Disabilities In Regular Schools Research Articles

Parental Attitudes Towards Educational Placement of Their Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Regular Schools

Inclusive education is an emerging trend at the global level. Children with intellectual disabilities (CWIDs), if included in mainstream schools, may have rich experiences with their peers without disabilities in regular schools to become active members of society. In Pakistan, there is a small number of CWIDs in regular schools who are largely unsupported. The focus of the study is to collect the perceptions of parents regarding inclusive processes such as curriculum adaptations, accommodation of individual needs, collaboration and socialization of children with intellectual disabilities in inclusive settings. This study was conducted to unfold the perceived parental attitudes towards the educational placement of their CWIDs in regular schools. The population of the study was parents of the CWIDs. Data were collected from 150 parents of the CWIDs studying in different special schools in Lahore by using a purposive sampling technique. The reliability (Cronbach Alpha) of the questionnaire was 0.80. The results of the study indicate that most of the parents want the educational placement of their CWIDs in regular schools for better learning, socialization and grooming of academic skills. It was concluded that parents considered inclusive education as the best placement for their children with intellectual disabilities. With such parental support, the government should change the policy for the implementation of inclusive education.

Competence of teachers towards managing trauma among children with disabilities in Ghana.

Although trauma is one of the leading causes of behaviour problems among children with disabilities, there has been limited scholarly interest in trauma management within the discourse of implementation of inclusive education. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) trauma management model was used to study teachers' awareness of trauma management among students with disabilities studying in regular classrooms. A total of 271 teachers were recruited from two municipalities in the central region of Ghana to complete the Teacher Trauma Management Scale developed for this study. The data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, mean scores, multivariate analysis of variances, and linear regression. The results showed teachers' uncertainty towards trauma management, and a positive correlation was also found between the tenets of the study framework. The study concluded with a recommendation for contextual development of the curriculum to guide teacher training in trauma management. Studies on trauma management within the discourse of implementation of inclusive education are scarce. This study extends the literature on inclusive education to teacher development to support trauma management among students with disabilities in regular schools.

Love Thy Neighbour? Social Attitudes Towards Persons With Disabilities

This paper examines whether exposure to persons with disabilities in the locality influences attitudes towards their social and economic inclusion. Using nationally representative household survey data from Vietnam and an instrumental variable strategy, we find that higher rates of disability in the local district increases perceptions of employers’ willingness to hire people with disabilities but also decreases support for the inclusion of children and persons with disabilities in regular schools, marriage and community living. The findings suggest that increased exposure can lead to more positive attitudes towards the capabilities of persons with disabilities but can lead to a backlash that reinforces social norms.

The Role and Place of Parents of Children with Disabilities in Inclusive Education in Serbia

The current Law on the fundamentals of the education system adopted in 2009 states that inclusive education is a legal obligation in Serbia, which has resulted in the increased accessibility of education for children with disabilities in regular schools. Numerous challenges have been encountered in the implementation of inclusive education in our country, while the role and place of parents of children with disabilities in inclusive education has remained very important. In spite of the changes implemented so far, solutions for enabling support, procedures and mechanisms for the accomplishment and development of partner relations between teachers and parents in inclusive education have not yet been sufficiently developed in our education system. Parents of children with disabilities in our country are rarely partners in the process of education in which their children are involved. This paper discusses the role and place of parents of children with disabilities from the standpoint of the current situation in inclusive education by reviewing the results and reports of current studies in our country.

Inclusive education and the increase in enrollment of students with disabilities in regular schools with bilingual education

Objetivando compreender como se dá a articulação do educando com deficiência na escola regular que ofertam o ensino bilíngue, foi exposto em quatro etapas reflexões acerca dos direitos humanos e a educação inclusiva, destacando a importância dos direitos e a necessidades de escolas e uma sociedade verdadeiramente inclusiva; o modelo escolar e a necessidade de um espaço físico preparados para o público escolar e a preparação de funcionários das instituições para melhor atender cada educando dentro da sua necessidade e realidade; o ensino bilíngue da língua inglesa e a sua importância para o cenário atual de uma sociedade cada vez mais globalizada; e o aumento dos educandos com deficiência que passaram a frequentar as escolas regulares com ensino bilíngue visando uma melhor preparação para a vida, sociedade e o mercado de trabalho.

