Educational Exclusion Research Articles

The Effect of Education on Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Do Institutions Matter?

This paper investigates the moderating role of institutional quality on the relationship between education and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study applies the panel ARDL model to data from 18 SSA countries spanning 2000–2020 for its main analysis, along with a battery of diagnostics test to ensure the robustness of the results. The results reveal that the long-term effect of education on economic growth is statistically insignificant, attributing this finding to high rates of education exclusion and low-quality education. Remarkably, the research emphasizes the moderating role of institutional quality, showing the positive effects of education on economic growth when countries demonstrate robust corruption control and political stability. The study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting specific institutional factors influencing the effectiveness of education in driving economic growth, emphasizing the need for a strong institutional framework alongside educational efforts for sustainable development. The findings highlight that robust institutions form a crucial infrastructure that enhances the effectiveness of education in driving productivity and fostering economic growth.

ROLE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PRACTICES IN RWANDA, A CASE OF GASABO DISTRICT

This study explored the role of community engagement in implementionof Inclusive Education practices in Gasabo District, Rwanda. The research investigated four key dimensions: community awareness, socio-economic factors, community participation, and social-cultural influences on Inclusive Education implementation. Through qualitative methodology, the study engaged 64 stakeholders, including headteachers, local leaders, and parents of children with and without disabilities, using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Data were analyzed using thematic, narrative, and interpretive approaches. Key findings revealed limited understanding of Inclusive Education concepts and practices among community members, with significant knowledge gaps in supporting children with disabilities. Socio-economic barriers, including resource constraints and high costs of specialized learning materials, created educational exclusion. Community participation was found to be insufficient, lacking structured engagement frameworks. Social-cultural factors showed persistent stigma and misconceptions, though community solidarity and religious values provided some support. The study recommends implementing long-term community awareness campaigns, engaging local and religious leaders to address cultural beliefs about disability, and developing strategies to overcome financial barriers in accessing Inclusive Education. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of active parent-community engagement through regular communication and workshops. These findings contribute to the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for Inclusive Education programs and promote partnerships and help correct misconceptions about disability and highlight the benefits of inclusive education for all children by fostering campaigns among government agencies, educational institutions, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders in implementation of Inclusive Education practices in Rwanda.

Predictors of Social Exclusion among Adolescents: The Weight of Physical Self-Concept Dimensions.

Background: Social exclusion victimization among adolescents causes significant damage and harm to development and social balance. Many of the aggressions that lead to this are based on social stigmas, particularly related to physical appearance in school settings involving physical and sports activities. This study investigates the relationship between victimization through social exclusion (both manifest and subtle forms) and physical self-concept, specifically examining ability, attractiveness, physical condition, and strength. Methods: A total of 876 adolescents (mean age = 14.91; standard deviation = 1.71 years), evenly divided between boys and girls, from secondary schools in Andalusia, Spain participated. They completed a self-report questionnaire assessing physical abilities, attractiveness, physical condition, and self-perceived strength, alongside an instrument measuring experiences of social exclusion and manifest exclusion. Results: Our findings indicate that physical ability, attractiveness, and condition are negative statistical predictors of both manifest and subtle exclusion victimization, while self-perceived strength is a statistical predictor of subtle exclusion. Manifest exclusion impacts both genders similarly, but girls are more vulnerable to subtle forms of exclusion. Regardless of gender, physical ability and attractiveness significantly predict both types of exclusion. Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of physical self-concept for wellbeing and maintaining self-concept balance. The inclusion of interventions addressing social exclusion in physical education is crucial, particularly those that work to mitigate social stigmas against adolescents who struggle in physical or sporting activities. A gender-sensitive approach should also be incorporated. The growing field of research on adolescent social exclusion, both manifest and subtle, underscores the need for further exploration of its links to physical condition, physical activity, self-perception, and societal stereotypes.

