicitly connect implemented strategies to underlying UD principles. In addition, the strong North American focus in the existing literature points to the need for more geographically and culturally diverse research to strengthen the external validity of findings. Longitudinal and comparative designs are particularly needed to move beyond descriptive accounts and to build a cumulative evidence base on the effectiveness of UD in higher education. Implications for practice and policy: For practice, this review identifies flexible assessment practices, multimodal learning resources and user‐friendly digital tools as consistently associated with positive learning experiences and engagement. At the same time, it exposes important blind spots, notably the underuse of UD principles related to physical accessibility and spatial design, which are often assumed rather than deliberately addressed. For policy, the findings underscore that sustainable implementation of UD cannot rely on individual teacher initiative alone. Institutional support structures, targeted professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration and clear frameworks defining shared responsibilities between teachers and students are essential. Together, these implications stress the need to embed UD structurally within higher education systems, rather than treating inclusion as a series of ad‐hoc adjustments.

Inclusive education provides opportunities for children with disabilities and non-disabled children to receive education together. The New Education Policy 2020 also promises equal and inclusive education for all. Various teacher-training courses have been recognised by the National Council for Teacher Education and the Rehabilitation Council of India to prepare teachers for providing education to children with disabilities in special and inclusive schools in the country. These courses nurture the skills of future teachers to create an inclusive learning environment, use inclusive teaching strategies, select learning materials according to the needs of the learners, plan and assess children with disabilities, etc. At present, there is a lot of emphasis on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to create an inclusive learning environment. But the trainees in special education and general teacher education do not have good printed study material available on this topic. The editor and all the authors believe that this book will fill the literary gap and will be helpful for all trainee-teachers and teacher-educators to learn the concept, principles of UDL, lesson planning for UDL, problems in implementation, the role of ICT, and assessment options, etc. All the chapters in this book are useful for special teachers, general teachers, research scholars, trainees of D.Ed., B.Ed., M.Ed., and other teacher training courses in special education & general education. Many enthusiastic and renowned professionals contributed their chapters to this book. Their great contribution made this book worth reading for trainees, teachers, and researchers. This book includes sixteen chapters i.e., Historical Perspective of Universal Design for Learning, Economic Perspectives of Universal Design for Learning: Challenges and Solutions, How Universal Design for Learning is Gaining Momentum in Indian Education System: A Review of Educational Policies and Initiatives, Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Praxis, Guidelines for Implementing Universal Design for Learning, Scope of Universal Design for Learning in Inclusive Education, Universal Design for Learning and Lesson Planning, Using Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education: An Approach towards Inclusion, Universal Design for Digital Age, Universal Design for Learning Based Learning Resources, Challenges and Issues in Implementing Universal Design for Learning, Implementation of Universal Design in India: Challenges and Issues, Accessibility Problems in Educational Institutions, Critics and Remedial as Implementation in Universal Design for Learning Approaches in India, Emerging Pedagogical Options and Universal Design for Learning, Universal Design for Learning and its Role in Holistic Effective Learning and Assessment. This book is a very useful resource in inclusive education. The editor acknowledges the great contribution made by the authors. Critical feedback and suggestions by all readers will be appreciated for further improvement in the content and other aspects of the book.

The purpose of this research; The aim is to take the opinions of teachers on universal design in the creation of a pre-university education model for the disabled in an inclusive higher education system. The research was designed in accordance with the qualitative research method. The study group of the research consists of 25 teachers who teach in various schools in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Research data were collected through a semi-structured interview form created by the researchers. As a result of the research; It has been revealed that the majority of teachers find the educational opportunities of the disabled in the inclusive education model partially sufficient. The majority of the teachers stated that they found the educational opportunities of the disabled in the inclusive education model insufficient in the universal design dimension. Teachers' suggestions for improving the educational opportunities of the disabled in the inclusive education model in the dimension of universal design; information presentation alternatives are in the direction of providing options in education, interactive learning and eliminating limitations. In line with the results obtained from the research, it is recommended to prepare inclusive education professional development programs for teachers based on universal design in education, and to organize curricula in order to increase the quality of education in the inclusive education universal design model of the disabled.
 
 Keywords; Inclusive education, universal design, students with disabilities, teacher opinions

Inclusive education (IE), which calls for equal opportunities for students with diverse abilities in the achievement of knowledge, has been developed as a central pedagogical strategy in primary schools worldwide, including those in Turkey. Besides educators, the issue of IE becomes an important discussion area among designers who question the provision of supportive learning environments in terms of inclusion. Equal opportunity, diversity, social justice and participation are necessary parameters for a comprehensive understanding of inclusion and the evaluation of the spatial character of inclusive learning environments. The lack of clarity of ideas about inclusion leads to limited implementation of IE in Turkey. Insufficient provision of school facilities that are necessary for IE and a lack of effective and comprehensive design approaches for physical learning environments further complicate this situation. Design specifications in Turkish regulations regarding inclusive learning environments in primary schools remain too technical, as they merely focus on the issue of disability and special education rather than inclusion. This paper focuses on assessing the conformity of these regulations to universal design (UD), a recent architectural design strategy that supports the idea of inclusion in physical environments through its mission of design for all and design for equity and social justice and seeks to make physical environments accessible, usable and tolerable for all students with diverse abilities.

Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of teachers and students about the school inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) at the Federal Institute of Amapá (IFAP), Macapá campus, focusing on the adequacy of pedagogical practices and institutional infrastructure. Theoretical Framework: The research is based on the concepts of school inclusion, accessibility, and teacher training for specialized services. References such as the Salamanca Declaration and Brazilian legislation on inclusive education provide theoretical support. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was conducted, using semi-structured interviews. Participants included 7 students with SEN, 18 teachers, and the coordinator of the Nucleus for the Support of People with Special Educational Needs (NAPNE). Data analysis followed Bardin’s content analysis method (2016). Results and Discussion: The included students expressed satisfaction with the physical and pedagogical structure but identified areas for improvement. Teachers, on the other hand, pointed to a lack of training and capacity as barriers to full inclusion. The discussion highlights the need for ongoing adjustments to ensure a more inclusive educational environment. Research Implications: The study emphasizes the importance of educational policies that promote continuous teacher training and the adjustment of educational institutions, contributing to the construction of a more inclusive school environment. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by providing a comparative analysis of the perceptions of teachers and students regarding school inclusion in the context of technical and technological education, expanding the debate on challenges and progress in this field.

In 1994, representatives from ninety-two countries met in Salamanca, Spain, and drafted a statement that called for inclusive education for all (UNESCO 1994). Since then, the United Nations (UN) has continued to advocate for inclusive education and the educational rights of children with disabilities around the world (UN Division for Social Policy and Development 2006). International efforts supported the development of a powerful coalition of educators, policymakers, non-profit organizations, and government agencies dedicated to creating more inclusive schools for students with disabilities. However, each national context has unique barriers to making inclusion and high-quality education a reality for students with disabilities. Educator attitudes about disability, myths about students with disabilities and their impact on the learning of their peers, legacies of segregated schooling, inadequate funding and educator preparation in the area of special education, and a lack of innovation in public schools stifle inclusive education efforts in most contexts (Banks 2014; Cameron and Cook 2013; Conley and You 2017; Crouch, Keys, and McMahon 2014; McFarlane and Woolfson 2013). In the United States, the intersections of race, poverty, urbanicity, disability, gender, and other markers of difference complicate inclusive education and often create significant barriers to inclusive schools (Artiles 2003; DeMatthews and Mawhinney 2013; Blanchett 2006; Harry and Klingner 2014). Principals and other school leaders are in an important position to create more equitable and inclusive schools for students with disabilities, but they need to navigate a complexity of issues tied to special education laws and policies as well as other administrative barriers. In the USA, professional and philanthropic organizations, government agencies, and university principal preparation programmes are focusing greater attention and resources to principal development in the area of special education, the needs of students with disabilities, and research-based approaches that support inclusive schools because a growing body of evidence that suggests principals make an essential difference in the development of high-quality inclusive schools and improved outcomes from students with disabilities (DeMatthews 2015; Bays and Crockett 2007; Billingsley, McLeskey, and Crockett 2019; Boscardin 2007; Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center 2017; Hoppey and McLeskey 2013; Lashley 2007; Mayrowetz and Weinstein 1999; Theoharis 2007). School leadership that prioritizes inclusion has undoubtedly been a contributing factor to the continued growth of inclusive school opportunities for students with disabilities in the USA (US Department of Education 2018). In this entry, I briefly summarize special education history and law in the USA to serve as the background to the examining of inclusive school leadership for students with disabilities. This overview identifies key aspects of federal special education law, challenges to inclusive schools, and barriers, forms of resistance, and complexities to inclusion that exist within the US context. Next, I review research focused on inclusive school leadership. In particular, I focus on identifying practices and actions taken by principals who have simultaneously created more inclusive schools and improved student achievement for all students. Finally, I discuss implications of the research presented in this chapter to support recommendations for how to further promote inclusive school leadership and the development of inclusive school leaders.

