Disabilities In Regular Classrooms Research Articles

TEACHER’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE MOST EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Inclusive education is an approach to education aimed at providing adequate support to all students regardless of their abilities in regular schools. Teachers, as the primary carriers of the educational process, often have dilemmas about what is the best way to support students with developmental disabilities in regular classrooms. In this regard, the goal of this paper is to examine teachers' attitudes on what are the best strategies for supporting students with developmental disabilities in regular schools. Additionally, I examined what teachers believe is the best way to support them in order to implement inclusive education. The sample for this research consisted of 375 teachers (294 or 78.4% females and 81or 21.6% males) from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). Teachers believe that the best strategy is to create positive, and motivating classroom environment followed by adapting the environment in such a way that it suits all students, and collaborative learning, or helping students to learn from each other. Teachers believe they could best be supported through the help in making Individualized Educational Programs. I conclude the paper with certain recommendations on how to improve inclusive education in BIH.

Inclusive actions at school: what do teachers know in practice?

This work seeks to presente reflections on inclusive pedagogical practices, bringing continuity in discussions about teacher training in the face of inclusion, in order to verify how teachers organize their practice to serve students with disabilities in regular classrooms. We sought, through qualitative research, in which we used interviews and open questionnaires, to analyze the practices developed by Basic Education teachers. We understand that, to move towards truly inclusive education, it is essential to invest in teacher training, providing them with the tools, knowledge and support necessary to meet the varied needs of all students. Furthermore, it is essential to promote a broader and more comprehensive understanding of what inclusion means, recognizing that it goes beyond mere diagnostic considerations and encompasses the creation of educational environments that value diversity, equity and mutual respect.

Identifying Cambodian teachers' concerns about including students with disabilities in regular classrooms: Evidence from a nationwide survey

AbstractThis study examined teachers' concerns about including students with disabilities (SWDs) in regular classrooms and identified the background variables that were significantly associated with their concerns. A total of 1008 primary school teachers from 236 schools across all 25 provinces and cities in Cambodia participated in the study. The Concern about Inclusive Education Scale (CIES) was used as a research instrument. Descriptive statistics, a principal component analysis, reliability tests, Pearson correlation coefficients and a multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The result of the principal component analysis confirmed a four‐factor model for the CIES. The study found that Cambodian teachers had high levels of concern about including SWDs in regular classrooms. They expressed the deepest concerns about the inadequate availability of special education instructional materials and teaching aids, the lack of knowledge and skills required to teach SWDs, the increased workloads and the challenges of providing equal attention to all students. The experience of inclusive education training, years of teaching in regular classrooms, and experience of teaching SWDs were significantly associated with their concerns about inclusion. The findings were discussed with practical implications for improved policy and practice to address Cambodian teachers' concerns and promote their inclusive practices.

A Qualitative Research of School Bullying Among Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Regular Classrooms

The number of students with intellectual disabilities in regular classrooms has been expanding yearly, but the problem of school bullying has severely impacted their physical and mental health and future development. Seven ordinary teachers were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews, and qualitative data analysis was performed using MAXQDA 2022. The results showed that children with intellectual disabilities who were bullied lacked social skills and anti-bullying consciousness. Children with intellectual disabilities were often isolated and treated differently by ordinary students. Furthermore, schools failed to address school bullying, and teachers did not deal with school bullying properly. There were also problems in the parenting of those who had been bullied, and the parents’ attitudes towards their children were often negative. In view of this, relevant countermeasures were proposed.

The attitudes of parents of typically developing students towards including students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms in the United Arab Emirates

AbstractThis study investigates the attitudes of parents of typically developing students towards teaching students with disabilities in the mainstream classrooms, in relation to various family characteristics. This quantitative research employed a descriptive questionnaire survey to investigate the attitudes of parents of typically developing students towards teaching learners with disabilities in regular classrooms. A total of 419 parents of students from Cycle 1 and 2 classrooms in the United Arab Emirates completed the questionnaire. Parents showed positive attitudes towards teaching students with disabilities in the mainstream classrooms. Respondents who had no schooling were found to express more positive attitudes than those who had a college or university education, as were those with a ‘schooling’ level of education. The results revealed no significant relationship between respondents' attitudes towards inclusion and their gender, age, place of residence or the number of children in the family. The UAE Ministry of Education should recognize the importance of this study's findings when implementing the ministerial resolution regarding the philosophy of educational inclusion in all mainstream schools in the UAE. This can be seen as a measure to improve the quality of life and education of all marginalized students, especially those with disabilities.

