Inclusion Of Pupils Research Articles

The relationship between teachers’ language experience and their inclusion of pupils’ home languages in school life

In this article, we present a qualitative investigation which was conducted as part of a project on school development in the field of multilingualism in Germany. In order to gain insight into the relationship between primary school teachers’ language experience and their practice regarding the inclusion of pupils’ home languages at school, ethnographic fieldwork was undertaken in three professional development sessions. In the three individual case studies chosen for analysis in this paper, we found clear indications of links between the participants’ experiences with language, their language attitudes and their depictions of their pedagogical practice regarding migration-related multilingualism. The prevalence of different languages in the participants’ everyday lives seemed to be closely linked to their willingness to include their pupils’ home languages in their teaching. However, it would be overly simplistic to conclude that multilingual staff are better able than their monolingual peers to adapt their practice in this way. We observed that, above all, the participants’ emotional associations with language and the meaning they attached to their experiences appeared to influence their perceptions of their ability to incorporate different languages into school life.

Education of Teachers in the Field of Teaching Natural Science Is Lagging behind the Requirements of the Inclusion of Pupils with Special Needs

ABSTRACTIn this theoretical study, we combined two approaches regarding the education of teachers in the field of teaching pupils with special needs with focus on teaching natural science topics, in Slovenia and in the Part of Northern Cyprus, respectively. We analysed syllabuses for different study programmes for teachers in primary schools in selected faculties in Slovenia. We focused on the specific content in those subjects, which are developing competences of students to be able to teach natural science topics, in particular physics topics, in primary schools in the adequate way, so the pupils with special needs can achieve the same goals as the other pupils. In addition, we included some accents regarding the children with special needs from approach to this topic at Near East University. We find out that the integrated content in the study programmes for the requirements of the inclusion of pupils with special needs in primary school is not sufficient or the inclusion in primary schools is planned too broad, if we take into account the current state of knowledge of the students in this specific field.

Disabilities within Sweden’s Art and Music Schools: Discourses of inclusion, policy and practice

The aim of this paper is to investigate the discourses that emerge when Sweden’s Art and Music School leaders talk about the inclusion of pupils with disabilities in relation to policy. A starting point is that both earlier studies and policy documents have revealed inclusion problems within Art and Music Schools. The research question is: how are Art and Music School practice, policy and inclusion of pupils with disabilities connected within and through leaders’ discursive practices? The data are based on three focus group conversations with a total of 16 Art and Music School leaders from northern, central and southern Sweden. Discourse analysis as a social constructionist approach is applied since it provides a means to investigate the connection between social change and discourse. Concepts from both discursive psychology and Foucauldian-inspired discourse analysis are applied in order to investigate connections between rhetorical strategies on a micro level and discourses on an institutional level. The concept of multicentric inclusion is introduced and applied in the analysis. In addition, concepts from educational policy theories are applied in order to analyse how policies are conceptualised and enacted in the context of leaders’ discursive practices. Regarding terminology, the results challenge this researcher when the concept of mixed abilities is introduced by the participants. The analysis exposes three discourses: multicentric inclusion discourse, normality discourse and specialisation discourse. There are tensions between the multicentric inclusion discourse and the normality discourse, as well as between the multicentric inclusion discourse and the specialisation discourse. The analysis leads to the following suggestions in order to achieve justice in music education practices and policies: (a) to enforce a specific national inclusion policy, (b) to challenge the normality discourse and (c) to bring together the multicentric inclusion discourse with the specialisation discourse.

Teaching assistants: their role in the inclusion, education and achievement of pupils with special educational needs

The long-term, international trend towards the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has been accompanied and enabled by an increase in the employment and deployment of a parapro...

Mobile virtual reality for musical genre learning in primary education

Mobile virtual reality (VR) is increasingly becoming popular and accessible to everyone that holds a smartphone. In particular, digital didactics can take advantage of natural interaction and immersion in virtual environments, starting from primary education. This paper investigates the problem of enhancing music learning in primary education through the use of mobile VR. To this end, technical and methodological frameworks were developed, and were tested with two classes in the last year of a primary school (10 years old children). The classes were involved in an evaluation study on music genre identification and learning with a multi-platform mobile application called VR4EDU. Students were immersed in music performances of different genres (e.g., classical, country, jazz, and swing), navigating inside several musical rooms. The evaluation of the didactic protocol shows a statistically significant improvement in learning genre characterization (i.e., typical instruments and their spatial arrangements on stage) compared to traditional lessons with printed materials and passive listening. These results show that the use of mobile VR technologies in synergy with traditional teaching methodologies can improve the music learning experience in primary education, in terms of active listening, attention, and time. The inclusion of pupils with certified special needs strengthened our results.

