Perceived Differentiation and Personalization Teaching Approaches in Inclusive Classrooms: Perspectives of Students and Teachers

In this paper, we explore Norwegian teachers’ perspectives on inclusive teaching practices in the mathematics classroom, defined as practices which maximise every pupil’s potential regardless of prior attainment. As previous research suggests, both mathematics teachers’ perspectives in general and the conceptualisation of inclusion, inclusive education, and inclusive practices are culturally situated, varying significantly across countries and educational systems. We draw on data from a large project in Norway focusing on the use of grouping by attainment and its relation to policy and pedagogical practices around inclusion in mathematics. Participants were 13 primary and lower-secondary mathematics teachers from six schools in the Oslo area. Analysis of semi-structured interviews focusing on strategies for inclusion of all pupils in mathematics classrooms reveals the cultural particularities of mathematics teachers’ perspectives on inclusive practices, highlighting the value of similar investigations in other cultural contexts.

Beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are two factors influencing teaching practice in the classroom. This research aims to describe the beliefs and PCK of the prospective mathematics teachers and the relationship between the two factors on the teaching practices in the mathematics classroom. Participant in this research includes a prospective teacher who has taken a micro teaching subject and has good communication skill. Data were collected through interview and video analysis on the teaching practice in the classroom. The data obtained were coded, simplified, presented, and triangulated for the credibility and concluded. The result of the research shows that the prospective teachers who hold a constructivist belief view mathematics as a dynamic knowledge which evolves and is regarded as the space of creation for humans. Their beliefs on the nature of mathematics support the belief in the teaching-learning process in mathematics classrooms. Furthermore, a good understanding of the prospective teachers have on the components of the PCK has been sufficient, which can be identified in every step of practical activities in the classroom. More elaboration on the relationship between the belief and PCK is presented in this research.

Inclusive teaching practices can be characterized as recurrent ways how teachers work with their students’ diverse abilities, but how exactly are they enacted in subject matter classrooms? The paper proposes a conceptual framework to unpack inclusive practices according to the student ability to which they refer, in five typical jobs for teachers: (a) identifying the demands for the ability, (b) differentiating learning goals, (c) compensating for low abilities, (d) enhancing abilities, and (e) addressing the abilities in joint learning. The proposed job-ability framework for inclusive teaching practices is substantiated in a video study of 25 mathematics lessons on percentages with the same curriculum material. In total, rather than 50, 133 different inclusive teaching practices were identified in 3862 sequences and structured into 20 cells. They address four abilities (from most often to least often): (1) selective attention/working memory, (2) mathematical pre-knowledge, (3) language proficiency, and (4) metacognitive regulation. The large variance of enacted practices identified within and between lessons calls for professional development that elicits, leverages, and extends the repertoire of practices. While the reported frequencies are specific to the chosen teaching unit, the job-ability framework can be transferred to other subject-matter classrooms and used in professional development programs.

In contrast to the ‘bell-curve thinking’ which can shape many teachers’ assumptions of student ability (Fendler, L., & Muzaffar, I. (2008). The history of the bell curve: Sorting and the idea of normal. Educational Theory, 58(1), 63–82.; Florian & Black-Hawkins, 2011; Thomas, G., & Loxley, A. (2007). Deconstructing special education and constructing inclusion. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill International.), some researchers have been examining the ways in which teachers can shift their deterministic understandings of student capacities (see, Graham, A. (2014). Embodiment of knowledge and inclusive pedagogy.; Spratt, J., & Florian, L. (2014). Developing and using a framework for gauging the use of inclusive pedagogy by new and experienced teachers. In C. Forlin, T. Loreman (Eds.), Measuring inclusive education (Vol. 3, pp. 263–278). International Perspectives on Inclusive Education. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.). Despite the adverse effects on student self-efficacy and performance (Fraser, S. (1995). The bell curve wars: Race, intelligence, and the future of America. New York, NY: Basic Books.) that can result from teachers’ assumptions about students’ ability, evidence of teachers’ inclusive education practices can be difficult to find (Forlin, C. (2010). Teacher education for inclusion: Changing paradigms and innovative approaches. London: Routledge.; Jones, P. (2013). Bringing insider perspectives into inclusive teacher learning: Potentials and challenges for educational professionals. London: Routledge.). This chapter begins to address the lack of evidence of inclusive educational practices in some Geography classrooms. The chapter begins by providing an overview of literature which outlines how the development and sharing of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) can enhance effective inclusive practices in Geography classrooms. In contrast to many previous considerations of PCK as a teacher-focussed, individual attribute, this chapter presents an argument that the development of communal or distributed PCK in Geography classrooms can not only enhance creative ways for all students to participate in classroom life but also creates a sense of interdependence between teachers and students to create new knowledge, which in turn links to notions of identity development and inclusive practices. Finally, this chapter presents examples of ways in which Geography teachers can enact inclusive pedagogical approaches in both primary and secondary school contexts.