Attitudes of Indian and Polish teachers towards inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in regular classrooms. A comparative analysis

Education of children with disabilities across the globe has been gradually evolving from segregation towards inclusion. The systems in Poland and India have also been following this path, yet due to their own unique historical, cultural, and social contexts, these countries have adopted rather dissimilar approaches to the process of inclusion. What is presented in this report are the results of the study, which aimed to explore both the attitudes of Polish and Indian teachers towards inclusive education of students with special educational needs resulting from mild to moderate disabilities and the significance of selected factors for their differentiation. Polish teachers generally declared more positive attitudes than Indian teachers. Two variables in Indian teachers (the location of the school where the respondents worked and personal contacts with people with disabilities) and one variable in Polish teachers (seniority) turned out to be important in differentiating their attitudes towards inclusion. Implication for practice and further research are discussed.

A novel approach to enhancing the implementation of inclusive education?

One of the criticisms concerning teacher aides (TAs) is that they have limited education and pedagogical skills to support teaching of students with disabilities in the classroom. In Ghana, universities have responded and have introduced a 4‐year degree programme in special education. The graduates are recruited as TAs by the government, to work with teachers and students with disabilities in regular classrooms. However, students with disabilities are unable to participate in inclusive classrooms. This lends support to the exploration of the experiences and the contribution of TAs regarding the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. The inclusive education performance indicators (concepts, policy, structure and systems and practice) was used as framework to understand the perception of 12 TAs regarding inclusive practices. Under each of the measurement indicators, participants discussed the barriers that interfered with their work. For instance, while participants mentioned that they have the competence to support the implementation of inclusive education, under the measurement indicator of concepts, they shared that the rigid nature of the curriculum is an impediment to equal participation. The implications of the study findings for policymaking with respect to improving inclusive practices are discussed.

Special educators' intentions towards supporting practice of inclusive education for students with disabilities in secondary schools in Ghana.

BackgroundAlthough teacher training institutions have introduced courses in inclusive education to equip teachers with the necessary pedagogical skills to teach in diverse classrooms, it has been argued that the services of special educators are essential when it comes to teaching students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Unfortunately, there is scant literature on the views of special educators regarding the enactment of inclusive education in sub-Saharan African countries, such as Ghana.ObjectiveIn an effort towards promoting inclusive education in Ghana, there has been deployment of special educators across Ghana to supervise the implementation of inclusive education in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore the intentions of special educators towards supporting teachers to teach students with disabilities in secondary schools.MethodAjzen’s theory of planned behaviour guided the development of interview guide for data collection for this qualitative study. Twelve special educators were purposively selected and interviewed from five districts in Ghana.ResultsThe participants expressed their unpreparedness to work in secondary schools because of multiple factors, such as their job description, resistance from teachers, and inadequate teaching and learning materials.ConclusionThis study concludes on the need for policymakers to reconsider the deployment of special educators to cluster of schools or geographical areas in order to supervise the education of children with disabilities.