Including Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities in Regular Schools of Punjab under the Single National Curriculum: From the Lens of Regular School Teachers

Including Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities in Regular Schools of Punjab under the Single National Curriculum: From the Lens of Regular School Teachers

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEIR PEERS WITH DISABILITIES: CASE OF GYUMRI SCHOOLS

Objective: This study aims to understand children's attitudes toward their peers with disabilities in the city of Gyumri (Armenia). As the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools has been increasingly promoted worldwide in the last few decades, starting from 2016, full (universal) inclusive education entered into force in Armenia, and children with and without disabilities are included in the classrooms in all regular schools in the country. Based on the new changes related to inclusive education, the research on children’s attitudes toward their peers with disabilities is valuable and essential. Method: A narrative qualitative approach is used as a methodological basis of this study to uncover the attitudes of non-disabled students towards their peers with disabilities. Qualitative in-depth interviews with 60 students from inclusive schools in Gyumri have been conducted within one month. Analysis of the interviews was performed using the thematic analysis method. Findings: The findings suggest four essential categories of responses: Looking forward, Belief in overall inclusion, Pessimistic view, and Unfavorable conditions. Each topic is formulated based on themes that describe the interview's global and detailed expression and formulation. In general, it was found that both personal and environmental variables relate to the attitudes of students without disabilities, such as experience with inclusive education, knowledge about disability and social participation, and social inclusion of students with disabilities.

School Counselor Participation Degree in the Inclusive Education Process for Students with Learning Disabilities in Normal School

Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the school counselors’ participation degree in the process of including students with learning disabilities in regular schools, and whether it differs according to variables of qualification and years of experience.
 Methods: The study followed a survey descriptive approach, the study sample was composed of (111) school counselors working in regular schools under the provision of the AlQasabah Education Department in Irbid, who were selected by a convenient method during (2021-2022). The researchers used a developed version of Erhard & Umanksy's (2005) scale after ensuring its validity and reliability.
 Results: The results showed that the participation degree of the educational counselors in the process of integrating students with learning disabilities was moderate, and it revealed that their participation in such process was higher among those with Bachelor’s degrees on the indicators of administration, students with learning disabilities and multidisciplinary teams, and among those with less than 10-years of experience on the indicator of students with learning disabilities.
 Conclusion: The necessity of developing in-service training programs to increase school counselors’ skills in meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities in regular schools.

Teachers’ Training in Special Needs Education and Implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum for Early Years Learners with Disabilities in Primary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

A competency-based curriculum has been adopted in the Kenyan education system. However, for learners with disabilities in regular schools, they would be learning using two separate programs, that is an inclusive education program and a competency-based curriculum program. Implementing the two programs simultaneously to this category of learners could be challenging. Therefore, this study focused on the teachers training in Special Needs Education influencing competency-based curriculum implementation for Early Years Learners with disabilities in primary schools. The study was premised on the theory of Complexity and Education by Davis and Sumara (2006), which holds that the fruitfulness and range of systems in which ambiguity and uncertainty occur, should be embraced, and accommodated during evaluation. The researcher employed concurrent embedded design based on the mixed-method approach in gathering data. The study’s location was Nairobi City County, Kenya. The target population was 368 participants and from this target, the study sampled 16 heads of schools, 48 teachers, and 2 Educational Officers who were the respondents. The instruments of data collection were semi-structured questionnaires, an observation checklist, and an interview schedule. The piloting of instruments took place in one school with a special unit. The instruments were only accepted as valid and reliable after the results of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of r=.75. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. In addition, data were prepared and organized using Statistical Package for Social Sciences into percentages, mean, Skewness, standard deviations, graphs, and tables. The researcher tested the hypothesis by use of the chisquare test at a significant level of ? =<.05. Findings disclosed that teachers with either high or low levels of training in SNE had no significant association with the level of implementation of CBC for learners with disabilities in regular class. Most teachers were trained in primary teacher education and early childhood education and lacked expertise to work with learners with disabilities. Various categories of learners present in schools were: There were no (0%) learners with physical disabilities admitted to private schools. In regards to developmental disabilities, private schools had the least 2(5%) of the children with dyslexia. Learners with behavioral/emotional disabilities who were present in private schools included: ADHD 3(7.5%), CD 1(2.5%), as compared to public schools, which had ADHD 3(7.5%), ASD 2(5%), CD 2(5%). Regarding sensory impairments, the private schools had the least 1(2.5%), while public 5(12.5%). The Low vision in private was 2(5%), while in public they were 9(22.5%), albinism 2(5%) in private schools, and none (0%) in public schools. Over half (51.28%) of teachers reported that they have trained in Competency Based Curriculum implementation and could apply the skills in teaching learners with disabilities, while slightly lower than half (48.72%) had not received any training in CBC and were unable to apply the skills. However, the level of training as ether primary teacher, early childhood education teacher or special needs education was not a predictor of competency-based curriculum implementation in classes. The study recommended a mass training of teachers in special needs education in the area of early childhood education. The study also recommended a study of the similar nature in upper primary schools.