Academisation of Schools in England and Placements of Pupils With Special Educational Needs: An Analysis of Trends, 2011–2017

This paper aims to examine the changes in school composition in England from 2011 to 2017 by school type and school phase; the speed of academisation by region; and the changes in the proportions of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) at SEN Support and EHC Plan levels overall. We analyse publicly available school level data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) to document two simultaneous trends in English education between 2011 and 2017. First, we observe an increasing percentage of the schools that have become Academies, especially in the secondary mainstream sector, but also among primary schools, special schools and pupil referral units. Second, we document a decreasing percentage of pupils who were classified as having SEN. While the decrease happened across all types of schools, it was particularly steep in Sponsored Academies. This evidence does not necessarily imply that the academisation of English schools has had a negative effect on the inclusion of pupils with SEN. However, the findings have significance to provide the basis for a more in-depth analysis of these trends and the causal effects of academisation involving individual and school level analyses. They can also inform national and local policy review of how pupils are identified as having SEN and in the context of international moves towards greater inclusive education.

Školstvo u Lukavcu u periodu 1945-1953. godine

To present opportunities in Lukavac education in the period 1945-1953. means talking about primary education, first of all about four-year, and later also eight-year elementary schools, for the reconstruction of school facilities, education and training of personnel for the needs of the economy, links between education and culture, and other similar issues. In Lukavac old schools are being rebuilt and new schools are being raised. The inclusion of pupils in elementary education in this period was considerably higher than before. In addition to regular classes, schools participate in organized work on the literacy of the population through analytical courses. The school becomes the center of both educational and cultural life. The cultural function of the school is particularly prominent in rural areas, where educational workers were the main bearers of the cultural life of the village.

Inside but still on the outside? Teachers’ experiences with the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in general education

ABSTRACT The central issue of this article is teachers’ experiences with the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in primary and lower secondary schools, both in terms of the teachers’ own challenges and the situation of the pupils. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with general and special education teachers in four local schools in Norway. The results indicate a limited degree of cooperation and coordination between general and special education. This in turn means a lack of adequate adaptation and an academic standardisation of the general education, which reduces the potential to meet the needs of pupils with SEN. Teachers find that pupils with SEN have a greater tendency than other pupils to fall by the wayside and be left to their own devices when participating in general education. It particularly seems to affect pupils who are quiet and withdrawn. Teachers point out their challenging work situation with a large number of pupils to follow up, which can lead to them not having enough time for and not giving enough attention to those pupils who need additional support.

Correlation between attitudes, concerns, self‐efficacy and teaching intentions in inclusive education evidence from German pre‐service teachers using international scales

The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in schools is an ongoing challenge – it demands the development of an adapted teaching and learning environment, which, in turn, requires a corresponding teacher education programme. Studies indicate that personal characteristics of the respective teachers are one of the main influencing factors on the classroom environment. This article reports on a study of the role of teacher‐related factors, attitudes, concerns and efficacy in inclusion by testing existing survey instruments of 909 pre‐service teachers in Germany. A confirmatory factor analysis was applied to new German translations of four instruments:Attitudes Towards Inclusion Scale,Intention to Teach in Inclusive Classroom Scale,Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale, and theTeacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices. With minor modifications, models demonstrated good fit measures and partial measurement invariance between special school pre‐service teachers and general pre‐service teachers. A combined model of all four scales confirmed that lower concerns were related to attitudes that are more positive, greater self‐efficacy and stronger intentions to teaching inclusively. Implications for teacher‐training and comparisons to other international samples are discussed.

Classroom contexts for learning at primary and secondary school: Class size, groupings, interactions and special educational needs

The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools can result in difficult decisions regarding classroom organisation and management. The premise of this article is that these are likely to be affected by the classroom context, specifically the number of pupils in the class, the size and composition of groups and classes, and the presence of additional adults, but that there is very little systematic information on these features. A systematic observation study was conducted involving 48 pupils at Year 5 (9–10 years) and 49 pupils at Year 9 (13–14 years) with Statements ofSEND, along with 115 comparison pupils at Year 5 and 112 at Year 9 who were typically developing. There were nearly 70,000 observations (data points) in total. Results showed that pupils at Year 5 withSENwere being taught in larger classes than at Year 9, and that, compared with typically developing pupils, they were much more likely to be separately taught in small, low‐attaining groups at Year 5 and small, low‐attaining classes (sets) at secondary. The study raises worrying questions about the appropriateness of classroom contexts for pupils withSENDand the heavy reliance on teaching assistants.