PELO DIREITO DE APRENDER: CONTRIBUIÇÕES DO MODELO SOCIAL DA DEFICIÊNCIA À INCLUSÃO ESCOLAR

ABSTRACT: This theoretical article, elaborated from an integrative literature review process, makes an unswerving defense of the concept of inclusion, taken as a cornerstone, the production of a democratic and liberating educational practice. It challenges head-on the temporarily suspended Presidential Decree no. 10.502 of September 30, 2020, which establishes the new National Policy for Special Education, believing that it is based on a fragile idea of inclusion as restricted to the presence of students with disabilities in regular classrooms, without considering the deep and unpostponable transformations that the supposedly inclusive denotes to enable everyone to learn satisfactorily, with a view to equal participation in society. The theoretical scope which guides the critical lines established herein refers to the literature conventionally called the social model of disability, which has the understanding of disability under the prism of historical production as its central idea and from the perspective that the person with a disability is not reduced to their deficit. The texts employed in this article take this assumption as a driving force when visualizing in the experience of disability endless educational possibilities which allow enriching and complexifying human development and the ways of intervention concerning the environment around us from original platforms with a positive impact in the whole collectivity. It links such relationships in school environments to curricular adjustments, didactic reconfigurations, construction of accessible spaces, and the transformation of the very meaning by which disability is conceived in the school terrain.

Teachers’ Demographic Factors Influencing Their Attitudes Towards Education of Students with Learning Disabilities in Regular Classrooms in Ibadan, Nigeria

The study investigated the level of attitudes towards the education of students with learning disabilities among teachers in regular education classrooms. It also examined the influence of four teachers’ demographic factors on their attitudes towards education of students with learning disabilities in regular classrooms Ibadan, Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study whilst the multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted to select the study sample. A total of 125 teachers participated in the study, 64 (51.2%) were males whilst 61 (48.8%) were females. A self-designed questionnaire tagged “Teachers’ Attitude towards Education of Students with Learning Disabilities in Regular Education Classrooms” (TAESLDRECQ) with a reliability of 0. 81 was utilized to collect data. One research question and four hypotheses were generated and tested. Percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistics were employed to analyze the data generated from the participants at 0.05 level of significance. Whilst the result of the research question reveals a grand mean of 2.59 which is slightly higher than the criterion mean of 2.50, the result from the test of norm showed that 9.6% (n=12) teachers had negative attitude, whilst 90.4% (n=113) teachers had positive attitude. Therefore, it was concluded that there is a positive attitude towards education of students with learning disabilities in regular education classrooms. The results shows that teachers’ attitudes towards education of students with learning disabilities in regular education classrooms based on: gender (Crit-t = 1.96, Cal.t = 1.440, DF = 123; educational qualification (F = 1.630, p(.171)>.05); years of experience (F = 2.329, p(.102)>.05); and category of students taught which could be either junior secondary or senior secondary class (Crit-t = 1.96, Cal.t = .035, DF = 123, p(0.973) towards education of students with learning disabilities in regular education classrooms. Hence, it was concluded that teachers’ attitude towards education of students with learning disabilities is the same irrespective of their gender, educational qualification, years of experience and category of student taught (either junior secondary or senior secondary class). On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that there should be more trainings and in-service professional development programmes such as orientation, workshops, seminars, conferences to allow teachers in regular education classrooms to acquire knowledge, skills and values required for the adequate education of students with learning disabilities in their classrooms.

Swedish Final Year Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Attitudes, Concerns and Intentions towards Inclusion

Abstract This article explores ninety-seven (n=97) Swedish Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers' attitudes, concerns, and intentions to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms. A six-part self-reporting questionnaire was used to examine participants' attitudes, concerns, efficacy, and intentions toward inclusion. The results showed that although the Swedish EC preservice teachers' in this study expressed 'some' concern about working with children the results indicated a high degree of teacher efficacy. To determine predictors of participants' intentions and use of inclusive practices a series of regression analysis were undertaken. Knowledge of local legislation emerged as significant predictor of participants' intention scores. Teaching efficacy scores were significant predictors for both intention and use of inclusive practices. The results are discussed in the context of the Swedish idea ‘a school for all' with a focus on the Swedish preschool teacher education program.