Evaluation of teaching and learning for people with intellectual disabilities in regular schools in times of pandemic

Resumo O presente artigo tem como objetivo identificar a avaliação do ensino-aprendizagem no ensino regular durante a pandemia da Covid-19 (2020-2021), com enfoque na pessoa com deficiência intelectual. Neste sentido, encontram-se elementos para uma reflexão acerca da avaliação da pessoa com deficiência intelectual, contextualizando uma abordagem para sua ressignificação. Para isso, relacionam-se questionamentos pertinentes à valorização das diferenças individuais dos alunos, discutindo a avaliação do ensino-aprendizagem no contexto inclusivo. O estudo é de natureza qualitativa, com o uso de um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado com familiares e/ou responsáveis de pessoas com deficiência intelectual, para destacar a relação entre a legislação, a avaliação do ensino-aprendizagem e a educação inclusiva no contexto da pandemia da Covid-19 (2020-2021). Os dados analisados integram a tese de Mendonça (2022). A revisão literária proporciona referencial teórico para colaborar com a discussão. Problematizou-se como foi realizada a avaliação do ensino-aprendizagem no ensino regular durante pandemia da Covid-19 (2020-2021), em relação à pessoa com deficiência intelectual. Verificou-se, por uma parcela da amostra, que a avaliação da pessoa com deficiência intelectual foi negligenciada no referido período e, entre os demais participantes da pesquisa, caracteriza-se pela utilização limitada ao uso de instrumentos quantitativos e de mensuração. Conclui-se a necessidade de repensar a avaliação do ensino-aprendizagem da pessoa com deficiência intelectual, em contexto inclusivo, em conformidade com a legislação brasileira vigente.

Learning together: the effects of inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream schools

PurposeThis article aims to analyze the impact that the inclusion of students with disabilities has on the achievement of their schoolmates and to analyze the impact that this inclusion has on the achievement of the students with disabilities themselves.Design/methodology/approachThe author begins investigating how the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools affects achievement of schoolmates. To answer this research question, the author explores the natural variation in time in the number of students with disabilities and use data from National Exam of Upper Secondary Education (Enem). Then, the author investigates how the inclusion affects achievement of the students with disabilities themselves and uses propensity score matching methodologies and, again, data from Enem.FindingsThe results show that an additional percentage point in the proportion of students with disabilities would reduce schoolmates' writing scores by a 0.0031 standard deviation. In other subjects, the author finds weak or none evidence of a significant peer effect. In addition, using Propensity Score Matching methodologies, the results show that the mean scores are up to 44% of a standard deviation, which is higher among students with disabilities enrolled in regular schools compared to those who are enrolled in special schools. In summary, the evaluation is that inclusion policies achieve the goal of improving the performance of students with disabilities but such policies have a small and adverse side effect.Originality/valueFor this reason, the present study proposes to fill this gap in the literature by analyzing the impact of the inclusion of students with disabilities on both groups. In addition, this paper contributes to the empirical literature of peer effect with an analysis of the peer effect of students with disabilities per competency. Finally, the article is important given the existence of few articles in Brazil on the topic of education and people with disabilities.

The Relationship between Social Competence and Emotional Intelligence among Teachers of Resource Rooms for Learning Disabilities in Amman Governorate

<p style="text-align: justify;">The present study aims at identifying the relationship between social competence and the level of emotional intelligence among teachers of resource rooms for learning disabilities in Amman. The study population consisted of various educational directorates within the capital Amman governorate. They were 212 teachers – 31 males and 181 females. The sample of the study consisted of randomly chosen 60 teachers – 15 males and 45 females. They were tested first with Bar-On Model of Social and Emotional Intelligence, which is a sixty-paragraph self-assessment scale consisting of six aspects: social competence, personal competence, adaptability, stress management, general mood and positive impression. A researcher-designed social competence scale was also employed for teachers of resource rooms with learning disabilities in regular schools, which consisted of six aspects of social skills: expression of emotions, non-verbal communication, conversation, friendship, listening and participation. It has been found that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the level of emotional intelligence and social competence in the sample of the study. In addition, there is a statistically significant relationship between the level of emotional intelligence and social competence among members of the sample due to the sex variable in favour of females.</p>

