Implementation Of Inclusive Policy Research Articles

Facilitating inclusive education: Assessing faculty awareness and attitudes towards students with special educational needs at Qatar university

IntroductionAn increasing number of students with special educational needs (SEN) are attending higher education institutions. Faculty members are key players in the implementation of inclusive policies, the success of which depends on their attitudes and awareness to help students with SEN. PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess faculty attitudes toward SEN students and awareness of the support provided by the university for SEN students. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of Qatar University (QU) faculty conducted via an online survey. Demographic data such as gender, years of experience, and academic discipline were collected and associated with previous exposure to SEN students and survey responses using SPSS. ResultsThree hundred and thirty-one QU faculty responded out of 1107 registered faculty in 2022, a 30 % response rate. About a third of respondents did not know about available support services for SEN students, and only half of those with awareness of the services attended. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, previous contact with SEN students had a significant effect on attitudes, such that faculty with no previous contact with SEN students (M = 1.47, SD = 0.62) had higher positive attitudes towards SEN students relative to faculty with previous contact with SEN students (M = 1.31, SD = 0.47). However, faculty with contact with SEN students were more likely to report awareness of the availability of workshops and were more likely to be aware of assistive technology compared to being unsure, while those with no previous contact with SEN students were more uncertain about the availability of workshops and assistive technology. ConclusionThe findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to improve faculty awareness of support services and attitudes towards students with SEN in higher education, highlighting the importance of professional development and training initiatives to promote inclusivity in the classroom. Faculty members need to be aware of existing support services for SEN students.

Construction of Openness in the Context of Muhammadiyah Education: A Cultural Study Perspective

This research uses a cultural studies approach to describe the construction of openness in the context of Muhammadiyah education. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and document analysis through qualitative methods. The results show that openness in the Muhammadiyah educational environment involves accepting students from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and practicing open dialogue and cooperation among all relevant parties. Additionally, this openness also includes acceptance of new ideas and values, recognition of differing perspectives, and the implementation of inclusive policies. This research aims to gain a deeper understanding of the development of openness in Muhammadiyah education from a cultural studies perspective and its impact in shaping an inclusive and responsive educational environment to cultural diversity.

PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF FOSTERING INCLUSIVITY AND EMPOWERMENT FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED INDIVIDUALS THROUGH ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN UNDERSERVED AREAS IN THE U.S

This concept paper delves into the philosophical underpinnings of fostering inclusivity and empowerment for physically challenged individuals in underserved areas of the United States. It outlines a framework centered on ethical leadership and community engagement as catalysts for meaningful change. At its core, this paper recognizes the inherent dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of physical ability, and seeks to address the systemic barriers that impede their full participation in society. By embracing principles of inclusivity and empowerment, we aim to create environments where all members feel valued, respected, and equipped to thrive. Through ethical leadership, characterized by integrity, empathy, and accountability, we propose to drive institutional and societal transformations. Leaders must not only champion the cause of inclusivity but also actively engage with diverse stakeholders to understand their unique needs and perspectives. This approach fosters a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, laying the groundwork for sustainable progress. Community engagement plays a pivotal role in this endeavor, as local contexts shape the experiences and opportunities available to physically challenged individuals. By mobilizing communities to co-create solutions and leverage existing resources, we can ensure that interventions are tailored to specific needs and yield tangible outcomes. Empowering communities to take ownership of inclusion initiatives promotes sustainability and fosters a sense of collective responsibility. Moreover, this paper underscores the ethical imperative of prioritizing the voices and agency of physically challenged individuals themselves. Their lived experiences serve as invaluable insights, guiding the development and implementation of inclusive policies and practices. By centering their perspectives, we honor their autonomy and dignity, while also fostering a culture of empathy and solidarity. This concept paper advocates for a holistic approach to fostering inclusivity and empowerment for physically challenged individuals in underserved areas of the U.S. By embracing ethical leadership principles and engaging communities as active partners, we can dismantle barriers, cultivate belonging, and unlock the full potential of every individual, creating a more just and equitable society for all.
 Keywords: Physical, Involvement, Individuals, Inclusion, Challenge, Diversity.

Constraints and Strategies for Inclusive Education in Indonesia at the Primary School Level: A Literature Review

Inclusive education in Indonesia is designed for all learners, both "regular" learners and learners with special needs. Inclusive education also aims to facilitate students with special needs to be able to get along with peers in general by placing one educational environment together with "regular" students, so that it is expected to realize an educational environment that respects diversity and without discrimination. However, in its implementation there are obstacles that are not easy to face, both for inclusive schools and teachers who teach. The purpose of this research is to find out the obstacles faced by inclusive schools and teachers at the primary school level and also provide strategies that can be used to optimize inclusive education. The research method used is a qualitative method with a literature review approach. The results of the study show that some of the obstacles faced are the lack of special mentor teachers, the lack of teacher knowledge about students with special needs, the imposed curriculum, the school environment that is still not friendly for students with special needs, and so on. Teachers can use various models, strategies, media and learning resources that are tailored to the class. One strategy that schools can do is to bring in professionals to provide insight for all school members regarding students with special needs. One method or strategy that parents of children with special needs can do is to apply the TEACCH method. And for the government, the education office needs to coordinate internally, especially in the field of educators who can understand the concept and implementation of inclusion policies on an ongoing basis.