The self-efficacy of learning and support assistants in the Austrian inclusive education context

ABSTRACT In inclusive education, learning and support assistants (LSAs) play an increasingly prominent role in supporting students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Previous research has identified various factors that influence the implementation of inclusive education, such as collaboration and the self-efficacy beliefs amongst the involved professions. The present cross-sectional study examined the self-efficacy beliefs of 89 Styrian LSAs in interaction with their age, qualification, specialist knowledge and quality of collaboration with teachers. Our findings reveal that Styrian LSAs show a high amount of self-efficacy beliefs. Correlations confirm that their age, knowledge about special education, assessment of feeling qualified based on completed training and the estimated quality of teacher collaboration relate significantly to their self-efficacy beliefs. Further analyses demonstrate that respondents who had completed a degree in social work have the highest sense of self-efficacy and are thus feel best qualified for supporting children with disabilities due to their previous training. In line with earlier research, these findings strengthen the claim for LSAs to receive training that would impact their self-efficacy beliefs, which, in the long run, could increase the likelihood of inclusive educational practices being successfully implemented.

Peer-Interaction Strategies: Fostering Positive Experiences for Students With Severe Disabilities in Inclusive Music Classes

Too often, students with disabilities in regular classrooms have limited access to the regular curriculum, and for students with severe disabilities, interactions are often with paraprofessionals, not typical classmates. The present study is grounded in action research methods in that an elementary teacher and the authors worked together for the purpose of designing, implementing, and evaluating interaction guidelines between her students with severe disabilities and their typically developing classmates. Overall, instruction and implementation of peer-interaction activities for working together and helping each other were efficient and resulted in high rates of positive interactions. Although the students with disabilities needed different kinds of support, they were capable of participating in a wide-range of music activities and interacting with their typical classmates. Differences in frequencies and quality of interactions are attributed primarily to task complexity, individual needs, and partner assignments.

Attitudes and Self‐Efficacy of Romanian Primary School Teachers towards Including Children with Special Educational Needs in Regular Classrooms

In the last years, as a consequence of inclusive policies, the number of children with special educational needs in Romanian primary classrooms has increased. In this context primary school teachers face numerous challenges when teaching children with special educational needs in their classrooms. It is assumed that regular education teachers are the critical agents in this process of inclusion. Their attitudes toward the inclusion of children with special educational needs in regular classrooms is especially important for the success of inclusionary efforts. Teacher self-efficacy has also an essential role when addressing diverse learners. In this study we examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teacher attitudes toward the inclusive education. Data were collected from 126 Romanian in-service primary school teachers that have in their classrooms students with special educational needs. There is a significant positive correlation between primary school teachers’ perceived self-efficacy and their attitudes towards inclusive education. Younger primary school teachers have more positive attitudes towards children with special educational needs and inclusive education. Those primary school teachers that have attended more special education courses appear to have less positive attitudes and are less willing to accept students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Practical implications of teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive classrooms are discussed.

Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Pupils in Primary Schools in Ghana

Abstract In recent times, international deliberations have centered on inaccessibility of essential services to persons with disabilities. These systematic discriminations have accounted for high rates of poverty and deplorable living standards among persons with disabilities. Deliberate attempts are being made to safeguard the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. In Ghana, one major development is the implementation of inclusive education, to open regular classrooms to children with disabilities. While much is known about the challenges faced by teachers, in terms of lacking skills, facilities and resources to teach students with disabilities in regular classrooms, little attention has been given to their ability to identify students with disabilities. This case study explored the prevalence, common sub-types and distribution of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among pupils in primary schools in Ghana. The school and home version of the ADHD Rating Scale IV were used to rate 374 pupils by their teachers and parents. Cluster sampling was used to select 15 schools from a district to take part in this study. The estimated prevalence of ADHD was 7% and more boys were identified with ADHD than girls. With regards to teachers' ratings, most of the pupils fell under inattentive sub-type while hyperactive was the most common sub-type identified by parents. Both teachers and parents identified twenty-one pupils. The need for stakeholders' engagement on public education on ADHD its symptoms and management, have been discussed extensively.