Inclusive education means that all students, including students with disabilities, have the right to access general education classrooms and receive high-quality instruction and appropriate levels of support to enable them to succeed. Given the importance of teacher preparation programs as the first incubator to shape teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive teaching practices, there is a need to pay more attention to further studies that focus on preservice teachers’ attitudes with considering their level of knowledge and efficacy. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy of preservice teachers about inclusive practices. This survey used a statistical analysis method performed by collecting data from 108 preservice teachers who were in the teacher preparation programmes at a university located in the Rocky Mountain region and had experience in inclusive classrooms. Analysis found that the preservice teachers’ attitudes and knowledge about inclusion contribute to predicting the teachers’ efficacy to use inclusive instruction strategies in their classrooms, to collaborate with others, and to manage students’ disruptive behaviours. The findings provide information on developing teacher preparation programmes to improve the quality of teaching practices for students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms.

Grounded in scholarship on multilingualism, this multimodal case study aims to identify factors related to ideologies of language and culture in an English language classroom in a public lower secondary school in Sweden for an enhanced understanding of learning conditions for multilingual students. Using a triangulation of methods, participant observation, materials analysis, and interviews, the study examines teaching practice, materiality, language use and teachers’ perspectives on multilingualism and their own teaching practices in the multilingual classroom. The study finds a predominance of factors rooted ideologies of monolingualism and monoculturalism. Teaching practice was marked by the traditional approach to teaching English with a focus on Britain/the U.K. as a homogenous monocultural and monolingual nation and a Swedishness norm dominated teaching practice and classroom interaction: extensive usage of the Swedish language, examples of teaching strategies related to a contrastive Swedish-English grammar approach and a study of target language culture from a national Swedish perspective. An application of Nancy Hornberger’s model of the continua of biliteracy to the data identifies teaching practice in the classroom as close to the privileged ends. The analysis of interviews suggests that the traditional approach was normalized and that teachers had limited awareness of pedagogical strategies for the inclusion of multilingual students.

In today’s diverse educational landscape, the ability of teachers to effectively support all learners through inclusive practices is increasingly vital. This study aimed to determine the significant relationship between feedback techniques and inclusive teaching practices among public elementary school teachers in Mati North District, Division of Mati City. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, with a sample of 182 teachers from public elementary schools in Mati North District, Division of Mati City. Data were gathered using standardized questionnaires administered through face-to-face surveys. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation (SD), Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression analyses. The findings revealed that feedback techniques and inclusive teaching practices were very extensive among teachers. Correlation analysis indicated a significant relationship between feedback techniques and inclusive teaching practices. Moreover, the study identified that the domains of feedback techniques significantly influenced inclusive teaching practices. It is recommended that school administrators focus on fostering teachers' feedback techniques through professional development programs that emphasize providing constructive, praise-driven, functional, and structured feedback. By enhancing these feedback techniques, teachers will be better equipped to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment, thereby improving their overall teaching effectiveness and student outcomes. This approach can ultimately promote a more equitable and inclusive educational experience for all students.