Estimating the causal effects of academisation of English schools with the data from the National Pupil Database

BackgroundOver the last 30 years there have been two key policy initiatives in schooling in England. First, there was a move to raise academic standards with a market-oriented model of schooling and the introduction of Academies with higher levels of autonomy. Second, there has been a lesser though nevertheless important trend to providing for more pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in ordinary rather than special schools, what has been called the inclusive education movement.
 ObjectivesWe explore causal effects of converting English schools into academies on educational inclusiveness in England. Specifically we investigate the implications of a school’s academisation event in converting to a Sponsored Academy or a Converter Academy on the inclusion of pupils with SEN and the impacts on the education trajectory of these pupils.
 Methods (including data)Using administrative data from the National Pupil Database and combining it with publicly available data on school institutional history, we are able to construct extensive longitudinal samples of pupil cohorts and academisation school cohorts from 2003 to 2015. Utilising both from aggregate school level and individual level features, we study the various aspects of academisation on educational inclusiveness by modelling the admissions, re-classifications and potential exclusions on pupils with SEN from the contemporaneous and follow-up effects of academisation events. In addition, we examine the adequacy and effectiveness in causality modelling in a educational context under various regimes of modelling frameworks.
 Findings and conclusionsThe analysis to date suggests that academisation events have small negative impacts in educational inclusiveness. Specifically, we find that pupils with SEN are more likely to register with non-SEN in academised schools in the treatment group. In addition, these negative effects are found to remain statistically significant several periods after occurrence of the event.

Inclusion of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Art Education Strategies and Peer Collaboration - A Case Study in Lisbon, Portugal

Inclusion of Pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Art Education Strategies and Peer Collaboration - A Case Study in Lisbon, Portugal

Inclusive teaching a foreign language senior pupils with musculoskeletal disorders: special educational needs and adjustments

According to the legislation existing in Ukraine pupils with special educational needs can study in both – special and mainstream schools or classes. There is a discussion in the society about advantages and disadvantages of inclusion for pupils with severe disabilities. The main point is that transferring those to mainstream schools should be based on proper adjustments and that the decision itself depends on the nature and severity of disability. The research aims to highlight the adjustments that are to be done to meet special educational needs of senior learners with musculoskeletal disorders caused by cerebral palsy and namely in teaching them a foreign language. As a result of analysing cerebral palsy types, 3 main barriers for learning a foreign language were identified: a difficulty to stand or walk independently, a difficulty to sit independently and a difficulty to hold objects and to write. The special needs of pupils with musculoskeletal disorder (defined according to the barriers mentioned above) were viewed from the perspective of adjustment types. The latter included the adjustment of: school environment, the Individual Development Program and the Individual Plan, teaching approaches and means of teaching. The significance of individualization and differentiation as core principles of organizing the process of teaching pupils with musculoskeletal disorder a foreign language is highlighted. The conclusion drawn from the research is that pupils with cerebral palsy in Ukraine can benefit both from inclusive and special educational settings. The first one empowers the development of their social and learning competences. The second one serves as a complex resource (both methodological and human) to facilitate the educational process. Thus both types should be available for reasonable use in every individual case

Raising Autism Awareness among Greek Teachers

A recent special education legislation reform in Greece puts emphasis on the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs into mainstream schools. The purpose of the present study was to investigate knowledge of ASD among 67 mainstream nursery and primary classroom teachers, and evaluate the effectiveness of a half-day ASD awareness seminar in increasing their knowledge of the disorder. A self-report ASD Knowledge Questionnaire (ASD-KQ), developed for the purpose of this study, was used before and after the ASD awareness seminar. The results indicated a significant shift from low to moderate/high level of ASD knowledge among teachers with no previous training in special education and/or autism (58.7%), whereas this shift did not reach significance level in the teacher’s group with previous training (16.7%) after the seminar. The present findings have important implications for the development of training programmes of practising teachers.

Joint reflection on action – a prerequisite for inclusive education? A qualitative study in one local primary/lower secondary school in Norway

ABSTRACTThe main theme of this article is teachers’ experiences of how joint reflection and common follow-up practices impact on the development of inclusive education. The study was conducted using an adapted letter method, where the teachers at one school in Norway answered some open questions by discussing and formulating a joint text. The results suggest that the teachers, who have previously participated in a national programme of school development, seem to have developed a broad understanding of inclusive education that entails meeting the diversity of needs of all pupils. They do not only consider inclusion to be a matter of placement but also something that involves a social and an academic communality. One important finding is that joint reflection in a sharing culture engenders common frames of reference for the practical actions of inclusion. Teachers’ own experiences suggest that joint discussion and reflection also play a central role in the efforts aimed at the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs.

Professional learning and the individual education plan process: implications for teacher educators

ABSTRACTPolicy and legislation internationally advocates curriculum access and inclusion for pupils with special educational needs. The individual education plan (IEP) process, which focuses on individual planning for pupils with special educational needs, has been mandated as a means of achieving this goal in many countries. As a concept it has been challenged in terms of its potential to perpetuate difference which is antithetical to inclusion. As a practice concerns have been raised regarding its development, implementation and review. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI) IEPs have been legislated for but not enacted. Nonetheless policy guidelines promote use of the IEP process and state funding supports teacher professional development in this area through an award-bearing model. This article draws on a mixed methods study to evaluate the impact of this award-bearing model on teachers’ professional learning, in the context of IEPs. Findings indicate enhanced teacher expertise for supporting curriculum access for individual learners. However collaborative practices to support contextualisation of learner goals into class planning and practice need to be addressed. This article argues for teacher educators to focus on enhancing teacher leadership and capacity building within schools to ensure that curriculum access is achieved within an inclusive environment.