Swedish Final Year Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Attitudes, Concerns and Intentions towards Inclusion

Abstract This article explores ninety-seven (n=97) Swedish Early Childhood (EC) preservice teachers' attitudes, concerns, and intentions to include children with disabilities in regular classrooms. A six-part self-reporting questionnaire was used to examine participants' attitudes, concerns, efficacy, and intentions toward inclusion. The results showed that although the Swedish EC preservice teachers' in this study expressed 'some' concern about working with children the results indicated a high degree of teacher efficacy. To determine predictors of participants' intentions and use of inclusive practices a series of regression analysis were undertaken. Knowledge of local legislation emerged as significant predictor of participants' intention scores. Teaching efficacy scores were significant predictors for both intention and use of inclusive practices. The results are discussed in the context of the Swedish idea ‘a school for all' with a focus on the Swedish preschool teacher education program.

BRAC Primary School Teachers’ Teaching-efficacy, Attitude, Sentiment and Concern towards Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Regular Classrooms in Bangladesh

BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) is the largest non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh that is involved in the provision of education to 674,229 children, including 25,637 children with disabilities (BEP, 2014). The aim of the research reported in this paper is to explore BRAC Primary School teachers’ teaching efficacy, attitude, sentiment and concern towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classrooms, in order to inform future efforts and developments with inclusive education. 400 randomly selected BRAC primary school teachers from 48 districts of 7 regions of Bangladesh participated in this research. The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) and Sentiments, Attitudes, Concerns regarding Inclusive Education-Revised (SACIE-R) (Sharma, Loreman, &Forlin, 2012; Forlin, Loreman, & Sharma, 2011) scales were utilities in this study along with a demographic questionnaire. The results show that BRAC teachers have relatively high level of overall teaching efficacy, moderately positive attitude and generally low concern towards inclusion of children with disabilities. The study found no significant relationship between the background and demographic variables used for this study and BRAC teachers’ teaching efficacy and attitude. The study also revealed a significant difference in BRAC teachers’ concern based on students’ disability type, and a significant positive relationship between teaching efficacy and attitude and concern. Based on the findings, the study suggests further collaboration between government and BRAC to create the conditions for higher teacher efficacy and positive attitude towards inclusion of children with disabilities, providing school support, resources, and extensive training opportunities.

Attitudes and self‐efficacy of pre‐service teachers towards inclusion in Pakistan

This study sought to determine the attitudes and teaching self‐efficacy of pre‐service teachers towards the inclusion of students with disabilities into regular classrooms. A questionnaire was administered to 194 pre‐service Pakistani teachers (male 73, female 121) enrolled in a 1‐year teacher education programme at a government university in Pakistan. Overall, male pre‐service teachers expressed more positive attitudes than their female counterparts regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Surprisingly, those pre‐service teachers majoring in special education did not express more positive attitudes towards inclusion than their counterparts who were preparing to teach in mainstream schools. However, participants with training in special education, knowledge of disability legislation, teaching experience and personal experience with a disability reported higher levels of self‐efficacy towards teaching within inclusive settings. The findings of the study are discussed with possible implications for policy‐makers and teacher educators in Pakistan and other countries in the South Asian region.

Inclusive Preschool Teachers: Their Attitudes and Knowledge about Inclusion

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of preschool teachers regarding inclusive practices and to determine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes of the teacher about inclusion. Two instruments were used for data collection: The Inclusion Knowledge Test developed by the researchers and the Turkish form of Opinions Relative to Integration of Students with Disabilities. 30 preschool teachers who have children with disabilities in their classrooms participated in the study. The results of analysis provided the specific information about what the teachers know and do not know about inclusive practices. In addition, it was found that teacher attitudes towards inclusion were neither positive nor negative and there is no significant relationship between the level of knowledge and attitudes of the teachers. All findings were discussed in terms of preschool teacher training programs and several suggestions were made to train teachers who are able to work with young children with disabilities in regular classrooms.

ESCOLA INCLUSIVA: entre o ideal (necessário) e o real (possível).

This text presents some reflexions about the intentions and the conditions for school inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in regular classrooms of the final grades of elementary brazilian schools. Considering analysis and researches about the theme, identifies the questions that emerge from academicals debates and teachers practices and that figure as challenges to be faced by educational agents of the country.