Who We Are, Where We Come From, and Where We Hope to Go in Educational Inclusivity

This is a duoethnography of two teacher-researchers who have spent their lives immersed in architecture for education that is equitably inclusive. Ongoing engagement with people who have experience(d) educational exclusions, and consistent evidence that educational inclusivity benefits everyone, ensure that we remain committed to education being/becoming inclusive of all. Everyone has the right to educational inclusivity; we have found it both possible and effective for all concerned wherever/whenever fully attempted, when/where the hegemonic hold of special-education[1] is dismantled. It is time to focus on inclusivity rights of current and future generations of students, to stop debating whether inclusive rights are right for everyone. We propose that inclusive education can be realized by addressing five basic constructs rather than staying engrossed/mired in complexifying obstructions and costly defence thereof. After 35 years withstanding equivocation, we hope for widespread building of educational inclusivity; moving away from perennial advice/permission seeking from those determined to maintain status quo. As a start, we invite you into the conversation with us from connections with Canada, Ireland, and elsewhere.

Social Exclusion and Urbanization in Hanoi Focusing on Educational and Employment Opportunities for Poor Residents

This paper explores the relationship between social exclusion and urbanization in Hanoi, Vietnam, with a focus on the educational and employment opportunities for the city’s poorest residents. The rapid urbanization of Hanoi, driven by economic reforms and rural-to-urban migration, has resulted in significant economic growth. However, it has also exacerbated social inequalities, particularly for poor residents and migrants living in peripheral areas. The study examines the challenges of educational exclusion, such as limited access to quality education due to overcrowded schools, hidden costs, and disparities in resources between wealthy and poor areas. It also addresses employment barriers, including the concentration of poor residents in the informal sector, a lack of vocational training, and social discrimination. Government policies and social programs aimed at addressing these issues, such as scholarships, vocational training, and microfinance initiatives, are analyzed for their effectiveness. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made, significant gaps remain in ensuring equitable access to education and employment for marginalized communities. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive and inclusive policy interventions to mitigate social exclusion in Hanoi and ensure that all residents benefit from the city’s urbanization.

Navigating the margins of the (education) system: Spanish young people in a post-economic crisis context

ABSTRACT The relationship between material deprivation, economic poverty and education exclusion has been a focus of attention in numerous political and academic debates. Accordingly, the aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between structural positions – and material disadvantages – and young people’s educational trajectories (especially, educational exclusion and early school leaving processes), as well as the role of schooling institutions and subjective dispositions as mediating factors. The study, centred on a working-class city in Spain, draws on qualitative methods: semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 26) and life-stories of young people in a situation of or at risk for Early school leaving (ESL, n = 25). Our results point to a complex, contextual, and non-deterministic relationship between structural positions and educational trajectories and to the key role played by schooling institutions and subjective dispositions as mediators of that relationship. Finally, we conclude this paper reflecting on the role of the State in reducing ESL-processes.

Beyond the Playground: Challenges in Physical Education (PE) for Students with Additional Needs. A case Study Exploration

This study aimed to explore the multifaceted challenges encountered among students with additional needs in physical education (PE) classes. This study explored the various experiences of six students with additional needs who were subjected to semi-structured interviews in the physical education class participation at the MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology. The findings revealed two sub-themes: barriers to physical activity, which can be categorized as physical activity limitations and disability-related academic barriers, and psychosocial barriers, which include self-worth struggle and social exclusion in physical education (PE) classes. These barriers highlight the need for inclusive and adaptable physical education programs that cater the diverse needs of all students and create an atmosphere where everyone may actively engage and derive benefits from participating in physical education. Future studies should prioritize exploring educational interventions that effectively break down these challenges to enhance attitudes toward disabilities and promote social inclusion for students with additional needs.

Educational exclusion and socio-cultural constraints for tribal women in the Ganderbal district

Using a phenomenological approach, this study aims at understanding tribal females' educational deprivation due to socio-cultural limitations. The study, conducted in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir in 2022, included 30 women. A semi-structured interview schedule and observation method was used to collect data, which was analyzed with Moustakas' modified Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen phenomenological approach. We identified four themes associated with women's challenges in their communities: (a) poverty, domestic duties, and co-education challenges, (b) cultural and structural barriers, (c) economic exploitation, early marriage, and gender bias and (d) intersection of marginality. Deep-seated cultural norms favoring men's education and relegating women to domestic roles hampered tribal women's access to education. These norms, in turn, resulted in detrimental practices such as child marriage, forced labor, child labor, exclusion from the market, social alienation, exploitation and backwardness, poor decision-making power, and increasing school dropouts. To promote educational inclusion among tribal members, it is necessary to implement National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 fully and make both tribal men and women aware of the impact of socioeconomic and cultural exclusion on their mobility.