Effective inclusive teaching practice enables differently abled students to be educated in the general education setting alongside their peers, providing equitable educational opportunities. The purpose of this action research study was to explore and strengthen how general educators, special educators, and support staff (referred to as instructional support assistants at the research site) in grades 3-6 implement inclusion for differently abled students in the general education setting. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of four special educators, one general educator, and one instructional support assistant who provided interviews, documents for analysis, and participated in a focus group. Action steps included creating a community of practice called an Inclusion Focused Sharing Pod (IFSP) where three general educators, three special educators, and the researcher (i.e., an additional general educator) met for six one-hour meetings to collaboratively co-create inclusive teaching practice knowledge. Members of the IFSP co-created meeting agendas and six newsletters in a digital format. Evaluation of Cycle 2 consisted of a summative focus group held during the last celebratory meeting and document analysis of the co-created newsletters, agendas, meeting exit tickets, and final exit ticket to determine if the IFSP cultivated a culture of sharing inclusive teaching practice. This study found that the collaborative nature of teaching is integral to inclusive teaching practice and that building relationships fosters collaboration. Implications for the organization include strengthening inclusive teaching practice through professional development opportunities that develop relationships which promote collaboration; thereby strengthening inclusive teaching practices. Further implications for educators wishing to learn more about inclusive practices are offered.--Author's abstract

ABSTRACTResearch has highlighted that children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) might be at risk of receiving less-than-outstanding experiences in settings typically rated as outstanding. There are still significant barriers to the implementation of high-quality inclusive practices in early years settings: inadequate preparation of early educators for implementing inclusive classroom practices, and a lack of reliable and valid measures for assessing the quality of inclusive practice. The Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP) was designed to measure the quality of inclusive classroom practices that can support the developmental needs of children with SEN in early childhood programmes. This paper describes the first study that explored the feasibility and usefulness of the ICP measure for quality improvement. The usability of the ICP was explored in the context of a partnership between a team of early years inclusion advisors and inclusive settings in one local authority in south England. Early years advisors received training for using the ICP and performed follow-up feedback visits to settings. Advisors achieved reliability proficiency and rated the ICP measure and training programme positively. Future research needs to investigate how the ICP might support quality improvement through designing and piloting the effectiveness of a multi-component professional development programme.

Over the past two decades, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty have been striving to make their teaching practices more inclusive and welcoming to the variety of students who enter college. However, many STEM faculty, even those at teaching-focused institutions, have been educated in a traditional environment that emphasizes research and may not include classroom teaching. This can produce a deficit in training that leaves many STEM faculty feeling uncertain about inclusive teaching practices and their essential undergirding principles. This essay describes an online, evidence-based teaching guide (https://lse.ascb.org/evidence-based-teaching-guides/inclusive-teaching) intended to help fill this gap, serving as a resource for science faculty as they work to become more inclusive, particular with regard to differences in race, ethnicity, and gender. The guide describes the importance of developing self-awareness and empathy for students as a precursor to considering classroom practices. It also explores the role of classroom climate before turning to pedagogical choices that can support students’ sense of belonging, competence, and interest in the course. Finally, the guide suggests that true inclusivity is a community effort and that instructors should leverage local and national networks to maximize student learning and inclusion. Each of these essential points is supported by summaries of and links to articles that can inform these choices. The guide also includes an instructor checklist that offers a concise summary of key points with actionable steps that can guide instructors as they work toward a more inclusive practice. We hope that the guide will provide value for both faculty who are just beginning to consider how to change their teaching practices and faculty seeking to enrich their current efforts.

The objective of the research was to describe inclusive attitudes, conceptions and practices in education, both in teachers and special educators, in rural settings in La Serena, Chile, by using a mixed research approach with a and a descriptive design. The Assessment Guide for Inclusive Practices in the Classroom (GEPIA for its acronym in Spanish) was applied to a total of 49 teachers, plus a semi-structured interview which was also applied to five Classroom Teachers and five Special Educators to collect the data needed for this research. Quantitative results revealed that teachers are at an intermediate level at the implementation of inclusive practices, while qualitative results showed that both groups present a positive attitude and good will towards self improvement, planning in the frame of inclusion, and the implementation of inclusive practices. With regard to conceptions, differences in the level of knowledge on inclusive practices between the two groups were evident. Though most teachers declared to apply inclusive practices in the classroom, they also accepted the fact that they had little training on topics related to inclusion and inclusive practices in the classroom.