Factors Affecting Middle School Teachers’ Attitudes Toward the Inclusion of Students With Disabilities

Teachers’ positive attitudes are an essential element for the successful inclusion of students who have disabilities in schools with their peers who do not have disabilities. The current quantitative study examines middle school teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools in Saudi Arabia and the factors that affect their attitudes. Middle school teachers (N = 613) from schools in Riyadh responded to a questionnaire regarding their opinions relative to the integration of students with disabilities. The results indicate that middle school teachers have a neutral attitude toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools. Moreover, teacher-related factors such as gender, position, and experience do not affect teacher attitudes toward inclusion. In contrast, training in inclusion plays a significant role in middle school teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities. The implications of the results and suggestions for further research are discussed in the study.

Government Support to Selected Primary School Learners with Disabilities in the Kingdom of Eswatini

The study sought to establish the governmental support for a selected primary school in Eswatini to realise the right to education of learners with disabilities in accordance with the Suitability, Availability and Equitability (SAVE) Framework. The regular schools in Eswatini fail to educate learners with disabilities, which is against the right to education of learners with disabilities. A qualitative approach was used, employing a case study design to study one primary school. The participants included two teachers, the school principal, a National Curriculum Centre director, a senior inspector of Special and Inclusive Education, and a parent of an out-of-school child with a disability. The researcher used the findings to produce a framework that could assist the school to work with the government to comply with the SAVE Framework to realise the right to education of learners with disabilities. The study shows that government support for the school did not comply with the minimum standards of the SAVE Framework; hence, the school was not ready to educate learners with disabilities. The government grants to the school did not accommodate learners with disabilities and the school has never contacted the government for assistance in handling learners with disabilities. The school must work with the government to assist learners with disabilities. The findings of this study suggest that people should educate their children with disabilities within their community. Quantitative research that could involve many primary schools in investigating the state’s compliance with policies in all primary schools is necessary. Researchers should investigate teachers’ attitudes when teaching learners with disabilities in regular schools.

Material Resources Adaptation and Implementation of Cbc for Early Years Learners with Disabilities in Primary Schools in Nairobi City County, Kenya

A competency-based curriculum has been adopted in the Kenyan education system. However, learners with disabilities in regular schools would be learning using two separate programs, that is an inclusive education program and a competency-based curriculum program. Implementing the two programs simultaneously to this category of learners could be challenging. Therefore, this study focused on the material resources adaptation influencing competency-based curriculum implementation for Early Years Learners with disabilities in primary schools. The study was premised on the theory of Complexity and Education by Davis and Sumara (2006), which holds that the fruitfulness and range of systems in which ambiguity and uncertainty occur, should be embraced, and accommodated during evaluation. The researcher employed a concurrent embedded design based on the mixed-method approach in data gathering. The study’s location was Nairobi City County, Kenya. The target population was 368 participants and from this target, the study sampled 16 heads of schools, 48 teachers, and 2 Educational Officers who were the respondents. The instruments of data collection were semi-structured questionnaires, an observation checklist, and an interview schedule. The piloting of instruments took place in one school with a special unit. The instruments were only accepted as valid and reliable after the results of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of r=.75. Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. In addition, data were prepared and organized using Statistical Package for Social Sciences into percentages, mean, Skewness, standard deviations, graphs, and tables. The researcher tested the hypothesis by use of the chi-square test at a significant level of α =<.05. Findings revealed that teachers with a high mean score on instructional methods adaptation for learners with disabilities also had high mean scores on implementation of CBC in a regular class. Only about 13(29.5%) of teachers occasionally adapted teaching materials to learners with disabilities. Most of the materials mentioned were missing in the class for the implementation of CBC TO learners with disabilities. Similarly, most of the materials such as tables, charts, graphics, and computers were those used in a standard classroom and therefore lacked adaptation for use by learners with disabilities in a CBC class. most schools had inadequate knowledge of material resources for learning by learners with disabilities. Most school officials failed to understand the difference between the materials used in the standard classroom and the adapted materials for special instruction for learners with disabilities which hampered the proper implementation of CBC. Only about 2(5%) of the teachers from public schools had attended seminars and workshops on special needs education, while about 14(35%) belonged to private schools. Consequently, teachers who had attended the seminars and workshops in special needs education revealed that the knowledge gained during the training improved their skills in material resource adaptation for learners with disabilities. The study recommended the need for mass training of teachers in the use of adapted material resources and adaptation of material resources for the accommodation of learners with disabilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Perceptions of Inclusive School Quality and Well-Being Among Parents of Children with Disabilities in China: The Mediation Role of Resilience