CHALLENGES OF TECHNOLOGIZING TEACHING AND LEARNING AT UNIVERSITY

This narrative review addresses the challenge posed by the widespread extensive use of digital tools, i.e., technologization, in university education, highlighting three aspects. First, an overuse of digital tools by teachers is discussed, particularly slideware as the most frequently used technology. Concerns are raised as to how effective an extensive use of such a technology is in promoting learning. Additionally, the impact of electronic devices used by students, especially smartphones, is reviewed, and the decrease in comprehension and academic performance associated with reading digital texts and writing on digital media compared to printed format is highlighted. Finally, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically the ChatGPT language model, in education is discussed, addressing both its potential benefits and ethical and educational challenges. The integration and promotion of AI tools in education pose additional challenges, such as environmental impact, digital distractions, and educational exclusion. A need for a balanced approach which follows the precautionary principle is emphasized, so educational institutions take preventive action to protect individuals and the environment, as well as to avoid potential harm when scientific evidence about an activity or technology is uncertain or incomplete. The text underscores the importance of raising awareness about responsible use of technology in education and advocates for a critical and reflective approach in its application so Sustainable Development Goals may be achieved.

Digital technology use in inclusive schools in four European countries: Within- and between-school differences

To fully exploit the potential of digital technologies for preventing exclusion in education and fostering accessible and inclusive learning environments, particularly for vulnerable students, schools need to identify context-specific needs for the systematic integration of digital technologies into daily teaching and learning practices. Therefore, this article presents comparative findings from an online survey conducted in 21 inclusive schools (primary and lower secondary level) in four European countries (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, North Macedonia). Using the SELFIE tool developed by the EU Commission, school leaders and teachers self-evaluated their school’s digital capacity in different areas. The results, encompassing both inter- and intraschool analyses, revealed several areas requiring attention within the participating countries to align with the global push for inclusive digital education reforms.

White Racial Framing and White Supremacy Culture in STEM Education: Experiences of Students with Minoritized Identities of Sexuality and/or Gender

Whiteness is prevalent in higher education and therefore permeates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. While research shows STEM’s long history of exclusion and marginalization in higher education (Ong et al., 2011), there has been limited research on the ways students with minoritized identities of sexuality and/or gender (MIOSG) in STEM interact with systems of dominance, such as whiteness. Using white supremacy culture (Okun, 2021; Okun Jones, 2001) and the white racial frame (Feagin, 2010) as sensitizing concepts, this paper explores how students with MIoSG are situated in relation to systems of whiteness and white racial dominance in STEM learning spaces. Our findings included three emergent categories: color-evasiveness, desiring diversity in STEM, and the simultaneous invisibility and hypervisibility of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in STEM. Findings illuminated the complex ways BIPOC and white students with MIoSG experienced and thought about whiteness and white supremacy in STEM. Data point to the need for intentional anti-racist research, policy, and practice in STEM learning spaces.

Methodological shifts and departures in music education research: embracing complexity with diffraction, intra-action, and agentic assemblages

ABSTRACT In England, music education policy is deeply rooted in neoliberal ideologies, shaping classroom practice and assessments. This paper presents findings from a four-year funded longitudinal project exploring the impact of musical partnerships on young people at risk of educational exclusion. Through a posthuman lens, the researchers made a methodological shift, acknowledging the agency of non-human elements and physical spaces in musical interactions. Posthumanism offered alternative insights, challenging traditional notions of music education practice and extended human-centric perspectives and school assessment metrics. It expanded our understanding of what it means to be a musician and pedagogue. This paper proposes that posthumanism can challenge existing notions of music education practice while simultaneously moving the discussion of important matters in music education research into new areas of thinking, doing, and being.

Education and economic growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries: Does governance quality Matter?