‘Caste Census’ to Dismantle ‘Group Inequalities’

The caste system in India continues to endure, resulting in around 85% of the people experiencing socio-economic disadvantages. The process of systematic exclusion renders the policy intentions devoid of acknowledgement towards the demands of communities that have been historically marginalised. Conducting a comprehensive census of castes is necessary to foster inclusivity within India, as it enables the recognition and subsequent mitigation of entrenched disparities that persist due to factors such as caste affiliations, religious distinctions, gender disparities, ethnic variations, and racial differences. The transition from a focus on ‘Political Citizenship’ to ‘Social Citizenship’ via the implementation of inclusive policies is paramount in pursuing a more equal and just society.

A tale of two cities: digital place-making and elderly Houniao migration in China

ABSTRACT The last four decades have seen a growing trend of Chinese ageing migrants originating from the North move to the South during winter and return during summer, resembling snowbirds. The flexibilization of the household registration system, increasing urbanisation, and infrastructure development have led to a new spatial pattern of mobility and the search for new lifestyles among elderly populations with the support of ICT, the so-called Houniao (‘snowbirds’) migration phenomenon. Building on the results of a qualitative study with 24 elderly Houniao participants in the city of Sanya, China, this study applies the concept of digital place-making to explore elderly’s use of smartphones and social media in daily practices during their seasonal migration to Southern cities in China. Our study distinguished three digital place-making-related themes: (1) making social contacts and establish a sense of community in their new city, (2) rebuilding their identity and place through food by using digital media, (3) connecting to places and feeling active in older age. The findings of this study revealed the importance of improving the design and implementation of inclusive policies concerning the digital lives of elderly people.

Inclusion Policy in East Javanese Cultural Perspective and Its Implication on Guidance and Counseling

The urgency of inclusive policies in a very diverse cross-cultural perspective is a form of follow-up to the implementation of inclusive education that provides equal and equal educational services to all children with diverse cultural backgrounds. The purpose of the inclusion policy study in the cultural perspective of East Java is to find out how the implementation of inclusion policies can represent the cultural diversity that exists in East Java. The implementation of inclusion policies is not only for disabilities, but also the implementation of inclusion policies is able to reach into various aspects of life that are developing in the people of East Java. This literature review aims to summarize how the concept of inclusion policy is in the perspective of East Java culture. The selection of articles started from peer-reviewed research journals at Google Scholar and Z-library. From this search, 14,700 articles were found. Then after screening the articles published from 2010 to 2020 and found 1045 articles. There were 10 articles that were studied and analyzed according to the topic discussed. The analysis technique used is content analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, it can be seen that it is necessary to implement inclusive education policies to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and individuals. Through formal education in the cultural perspective in East Java, it is expected to be able to overcome the diversity of social and cultural dimensions. The existence of a policy on inclusive education can realize the implementation of public services in the field of education and other fields that respect diversity and is not discriminatory for all individual learners. The implication of the results of this study is guidance and counseling teachers are required to have competence in providing services for children with disabilities.

Análisis de la política de inclusión educativa en la educación media en el Ecuador

This paper makes a review of the educational inclusion policy in secondary education institutions. The classification of the current regulations that the Ecuadorian State has to guarantee the right to quality inclusive education, as well as the pre and post pandemic educational policy, is made to compare the strengths and weaknesses of the inclusive curriculum in force in Ecuador. A systemic review of the literature was carried out using the descriptive method. The main results all show that educational inclusion is a citizen's right in which equal opportunities are for and all regardless of the social, economic, political and personal context promoted by the principles of equality. In this sense, the implementation of inclusion policies in education plays a fundamental role, since education has significant relevance in the construction of a just and equitable society. It is concluded that inclusion is a social action that demands the commitment and responsibility of governments, the educational community and the family for the development of a more just, inclusive and inclusive society.

