Inclusive Education in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah: A Reflective Study of 21st Century Dynamics, Challenges, and Opportunities

The purpose of this study in to investigate factors that are related to teachers’ attitudes and perception of self-efficacy towards pupils with disabilities and the problems teachers experienced in the implementation of inclusive primary education in Tanzania. The study involved a sample of 100 teachers from 10 inclusive schools in Dar es Salaam. The instrument included questions/items regarding (a) background information of teacher and school characteristics and about the type of disabilities of the pupils that are included in the teacher’s classroom, (b) teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy regarding pupils with disabilities in inclusive education (Likert scales) and (c) statements to measure the problems that teachers face in the implementation of inclusive education. First, the findings show that demographics like gender, class size, type of disability and training in special needs education did not relate significantly to teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy towards inclusive education. Furthermore, the results revealed that teachers face a lot of problems in the implementation of inclusive education, specifically in managing pupils with different disabilities, shortage of teaching and learning materials, lack of training and poor working environments. Multiple regression analysis showed that (a) working experience in inclusive education is significantly and positively related to attitudes towards including pupils with disabilities in mainstream education and (b) teachers with low self-efficacy face more problems with the implementation of inclusive education.

The right of children with special needs to education is realised through the introduction of inclusive education. Such practice is common in many countries around the world. An inclusive setting in early childhood education protects children from segregation and negative attitudes from others. In Ukraine, in connection with European integration, preschool inclusive education is actively developing. Accordingly, studying of inclusive education and the practice of preschool educational institutions for children with special educational needs in the country is relevant, and determining the specifics of this process became the purpose of this study. Analysis of the legal framework, method of comparative analysis, synthesis and analysis of quantitative indicators, questionnaires, systematisation and generalisation of statistical data were used during the research. A comparison of inclusive preschool education implementation experience in the European Union (EU) and Ukraine was conducted and the main trends in the development and implementation of inclusive education in Ukraine were identified. It was found that membership in the EU has a positive effect on both pre‐primary education in the member states and the practice of inclusive education. This study can be useful for educators and policy makers in Ukraine for developing ways to improve the situation with inclusive education both in preschool educational institutions and in schools, as well as for educators and policy makers from other countries, especially the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, where similar processes are taking place in their educational systems.

The aim of this research is to provide information about how the implementation of inclusive education as a change in the educational paradigm in Indonesia can be carried out. The method used in this research uses a qualitative method with a literature study approach. Library studies can be defined as a series of activities related to collecting library data, reading and taking notes, and processing research materials. Based on the results of the literature study, the implementation of inclusive education in Indonesia is an important paradigm shift in the education system. This aims to ensure that every individual, including those with special needs, has full access to quality education. There are several steps that can be taken in implementing inclusive education as a change in the educational paradigm in Indonesia, namely, policies and regulations; training and education for educators; inclusive curriculum development; inclusive physical facilities; community education; collaboration between institutions; as well as evaluation and monitoring. So in essence inclusive education is very important to create equality, participation and respect for diversity in the classroom. Even though its implementation is still faced with various challenges and obstacles, the efforts of the government and related stakeholders have produced policies, programs and best practice models in inclusive education. Thus, it is important for the government, educational institutions, teachers and society as a whole to continue to work together and commit to encouraging the implementation of better inclusive education.

This study aims to describe the form of parents involvement as a form of child social support from parents in the implementation of early childhood inclusive eduaction. Parents involvement in school programs is needed in the application of inclusive education for early childhood because parents are an important factor in early childhood development. The method used in this study is a qualitative research method with a qualitative descriptive approach. Data collection used by interview, observation and documentation. The criteria who selected in interview is parents of student in early childhood inclusive eductaion. The method of observation was carried to find out various forms of parents involvement in the implementation of inclusive education through programs in schools and then followed by interviews conducted with research subjects, parents of students and teachers. The documents obtained are used as supporting data from observations that have been made. The validity of the data used with source triangulation. Source triangulation is used to check data obtained through several sources. The discussion results show that the program activities that have been mentioned in the form of parents involvement in early childhood inclusive education programmatically such as Parenting Seminars, Class Conferences, Parents Day, Daily Activity Books, National and International Holidays Celebrations, Graduation Ceremony, Outing Class, Outing School or Family Gathering, Friday Sharing, and Recitation. The form of parents involvement is also influenced by supporting factors in the form of parents support, community and institutions that help implement the school program by involving parents as the main role in carrying out inclusive education. While the inhibiting factor is the lack of good communication between parents who work with class teachers due to the busy work done by parents of students, lack of parents knowledge about inclusive education and participation of parents of children who are reluctant to provide therapy to their children.