Deaf and hard-hearing children that goes to inclusive school often find difficulties in adjusting themselves in inclusive school environment. this several factors are affecting this condition including psychosocial, communication, and behavioral factors that they get from the school environment. Communication of anxiety and uncertainty reduction is the early stage of how deaf and hard hearing children can adapt themselves in inclusive school environment. the aim of this research is to understand the narrative of deaf and hard-hearing children of their selfadjustment in inclusive school through their strategy of anxiety and uncertainty reduction. The type of this research is qualitative research. this research analyze and interpret some written text about deaf and hard-hearing children’s experience of adjustment in inclusive school. this research is using Mishler’s narrative analysis. Result of this research shows different narratives of deaf and hard-hearing children’s self adjustment in inclusive school. those narratives are complete withdrawal from school environment, passive observation and only focusing on school subjects. only close with their deaf and hardhearing friendsa, finding close friends that diesnt require any special needs, and the last one which is getting external support from teachers and friends in the inclusive school environment. moreover, they use passive and interactive technique in information-seeking to reduce their uncertainty. they are most likely use multiple modal of communication and highly dependent on the usage of social media as tools to seek information and communicate. in addition, the role of social support from their close relatives is highly affecting their initiatives in reducing anxiety and uncertainty that they experience based on the results, researcher suggests that people that involves in inclusive school settings including parents, teachers, and friends to always support and help children with deaf and hearing-impaired condition physically and psychologically to adapt in inclusive school environments. without significant support and help, initiatives of reducing anxiety and uncertainty will not be effective thus can worsen their self adjustment in inclusive school.Keywords : Deaf and Hard-hearing children, uncertainty and anxiety reduction communication, self adjustment

A child who has special needs (ABK) needs appropriate education from an early age, considering that during this period there is an acceleration in the growth and development process. In line with that, inclusive education is present to answer this problem. Through this inclusive education, a child who has special needs (ABK) is able to learn, interact and play activities with other ordinary children to improve their development. This research aims to find out how the development of ABK when attending an inclusive school. This research answers this problem with a case study using a qualitative approach. Regarding methods, this research utilizes three data collection tools, namely observation and interviews, as well as documentation to answer questions more comprehensively. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that children with special needs can optimize their development in inclusive education which accommodates and facilitates children with special needs with special assistance to participate in learning and playing at school with other regular children. So that Children with Special Needs (ABK) can attend school comfortably and happily in inclusive schools. This is proven by the existence of a regular form of mutual respect between children towards a child who has special needs. So that a child who has special needs feels valued and confident in an inclusive school environment.

The inclusion policy in education gives priority to the task of developing an effective inclusive education system, the vocational training of future teachers in higher education based on the competence approach, and the preparation of highly competent specialists who would demonstrate well-developed intellectual, professional, and personal qualities in an innovative educational space. The study aims to substantiate and experimentally test possibilities to develop the social and pedagogical competence of future primary school teachers for work in an inclusive environment of a general education institution. The authors scientifically substantiate and prove the need for pedagogical universities to train students who are ready and able to perform social and pedagogical work in an inclusive class in a general education institution and to develop their social and pedagogical competence for work in an inclusive educational space of a general education school. The conducted pedagogical experiment confirms the hypothesis that the vocational training of future primary school teachers for work in an inclusive school environment provides a high level of development of social and pedagogical competence.

The article analyzes the arguments of the relevance of the study of the connection between inclusion in a modern school and the subjective well-being of schoolchildren.
 Subject of research: factors of subjective well-being of students and an inclusive school environment.
 Purpose of research: to analyze the severity of the factors of subjective well-being of students and the inclusive environment of the school in conjunction with the socio-psychological characteristics of students, including those with disabilities.
 Methods and objects of research: the empirical analysis included a study of satisfaction with school, family, oneself and one's life prospects, friends, as well as inclusive policies, inclusive practices, and inclusive culture at school. A continuous study of 807 students of the 7,8,9,10,11 th grades of the Tyumen city school was conducted. The study was conducted using the author's questionnaire. It is based on the questionnaire of the international research project on the study of subjective well-being of children "Detsky Mir" Children's World and the questionnaire of T.Booth, M.Einscow.
 Main results of research: a decrease in the level of assessment of subjective well-being with an increase in the class of study; a difference in grades depending on gender; a tendency to link well-being and an inclusive environment at school; a difference in the assessment of factors of subjective well-being and an inclusive environment of normotypical and students with disabilities. It is shown that one of the tools for the formation of an inclusive educational space can be socio-emotional learning. Inclusion, subjective well-being and socio-emotional learning make up the trinity of the education model. The construction of this model will ensure the necessary level of openness and accessibility of modern school education.