Análisis de la política de inclusión educativa en la educación media en el Ecuador

This paper makes a review of the educational inclusion policy in secondary education institutions. The classification of the current regulations that the Ecuadorian State has to guarantee the right to quality inclusive education, as well as the pre and post pandemic educational policy, is made to compare the strengths and weaknesses of the inclusive curriculum in force in Ecuador. A systemic review of the literature was carried out using the descriptive method. The main results all show that educational inclusion is a citizen's right in which equal opportunities are for and all regardless of the social, economic, political and personal context promoted by the principles of equality. In this sense, the implementation of inclusion policies in education plays a fundamental role, since education has significant relevance in the construction of a just and equitable society. It is concluded that inclusion is a social action that demands the commitment and responsibility of governments, the educational community and the family for the development of a more just, inclusive and inclusive society

Pre- and In-Service Teachers' Attitudes Toward Students With Learning Difficulties and Challenging Behavior.

The implementation of inclusive policies is largely dependent on teachers’ willingness to accommodate students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream classrooms, which is affected by their perceived competence and attitudes. This study investigated attitudes of pre- and in-service teachers toward students with two types of SEN: challenging behavior and learning difficulties. The three components of attitudes (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) were assessed using indirect and direct measures. Results revealed that teachers held negative implicit attitudes toward challenging behavior and learning difficulties, however, implicit attitudes did not vary as a function of the type of SEN. Ratings of the stereotypical dimensions warmth and competence and overall ratings of scholastic achievement were affected by professional status and type of SEN. Professional status, implicit attitudes, and stereotypical knowledge together explained 52 and 43% of the variance in teachers’ ratings of academic proficiency for students with challenging behavior and learning difficulties, respectively. Results are interpreted within the theoretical framework and implications for teacher training are discussed.

Ética da amizade e deficiência: outras formas de convívio com o devir deficiente na escola

After the implementation of inclusion policies in Brazil, friendship relations between the actors of the school so called students and the rest of students have become increasingly frequent. Often these relationships go beyond time and space, the knowledge and the curriculum, to produce common modes of existence and a transverse ethics rarely seen by the institution. This invisibility is even more accentuated in the case of nowadays biopolitics scenario, which corroborates to raise suspicion concerning the disabled modes of existence and the joined becoming produced by the friendly relations between the actors at school. Given the context, this essay examines the ethics of friendship regarding the disabled ones and the trust as one of the conditions of its achievement at school. Drawing from the aesthetics of existence of Michel Foucault, my goal is to discuss: (1) whether friendship with the disabled one may present itself as a new ethic that is able to question current formal apparatus and resist the biopower technologies in school, perhaps creating other forms of inclusion; (2) whether the trust in the joined becoming that emerges from such friendly relations can be regarded as one of the conditions for their achievement and a strategy to reverse the current mistrust in the disabled one, in order to minimize fear and bring into existence a sign of the life event that it represents. By addressing these issues, I hope to contribute in a way in which the friendship with disabled ones is seen as a sign of a formation of the actors at school and the trust in the becoming disabled becomes visible as a transverse common struggle: the condition for the achievement of the ethics of friendship that introduces itself as a major political strategy to leverage these separate lives that deserve to be lived.

Curriculum differentiation for handwriting and occupational therapy/teacher partnership: collaboration or conflict?

Collaborative practice between health and education professionals is considered central to the implementation of inclusion policies and best practice to support children with special educational needs (SEN). However, in Ireland, barriers to collaborative practice between occupational therapists and teachers include limited contact in practice settings and lack of interagency collaboration structures. This paper investigates the process of collaborative practice using findings of a study involving 46 children with Down Syndrome (DS), their teachers and an occupational therapist in the collaborative application of a handwriting teaching method. While teachers reported finding the collaborative approach useful, conflict arose regarding how to differentiate the curriculum to meet complex individual needs. Findings are discussed in the light of current resource constraints, the agenda for inclusive practice, and amalgamating differing professional perspectives to ensure appropriate curriculum differentiation. This paper concludes that ongoing occupational therapy (OT)–teacher collaboration is essential in developing appropriate educational goals and curriculum differentiation strategies for children with DS. Joint collaboration in educational policy development is advised. OT involvement in initial teacher education and continuing professional development, and joint pre-/post-qualification education opportunities are recommended to enhance shared professional understandings. Government commitment to resourcing and developing structures to facilitate interagency collaboration is crucial.

Dossiê Educação Especial: perspectivas sobre políticas e processos de ensino-aprendizagem

Desde os anos 1990, os direitos sociais e educacionais de pessoas com deficiências e outras condições atípicas do desenvolvimento têm recebido atenção significativa nas políticas e nos investimentos financeiros por parte do Estado brasileiro. Nessa perspectiva, este dossiê apresenta resultados de pesquisas desenvolvidas em diferentes estados do país, nos quais podemos identificar os impactos desses direitos em diretrizes políticas, currículos e processos de escolarização historicamente destinados para estes sujeitos, metodologias de pesquisa e recursos demandados para garantir tais direitos. Também indicam problemas e tensões que envolvem a formação de professores diante das demandas colocadas pela política de inclusão escolar. A este respeito, os estudos aqui apresentados revelam a multiplicidade de fatores que envolvem a elaboração e a implementação de políticas inclusivas em um país com enormes desigualdades sociais, mas, sobretudo, mostram a importância e a necessidade de propostas dessa natureza para garantir o reconhecimento da diversidade presente na sociedade e nas escolas brasileiras.