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between education, governance and economic growth in 28 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 2002 to 2018 using the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach. The study first examines the effect of education on economic growth and, thereafter, examines the modulating effect of governance quality on the nexus between education and economic growth. Two proxies of education, namely primary and secondary education, and five proxies of governance quality, namely a) corruption control, b) government effectiveness, c) regulations, d) rule of law, and e) voice and accountability, have been used to examine this linkage. Overall, the study found that the impact of education on economic growth is largely insignificant in all the specifications, with the exception of secondary education, which has an unconditional positive effect on economic growth in one of the five specifications of governance quality (i.e., regulatory quality). The study also found that, although governance quality spurs economic growth in seven of the ten specifications, it interacts with education to foster growth in only one specification (i.e., regulatory quality in the case of secondary education). When primary education specifications are considered, governance does not interact with education to spur economic growth in any of the specifications. These findings, though contrary to some of the previous studies, are not surprising given the primary and secondary education landscape in some SSA countries. According to UNESCO, SSA has the highest rates of education exclusion in the world.

Phenomenology of Educational Exclusion at Secondary School Level in India

Secondary education redefines the academic foundation of the child and serves as a link between the elementary and higher education, which in turns help in developing a reservoir of intellectual human resource. India envisioned having universalization of secondary education and substantial progress has been made in achieving the goal. Many of the children entering the schools are unable to complete education and multiple factors are responsible for their dropping out. It necessitates to a deeper probe into the problem of exclusion of children from secondary education. Present study provides an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of educational exclusion at secondary school level in India. Empirical Phenomenological approach was adopted to carry out this study. The study was delimited to one state of India i.e. Punjab. A sample of 72 dropped-out adolescents (54 boys and 18 girls), their parents (61) was drawn from the selected areas of Punjab using ppurposive sampling technique. Open-ended questions were asked to generate data that led to a textural description. Data analysis revealed nine composite textural theme swhich included (i) Gender Bias (in case of girls), (ii) Finnacial Constraints (iii) School Distance (iv) Family responsibilities (v) Physical disability (vi) Demotivating and Hostile teachers (vii) Learning Difficulties (viii) Failure (ix) Early marriage in case of girls.

Inclusion and Accessibility in Teacher Education

The paper focuses on counteracting discrimination and exclusion in language teacher education by course design which is supportive and inclusive for all students. It also stresses the role of appropriate teacher training in boosting teachers’ sense of preparedness, self-efficacy beliefs and favourable attitudes towards inclusion and accessibility in language education. It promotes inclusive pedagogy (Florian, Black-Hawkins, 2011; Black-Hawkins, Florian, 2012; Florian, Spratt, 2013) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Meyer, Rose, Gordon, 2014; CAST, 2018; Torres, Rao, 2019; Novak, 2022) which allow avoiding stigmatisation and marginalisation of students with diverse needs. The paper uses the SCALED course, developed both for initial teacher education (ITE) and continuing professional development (CPD) of language teachers, as an example of good practice. It provides exemplary solutions which promote effective inclusion by increasing accessibility for students with various needs (including special needs and disabilities) through the universal design the course. The paper presents examples of universal design in relation to the course elements such as the goals, structure, tasks, content, materials, ways of providing feedback and conducting assessment.

Towards concentric spatial systems for sustainable social development: Beyond western ethnocentric diametric spatial opposition and empty space

<p>This article outlines key features of an emerging spatial turn in education, the social sciences and humanities and its relevance to developing sustainable social systems, with a particular focus on inclusive systems. This is cognisant of UN Sustainable Goal 4 on Equitable Inclusive Education and Goal 1 on No Poverty. Offering a necessarily illustrative selection of key conceptual traditions and recent applications of spatial understandings pertinent to education and inclusion, with wider applicability, this proposed spatial turn is examined as offering critical alternatives to Western ethnocentric frames of space. This leads to contrasts between concentric spatial systems of inclusion, assumed connection and relative openness and diametric spatial systems of exclusion, splitting and mirror image oppositions in education and community spaces of relation.</p>

From “wait ‘em out” to push them out: Teachers’ reflections on passive and active modes of racialized school exclusion