Supportive educational services in inclusive education (IE) are important for providing equal education rights to students with special needs and ensuring their participation in society. In Turkey, life center units, which were not included in IE legislation, were first established as a supportive educational service of inclusive schools at the primary schools and furthered throughout the secondary settings. Universal design (UD), which supports the accessibility and usability of the built environment for all, is recommended to guide the design of the IE schools. Thus, the aim of the study is to develop UD-compliant interior design guidelines for life center units by using a two-stage methodology. First, the dimensions of IE and the related physical environments in Turkey were examined. Second, periodic visits to life center units of Ankara Gkkua Primary School and SEREV Accessible Vocational Anatolian High School were conducted by on-site observations and architectural plan reviews. The obtained data were analysed to acquire the interior space requirements, revealing the necessity of the life center unit for IE in Turkey and the need for design guidelines. The study is expected to fill an important gap in the field of interior architecture in terms of proposing a design guideline for supportive educational services in IE school environment. Moreover, the study is expected to provide a design guideline, specifically for designers, practitioners, academicians, and relevant stakeholders.

The article highlights the main features of the inclusive educational process in Ukraine and Spain, including: the historical development of inclusive education, as one of the main factors influencing the formation of inclusive education policy, regulatory support for inclusive education, the formation of the main components of universal design in learning: accessibility, material and technical support, methodological support, readiness of human resources; awareness of student youth on inclusion issues and practical aspects of implementing an inclusive education model. The purpose of the article is to analyze the prerequisites for the development of inclusive education in Ukraine and Spain, as well as to present the results of the study on the awareness of student youth of Ukraine and Spain in the implementation of inclusive education process. The Spanish experts in the field of inclusion, emphasize that at present there is more noticeable progress in the country on issues related to inclusion than several years ago. The country’s policy is to constantly seek justice and equality, to involve the whole society in this process and to eliminate marginalization and discrimination. There is a noticeable sensitivity to minority rights and their integration into a nation-wide society. This is not only facilitated by the interest of parents, associations and organizations claiming their rights, but also by the much wider social movements that protect the civil rights of people with disabilities. According to the observations of the European Research Association, the current state of training specialists in Ukraine to work in an inclusive educational environment does not satisfy public requests and needs. The majority of teachers and preschool educators experience the lack of theoretical knowledge and practical skills to work with children with special educational needs. There is also a psychological and methodological unpreparedness of pedagogical staff, classroom leaders and subject teachersto teach a number of disciplines for children who have certain special educational needs. In general, according to the research, the problem of education for children with special needs is important for our society. The study founds that the awareness of the population is quite high, with the vast majority of those surveyed familiar with the inclusion process. It should be noted that the majority of respondents have positive expectations about the introduction of universal design in education. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the difference in the perception of the inclusive process between Ukrainians and Spanish is small, but the Spanish are more positive about the situation of inclusion than Ukrainians. Key words: inclusive educational process, universal design in learning, individual and differentiated approach to children with special educational needs.

This paper centres on inclusive education in Cameroon. The study assessing the limitations of the Cameroonian education system in inclusive education; identifying the challenges faced by teachers in managing learners with special needs and proposing a way forward for the success of inclusive education in Cameroon. Two inclusive schools were used CEFED Inclusive Nursery and Primary School Santa and Model Bilingual Nursery and Primary School Nkwen. This descriptive survey made use of a questionnaire, an interview guide, and an observation guide as instruments for data collection, all constructed by the researchers. The sample of the study was 20 teachers purposively selected from the two inclusive schools under investigation. The self-delivery method was used to collect the data. Data analysis was descriptive with the use of frequency counts and percentages. The findings indicated that teachers have insufficient knowledge on effective classroom management strategies in inclusive classrooms (75%); Teachers’ professional training does not meet the challenges in inclusive classrooms (70%); Teachers use abstract materials in teaching pupils in inclusive classrooms (75%) of the 20 teachers of the study used only abstract materials in their teaching; and that teachers have limited competences in teaching inclusive classrooms (75%). It was concluded among others that all teacher training colleges and universities should include inclusive education as a subject in their curriculum so that the graduates are empowered with skills to teach pupils with special needs. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-12-14 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

Inclusive education means that every student, including those with special needs, has the right to an education in an inclusive school environment. In the context of inclusive education, several fundamental obstacles stand in the way of creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment. The current study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the importance of inclusive education and the steps that can be taken to ensure that every child, including those with special needs, can benefit from a balanced and equitable education. The method used in writing this article is a literature review, with the ten articles used being literature published in 2020-2023 Articles were selected by determining the scope, selecting relevant keywords, and writing eligible articles related to the implementation of inclusive education in Indonesia. The results show that most schools in Indonesia have an understanding of inclusive education but still need to improve their implementation. Factors include the need for more special assistant teachers, socialization of inclusion policies, and limited budgets. Although some schools have implemented the inclusion program well, there are still challenges, including a need for more understanding from the community and parents, a shortage of human resources, and barriers to the optimality of inclusive education activities. In implementing inclusive education, success factors involve teachers' attitudes and knowledge, communication, and adequate infrastructure.