Inclusive education is a global movement that emerged in response to the exclusion of learners who are viewed as different by the education system. Countries that hold the consensus to implement inclusive education have structured their legislation to ensure the implementation of inclusive education. However, the practice in schools may not live up to the rhetoric. The purpose of this study is to describe policy implementation in some developing countries. This research focuses on the implementation of inclusive education policies in developing countries. Developing countries are considered to be lacking in implementing inclusive education policies. In addition, developing countries often adopt policies from developed countries that are not in accordance with the characteristics of their countries. This research uses a literature study of journals related to the implementation of inclusive education in developing countries. The results show that the state that holds the consensus in the implementation of inclusive education has guaranteed the implementation of inclusive education in the constitution. The implementation of inclusive education experiences several obstacles related to accessibility, lack of accompanying teachers, poor acceptance by school community members and less than optimal funding. Constitutionally, the state has guaranteed the implementation of inclusive education, but in its implementation there are still several challenges that result in the achievement of the objectives of organizing inclusive education is not optimal. Therefore, the government needs to be consistent in implementing inclusive education policies, so that the achievement of inclusive education goals can be achieved.

The article examines the implementation of inclusive school education in non-state schools on the example of St. Petersburg. Inclusive education involves teaching children with special educational needs in general educa-tion institutions together with their peers without any barriers. The article analyzes the problems faced by non-state educational institutions in the implementation of inclusive education in St. Petersburg, including: difficul-ties in integrating a “special” child into the communication space of peers, lack of opportunities for emotional relaxation of children, lack of specialized equipment, etc. A number of recommendations are offered to im-prove the situation by strengthening support from external organizations, improving the qualifications of teach-ers and creating specialized programs and methodological support. The result of the study is to identify the main problems and prospects for the development of inclusive education in non-state schools, taking into ac-count the specific situation in St. Petersburg.

This quasi-qualitative study explored the concerns, barriers, and impacts of implementing Inclusive Education (IE) in elementary schools in Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. Despite the Indonesian government's mandate to implement IE through Ministry of Education Act No. 70 of 2009, various challenges hinder its effective implementation. A survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 elementary school teachers to gain insight into their experiences and perceptions of IE. The findings suggest that teachers often lack confidence in employing inclusive strategies because of limited knowledge and large class sizes, highlighting the need for ongoing professional development. Additionally, while there is evidence of positive attitudes towards special educational needs (SEN) students among peers and parents, teachers may not fully embrace IE. This study aims to provide a thorough assessment of IE strategies employed in Indonesian elementary schools by analyzing key factors and offering recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of IE for both students and teachers. These findings will inform policymakers, educators, and stakeholders about the current state of IE and the necessary steps to improve it, ultimately contributing to the development of a more inclusive and equitable education system in Indonesia.

The article analyzes current problems of implementing inclusive education in educational institutions of Ukraine and countries of the European Union. Various specific aspects of inclusive education in European countries are highlighted. It is substantiated that there is a need to stimulate the use of the best world experience in the implementation of inclusive education in different countries. An important aspect is ensuring effective investment into inclusive education both in Ukraine and in the countries of the European Union. The purpose of the article is to analyze the experience of implementing inclusive education in the countries of the European Union and Ukraine. It is defined that the implementation of inclusive education in Ukrainian educational system has a number of urgent problems that must be solved, namely: the lack of a clear mechanism for the implementation of inclusive education; the lack of a unified approach to understanding the terms used in the process of obtaining an education by people with special educational needs; the need to introduce inclusive education at all levels of education in Ukraine; different sub-departments of educational institutions (special and general); the need to review the mechanism of state financing of educational institutions that provide inclusive educational services; introduction of broad educational work among the population regarding the necessity and positive nature of the implementation of inclusive education. Current problems of inclusive education in the European Union are as follows: increasing the quality and significance of inclusive education; increasing the number of graduates and reducing the number of people who do not graduate from educational institutions; review and preparation of educational programs that will meet the needs of people with special educational needs in education; stimulating the use of world leading experience in teaching and scientific research; providing higher education students with wider opportunities to acquire additional skills through study and internships abroad; strengthening links between inclusive education, research and business; ensuring effective investment into inclusive education.