Inclusion of pupils with ADHD symptoms in mainstream classes with PBS

ABSTRACTInclusion is never only a practical issue of placement. School-wide systemic change, together with well-functioning, multi-tiered support, can promote the inclusion of all pupils. This paper draws on research conducted in two mainstream primary schools in Finland. The primary focus was to gain insight into practical solutions to facilitate the inclusion of pupils with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in mainstream teaching. Using an experimental, multiple-baseline, single-case design, we examined the effects of Check-in Check-out (CICO) support on changes in the behaviour of two pupils who displayed ADHD-type behaviours. The key features of CICO are brief morning and afternoon meetings with an adult, the use of a daily report card, regular positive feedback during the day, and parental involvement. This study examined if behavioural gains made during the implementation of CICO support can be maintained. Visual data analysis revealed differences in two CICO-ending strategies on maintenance in pupils with ADHD symptoms. The results suggest that consistent universal positive behaviour support systems together with additional behavioural support can facilitate the successful inclusion of pupils observed by teachers to have even severe disruptive behaviours in a mainstream learning environment.

To include or not to include—This is the question: Attitudes of inclusive teachers toward the inclusion of pupils with intellectual disabilities in elementary schools

Numerous studies have emphasized the relationship between success of policies of inclusion and acceptance and accommodation of students with intellectual disabilities in mainstream settings and teachers’ positive attitudes toward them. Using semi-structured interviews and interpretive and constructivist strategies, the present study qualitatively analyzes the attitudes of 40 inclusive teachers regarding the inclusion of pupils with intellectual disabilities in mainstream elementary school settings in Israel. We find that most inclusive teachers assert that the inclusion policy has failed mainly, due to insufficient inclusion hours and limited abilities of mainstream teachers to assist pupils with intellectual disabilities, and that inclusive teachers unofficially employ various strategies in an attempt to improve the inclusion process. We conclude that more emphasis and resources should be invested in increasing the number of inclusive hours in mainstream elementary schools and improving mainstream and inclusive teachers’ education curriculum, and that an inclusive strategy that involves various education and special education techniques and is based on the professional collaboration between mainstream teachers, inclusive teachers, and experts in the field of inclusion, should be implemented.

Teacher Training in the Use of ICT for Inclusion: Differences between Early Childhood and Primary Education

Abstract The Spanish education system considers the principle of educational equity and inclusion as a way of ensuring equal opportunities for students, serving as a compensatory approach that addresses personal, cultural, economic and social inequalities. Moreover, the impact of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has led to changes in the teaching-learning process, taking into account the principles of universal design and accessibility; this plays a key role in moving towards methodologies that enable improvements in educational quality. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the perceptions that prospective Early Childhood and primary teachers have about using ICT for inclusion in the ordinary classroom. An ad-hoc questionnaire was administered to a sample of fourth-year students reading undergraduate degrees in Early Childhood and Primary Education at the Catholic University of Murcia (n=231). Results demonstrated positive attitudes by university students towards the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs using these types of learning resources. However, significant differences were observed in the “Professional teacher development in ICT” dimension depending on the degree programme (Early Childhood or Primary), with more favourable assessments reported by the first group. This has helped identify the teachers’ attitudes and teaching needs in the field of ICT in order to improve training by making curriculum changes and by adapting the teaching-learning process to higher education students.

Current opinions of Czech teachers about the inclusive form of education

The current curriculum for elementary education in the Czech Republic allows inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. In spite of the fact that today the right of all persons to education is generally accepted, the inclusive form of education frequently raises various doubts in both the lay and professional community. Various concerns stem from inaccurate ideas of this form of education and insufficient information, particularly in relation to successful delivery of inclusion. In some countries, such as in Great Britain or Finland, the experience with the inclusive form of education is much longer and is mostly positive, in our country however, the concept of inclusion is gaining ground relatively slowly. The quality of educating both the healthy population and pupils with special educational needs is influenced by a number of factors. One of the most significant roles in the educational process is taken by the educator. The educator’s role is irreplaceable and is decisive for the degree of success of the development of a child personality. All changes in the educational approaches are related not only to a well thought-out theoretical background but particularly to comprehensive readiness of the principal educational actors, i.e. the teachers. To accomplish this task however, the highest possible amount of information is required. To acquire this information was one of the aims of a research study carried out in the previous year 2014. Keywords: Czech Republic; inclusive form; education