ABSTRACT Recent decades have witnessed the development of inclusive education in China. Yet, the national program of ‘Learning in Regular Classroom’ – a form of inclusive education with Chinese characteristics – has been criticised for lacking sufficient system support. Under these circumstances, parents play a key role in support for their children with disabilities in regular schools in China. This study investigates the relationship between inclusive school quality and the well-being of parents of children with disabilities and the mediating effect of resilience on such a relationship. A sample of 310 Chinese parents of children with disabilities completed the Perception of Inclusive School Quality Scale, the Diener Well-being Scale, and the Davidson Resilience Inventory in the study. The results indicated that parents’ perceptions of inclusive school quality had a positive relationship with their subjective well-being, and resilience showed a partial mediating effect on that relationship. Implications are discussed.

From segregation to inclusive education: Examining the environmental adaptations on pupils with disabilities in regular schools within Yilo Krobo Municipality, Ghana

Inclusive education is the adaptation and modification of the learning environment and instructions to promote the academic performance of all learners irrespective of race, class, gender, disability, sexual preference, religion, culture, learning styles, and language. Oppong (2003) explains inclusive education as the adaptation of the school curriculum to make it equally accessible to students with special needs. This means that the school curriculum should suit students with and without disabilities and the school environment should also be made equally accessible to students with special needs. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed. A quantitative data collection method was used, thus eight Likert scale type questionnaire was designed for the selected primary school teachers in the Yilo Krobo Municipality, Ghana. This study brings to light the challenges faced by pupils with disabilities and further recommends possible measures that could be put in place to improve teaching and learning in regular schools.

Inclusão de alunos com deficiência nas aulas de Educação Física em escolas públicas regulares do Brasil: uma revisão sistemática de literatura

A legislação brasileira propõe a inserção de alunos com deficiência em escolas regulares. Desta forma, o objetivo do artigo foi identificar, através de uma revisão sistemática, como se dá o processo inclusivo destes alunos nas aulas de Educação Física, em escolas públicas regulares brasileiras. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa foi realizada em quatro bases de dados (Lilacs, Scielo, Portal Regional da BVS e Portal de Periódicos da Capes) seguindo as orientações PRISMA. Os resultados foram classificados em três categorias, por meio da análise de conteúdo. Percebemos que os professores e a comunidade escolar enfrentam dificuldades relacionadas à precária formação docente, à pouca interação interpessoal e à mínima acessibilidade arquitetônica, instrumental e metodológica. Concluiu-se que o processo inclusivo, apesar dos empasses, se encontra em desenvolvimento.

Learning and support assistants in inclusive education: a transnational analysis of assistance services in Europe

ABSTRACT This paper presents results of a comparative study about assistance services for supporting students with disabilities in regular schools in five European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Portugal, Slovakia and the UK). Besides the analysis of relevant documents on assistance services, semi-structured interviews and focus groups with learning and support assistants (LSAs), teachers and stakeholders from the Ministries of Education were conducted. The context of the study was the Erasmus+ project ‘Improving Assistance in Inclusive Education Settings’ (IMAS). The aim of the study was to reveal good-practices, strengths and weaknesses of this service in the five countries. One of the most interesting findings is that Slovakia is the only country with formal and domain-specific qualification requirements for working as an LSA. In line with previous research, further results showed that in all investigated countries, LSAs legally defined roles and responsibilities often do not correspond to their activities performed in practice. Based on these findings, recommendations for improving assistance services have also been provided. These recommendations could support relevant decision-makers in further developing assistance services to ensure adequate support for students with disabilities in regular schools.

Accommodations for the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools in Trinidad: a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT This paper examines the accommodations for the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools in Trinidad. A multiphase mixed methods design consisting of three phases is used. In the first phase, the environmental accommodations essential for the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools are identified. This information is obtained through interviews with parents and advocates of children with various disabilities. Five themes emerge, namely, qualified human resources, educational materials, physical access, supportive learning systems, and supportive school policies and rules. A questionnaire is then developed in the second phase based on these qualitative findings which is administered to a representative sample of primary and secondary schools in the third phase. Qualitative data are also collected in the third phase. Particularly, data on inclusive education policy are collected from primary and secondary schools and data on legislation supporting inclusion from government officials. The integrated findings indicate that existing environmental accommodations, law, and policy do not fully support the inclusion of children with disabilities in Trinidad. They further illustrate the need for national discourses to move beyond access to maximum participation, and for stronger legislation to ensure inclusion in schools.