The implementation of inclusive education in Indonesia aims to provide educational facilities and services for children with special needs (ABK). Inclusive education has been implemented in various schools, especially in big cities, but still faces various challenges in its implementation. This study aims to describe the problems faced by schools that provide inclusive education in North Sumatra and their resolution efforts. The objects in this study include public schools and special schools that integrate inclusive education. This study uses a qualitative approach, with data collection techniques through interviews, observations, and documentation. The data obtained are explained through the process of data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Various problems arise, ranging from the lack of number and competence of special guidance teachers (GPK), difficulties for students in following lessons, lack of school readiness to run inclusive programs, to limited facilities and infrastructure that do not support the needs of children with special needs (ABK). In addition, low cooperation between schools, education offices, and parents is also an obstacle to the implementation of effective inclusive education.

Education must be open, regardless of race, ethnicity, or characteristics, for a student with a disability. Inclusive education is an alternative that is facilitated by the government to reduce discrimination so that children with special needs can obtain a quality education. However, over time the implementation of inclusive education has been hampered by several obstacles, especially with the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, there are still many schools providing inclusive education that do not have special assistant teachers, and there is not even a special budget to provide inclusive education. This study aims to examine and describe the implementation of inclusive education at the Payakumbuh City Elementary Schoolbduring the Covid-19 pandemic. The research is a descriptive-analytic study, and data collection techniques were carried out using observation and interviews. The result of the study found that the implementation of inclusive education at the Payakumbuh City elementary schools had not been running by the criteria for implementing inclusive education. This is due to the absence of a dedicated budget for providing inclusive education, teachers’ misunderstandings regarding the characteristics and needs of students with special needs, limited facilities that accommodate the needs of students with special needs, and pandemic conditions that make the learning process less effective. Therefore, these obstacles in the implementation of inclusive education must be overcome immediately, local governments can consider holding socialization in schools, to provide understanding to teachers, because they are the ones who will teach students with special needs.

The article analyzes the relevance of arts education and teachers’ professional development while implementing inclusive education. The background for this article is an evaluation of an international in-service teachers’ training program focusing on inclusive arts education. This study aims to investigate what inclusive education means to arts teachers and reveal their learning experiences in the international training program “Inclusive Arts Education”. The qualitative research was conducted using the focus group method with international training program participants from three different European countries (Finland, Austria and Lithuania). The study involved 25 participants: 7 from Finland, 7 from Austria and 11 from Lithuania. The research has shown that in each country arts teachers work in different national and educational contexts but face quite similar challenges of inclusive education. The success of inclusive art education mainly depends on the teacher’s professional abilities and attitude towards inclusion, as well as the creation of a favourable educational atmosphere and positive relationships with students in the educational process. The experience of the research participants highlighted their attitudes to the content and organization of international training, which will help to develop continuing education programs for arts teachers’ preparation for inclusive arts education.

This study discusses the implementation of the principle of legal justice in inclusive education at the elementary and secondary school levels in Indonesia. Inclusive education is a form of fulfilling the rights of every citizen to non-discriminatory and equitable education, as guaranteed in the 1945 Constitution and other laws and regulations. Although normatively, there have been regulations that support it, such as Law No. 20 of 2003, Law No. 8 of 2016, and Permendikbud No. 70 of 2009, implementation in the field still faces many obstacles. This study uses a normative legal method with a statutory and conceptual approach. The results of the survey show that limited human resources, infrastructure, low budget allocation, and weak supervision and coordination between the central and regional governments still constrain the implementation of inclusive education. This study recommends the need for more operational policy reformulation, increased training for educators, strengthening the supervision system, and integration of cross-sectoral policies in order to realize fair and sustainable inclusive education.