Much has been written about the school-to-prison pipeline and the larger punitive turn within schools in the United States. This research has documented disturbing racialized disparities and disproportionate impacts on youth who are diagnosed with disabilities. While this scholarship has highlighted how marginalized youth encounter exclusionary forms of punishment, what is often missing is an understanding of how practitioners experience the policies, practices, and consequences of the school-prison nexus. In this study, the unique career experiences of individuals who worked as both teachers and juvenile justice practitioners in the Southwestern United States are analyzed. The reflections of practitioners who worked at both ends of the school-to-prison pipeline uncover a range of exclusionary practices in schools that is broader than what current conceptions suggest. This study adds important nuance to the literature by revealing how some educators facilitate school dropout through passive modes of racialized exclusion in addition to those that actively push out minoritized students. The article outlines three distinct categories of racialized school exclusion, examines their impacts, discusses how subtle modes of exclusion may relate to more overt punishments, and explores the broader context under which this range of “passive” to “active” modes of educational exclusion develops and operates.

Left-behind learners: Exclusion-inclusion paradox of 4IR/5IR education technology

Connected Learning Environment (CLE) was pictured as a potent tool to implement inclusive education because it supports widened access to learning that is socially rooted. However, the fact that a series of events that warrant its usage have shown that different uninvestigated factors associated with learners may serve as a clog to its potential in fostering inclusive learning created an impetus for this study. An autoethnographic study was conducted, two experienced teachers from mainstream, integrated, and special schools were interviewed and the data collected were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The result revealed that the holistic adoption of 4IR/5IR education technology may heighten the exclusion of learners of various categories due to socio-economic background, lack of learning support, and inherent intellectual disabilities among special students. Hence, the usage of 4IR/5IR education technology at the secondary level needs to be accommodated with more nuances as it tends to amplify educational exclusion.

Encountering the Face of Tū-mata-uenga: The Educational Experiences of Rangatahi Māori Apprehended for Offending

Marginalised and ousted from the New Zealand education system, 70% of youths apprehended for offending and appearing in a New Zealand Youth Court or Rangatahi Court experiencing complex needs are not engaged in education, employment, or training (Oranga Tamariki, Oranga Tamariki. (2020). Quarterly report—September 2020). This article reports findings from a broader PhD study investigating the educational experiences of 10 rangatahi Māori (Māori youth) aged 15–17 years apprehended for serious youth offending and excluded from mainstream education. Drawing on mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and kaupapa Māori, notions of indigenous resilience are used to unpack the rangatahi Māori participants’ responses to negative educational experiences in the mainstream English medium secondary school education system. This article posits that resilience was evident when the rangatahi Māori exercised tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) through boldness (a characteristic of Tū-mata-uenga the guardian of war), resistance and liminality to reject educational spaces where they perceived they were underserved, discriminated against, and marginalised. Changing the negative Māori student exclusion and disengagement statistics in mainstream education is critical. To address the exclusion statistics, classroom practitioners could be more responsive to rangatahi Māori experiencing complex needs by recognising their experiences and understanding their responses to those experiences. Understanding how resilience as resistance, liminality, and boldness is understood within te ao Māori (the Māori world) perspectives will enable a more culturally responsive approach to working with these rangatahi Māori in mainstream education.

Differentiating agents, differentiated patients: the production of subjects and knowledge(s) in theorizing differentiation in education

ABSTRACT Educational theorizing makes use of various tools and perspectives to understand how differentiation processes in education have emerged as responses to socio-historical developments. Drawing on a systematic literature review, this article finds that educational research has framed these responses in five different ways: as structural-functional response; communicative response; cultural-historical response; hegemonic response; and as a response to capability development. Scrutinizing these scholarly understandings of differentiation from a meta-theoretical perspective, the article investigates, firstly, the kinds of knowledge generated within each approach; secondly, how researchers and researched subjects—differentiating agents and differentiated patients—are positioned relative to one another; and thirdly, how these approaches contribute to thinking about inclusion and exclusion in education. Drawing on insights from the author’s fieldwork in multi-ethnic Southwest China, each of these five theoretical conceptualizations are interrogated with respect to their potential to accommodate conceptions of individual or collective agency.