Within the current policy and legislative context of educating students with and without special educational needs (SEN) together in one classroom, the question that is frequently raised by educators relates to how best to implement inclusion and meet the different needs of their students in class. It is also important to understand all students’ perceptions about being included in regular classrooms. Therefore, the study examined secondary school students’ perceptions about the use of inclusive teaching practices by their different subject teachers. The main objective was to report on the psychometric properties of a newly developed questionnaire measuring students’ perceptions about their teachers’ use of inclusive teaching practices. A total of 665 secondary grade students rated the use of inclusive teaching practices for their two main subject teachers (German, Maths or English). The study found that the 14-item scale had high reliability (α = ranging 0.81 for German to 0.87 for English teachers) and consisted of two factors (‘Personalisation’ and ‘Differentiation’). According to the students’ perceptions, all subject teachers used some inclusive practices but they were not highly inclusive. A comparison showed that Maths teachers were more inclusive compared to their German counterpart. Implications for school educators and researchers are discussed.

Background Inclusive teaching practices have become essential to support student success in our diverse college classrooms. Given the variations in how inclusivity is translated into teaching behavior, it is important for us to examine how our students define and perceive inclusivity. Objective The main goal of this qualitative study is to define and characterize inclusive classroom communities and inclusive pedagogy practices through the voices of current college students. Method Participants included 365 undergraduate students from a public and a private university. Students responded to open-ended questions about inclusive teaching practices, characteristics of an inclusive classroom, inclusive teaching behaviors, and inclusive behaviors of classmates. Results Participants highlighted that inclusive teaching impacts all students while noting that teaching practice may differentially impact specific student populations, including students with disabilities and students of color. Students also identified specific instructor and classmate characteristics and behaviors that contribute to an inclusive (or non-inclusive) classroom community. Conclusion This study highlights students’ views on what characterizes inclusive teaching. Participants underscored the importance of respectful and welcoming environments both from faculty and peers. Teaching Implications Findings offer practical implications for instructors as they create and support an inclusive classroom, particularly as it pertains to teacher and student characteristics and behaviors.

Inclusive teaching practices are essential for reducing achievement gaps and creating equitable learning environments for all learners. This study focused on determining the relationship between the inclusive practices of Alternative Learning System (ALS) teachers and assessment of the ALS learners. The inclusive practices are evaluated in terms of learning modality, accommodation practices, and modification practices. Correlational and causal research designs were utilized in this study. A researcher-made questionnaire which passed the validity and reliability testing was conducted to ALS learners who were selected through probability sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods like Mean and Standard Deviation, as well as Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used in this study. Results revealed that ALS teachers’ inclusive practices are Moderately Observed. Learners’ assessment is at High level. There is a low to moderate positive correlation between teachers’ inclusive practices and learners' assessment. Modification practices are the biggest predictor for learners’ assessment. ALS implementers inclusive practices influence learners’ assessment. It is suggested to continuously use modification practices to satisfy the diverse learning needs of their learners in order to increase enrolment in ALS and improve academic performance of the ALS learners.

ABSTRACTThe aim of this paper is to problematize the concept of foreign language (FL) teacher self-reported preparedness to respond to the special educational needs of FL learners with dyslexia by employing appropriate inclusive teaching practices. The paper shortly characterises dyslexia and then elaborates on the components of preparedness, namely, teacher knowledge on dyslexia and self-efficacy in implementing inclusive instructional practices with dyslexic learners as well as attitude to inclusion. The paper discusses the influence of a number of demographic variables on FL teachers’ beliefs relating to their preparedness to include dyslexic learners and suggests implications for teacher training and further research on FL teacher education on dyslexia, special educational needs (SEN) and inclusive instructional practices.