Education is the right of every individual, regardless of race, creed, gender, abilities, or skills, and children with and without special needs as well. As a long time has passed, those who are concerned and working in the field of education still face serious questions like what kind of strategies or methodologies should be adopted or adapted to provide education to differently abled children and ordinary children in the same context. It is necessary to find out the teachers' practices towards the implementation of inclusive education in Sindh. The key purpose of this study was to identify the practical challenges faced by teachers towards the successful implementation of inclusive education in public primary-level schools in Sindh. The population of the current study was the public primary-level schools of the city of Nawabshah, Sindh. A self-designed questionnaire was developed and distributed among the 16 public primary-level schools (8 boys and 8 girls), and one senior teacher and two students from each school were selected as a sample for the study. The questionnaire consisted of 15 items related to teachers' practices for implementing inclusive education in their respective schools, and five items pertain to concerned students. The SPSS software was utilized for data analysis. The findings of the study reveal that the teachers of public primary schools were unaware of the teaching practices of differently abled children. Moreover, they never attended seminars or conferences and did not undergo any training regarding the implementation of inclusive education. The study recommended that a chapter regarding the concept of inclusive education, including teaching practices, be included in teachers' training manuals so that teachers are aware of the concept of inclusion or inclusive education and teaching practices regarding an inclusive classroom. Moreover, there were some hindrances in policy, school leadership, adequate teaching and learning material, and curriculum.

The purpose of this study is to explore both the experiences of prospective teachers who
 have taken an ‘introduction to special education’ course, and support methods for implementing
 inclusive education, thereby providing implications for high-quality inclusive education. For the
 research, a series of semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nine students from
 H University in Chungcheong Province who met the participant selection criteria and agreed to
 participate. The interview content was analyzed using a constant comparative method. As a result
 of qualitative analysis, three main themes—‘Enhancement of Disability Awareness and Broadening of
 Interest’, ‘Perception of Role as Implementers of Inclusive Education’ and ‘Demands for Implementing
 Inclusive Education’—as well as seven sub-themes emerged. Participants reported a positive change
 in their perception of individuals with disabilities through the ‘introduction to special education’
 course, developed an interest in various issues related to disabilities, and recognized their role as
 implementers of inclusive education. Furthermore, they suggested various approaches for an
 effective implementation of inclusive education. The conclusion and recommendations discussed
 strategies for achieving higher-quality inclusive education. The significance of this study lies in the
 in-depth exploration of the experiences of prospective teachers who completed the ‘introduction to
 special education’ course to search for support methods for implementing inclusive education.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The focus of this article is to examine the implementation of inclusive education in private pre-schools in the urban setting of Lilongwe city in Malawi. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to explore the implementation of inclusive education based on Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological theory. In-depth, interviews and an observation checklist were used to collect data from a purposively selected sample of 31 selected schools. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire from a sample of 25 private preschool teachers, and 6 educational administrators from 31 selected schools. Among the results of the study, include that most private pre-schools do not understand the need for implementation of inclusive education and therefore do not implement inclusive education in the schools at all. Very few schools include students with special needs in their schools denying some learners who have disabilities a chance to access education. Coupled with a lack of a consistence, and harmonized curriculum, several private pre-schools do not take the initiative to include special needs interventions in their schools. Further, most schools have no suitable infrastructure to enable the implementation of students with special needs in their school environments. Most current pre-primary schools do not have specially designed learning structures but rather use residential homes that have now been turned into schools. While private schools are meant to complement the government's efforts and contribute toward the goals of education in Malawi, most private schools have emphasized the business model, rendering schools to ignore some of the educational outcomes for the nation. Finally, but not least among the factors, another critical common characteristic among private pre-schools is the lack of clear application of policies in place to ensure the implementation of inclusive education.
 The study recommends that there is a need to step up efforts to be invest in both human and non-human resource in private preschools to ensure that inclusive education becomes a reality and that there is a propensity to contribute to the goals of education in Malawi. When properly implemented, Inclusive education has myriad benefits to the child and the nation at large. The responsibility to implement inclusive education rests in every bonafide citizen of a nation. It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that the schools integrate inclusive education into their school activities.