<b>Avaliação em larga escala de alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais no município de Londrina (PR)</b>

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1984686X6531A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar os índices de rendimento escolar e frequência nas avaliações em larga escala dos alunos necessidades educacionais especiais incluídos no sistema regular de ensino no município de Londrina-PR, no ano de 2007. Para tanto, foram utilizados os microdados da Prova Brasil (2007) e Enem (2007) disponibilizados pelo Instituto Nacionalde Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira- INEP. Tal proposta tevecomo foco a análise dos dados, a partir das variáveis: tipo de necessidade educacional especial, sexo, raça, idade, frequência na prova e desempenho. Os resultados apontam que apesar da implementação das políticas inclusivas, a participação dos alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais nas avaliações em larga escala é mínima, o que denota a ideia de ambiguidade entre discurso e prática inclusiva.Palavras-chave: Avaliação em larga escala; Inclusão escolar; Necessidades educacionais especiais.

Vestiges of Segregation in the Implementation of Inclusion Policies in Public High Schools

The present study sought to determine to what extent vestiges of the dual system of educating students with and without disabilities persist and how they undermine the implementation and sustainability of inclusive education. We investigated how prior experiences with segregation shape administrators’ thinking and school policies and practices through interviews with administrators in 11 public high schools. Analysis of the interviews indicated that remnants of past policy and practice persist and that these vestiges and their causes weaken the prospect of sustained change. We discuss the limitations of relying on legislation to change long-standing institutional practices that reinforce a philosophy of difference.

Lifelong Learning for Inclusion - between Theory and Practice

Lifelong Learning for Inclusion - between Theory and Practice In this study I present the conclusions of reports of the research teams which examined the policy range and analysed the activities regarding the inclusion of the socially deprived in rural areas, i.e. the British, Hungarian and Polish reports. When undertaking to find a reply to the question raised at the beginning of this article, I considered that the empirical basis would be quality material collected within the framework of focused group interviews1. Although the focused group interviews were conducted according to a scenario which was prepared by the research teams, changes were possible in each country (although these changes did not affect the research issue). Apart from the main aim of the discussion, i.e. the diagnosis and analysis of both successes and failures of educational activity enabling social inclusion, these differences concerned the digressions concentrating on poverty and social exclusion in rural areas and problems connected with the implementation of inclusive policy - Hungary; considerations concerning the kind of help which should be provided to individuals and groups struggling with poverty in the countryside - Great Britain; methods evaluating the effectiveness of aid agencies acting in favour of social inclusion - Poland. Representatives of government agencies playing a key role in the introduction of various forms of inclusive policy and representatives of institutions which provide direct help to the marginalised and those exposed to social marginalisation (which use various educational methods) took part in the research.

The inclusion of learners with barriers to learning and development into ordinary school settings: a challenge for Uganda

Colleagues in developing countries are required to meet a range of challenges when implementing educationally inclusive policies and practices. In this article, Kirsten Kristensen, clinical phychologist and senior consultant in special needs education and development; Martin Omagor‐Loican, commissioner for special needs education, careers guidance and counselling; and Negris Onen, principal education officer in the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda, describe work focused on addressing the needs of all learners, including those who experience barriers to learning and development, in ordinary, mainstream school settings. The authors draw upon a study of current attitudes, perceptions and knowledge about trends towards inclusion in Uganda. The findings indicate progress in the introduction and implementation of inclusive policies; improved professional development opportunities for staff concerned with special education at all levels; and relatively positive attitudes towards inclusion. The study also raises concerns, however, about the ways in which the education system is structured and managed in a country where class sizes are enormous and resources are few. The authors make a number of key recommendations for developing mechanisms, structures and capacity in support of inclusion at all levels and report positive and encouraging recent developments.

Writing, Identity, and the Other

Although inclusive education is often characterized as a special education initiative, both general and special educators must assume responsibility for all children’s learning as mandated by 1997 amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. The practice and implementation of inclusion policy in both K-12 public education and teacher education necessitates close examination of many issues that extend beyond compliance concerns. This article problematizes two related aspects of inclusion reform and its implementation in practice: persistence of unexamined assumptions about disability and uninspired curriculum. The author begins with an overview of humanities-based disability studies, an emerging field of scholarship that holds great promise for reimagining disability. Then the author describes a partnership between a secondary language arts teacher and herself wherein they created and cotaught Writing, Identity, and the Other, a curriculum unit informed by humanities-based disability studies. This example provides insight to the question, Dare we do disability studies?