Context Of Inclusive Education Research Articles

GAMIFICATION AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: PROMOTING THE ENGAGEMENT OF ALL STUDENTS

Gamification, defined as the application of game elements in non-playful contexts, has proven to be a promising strategy for engaging students in the teaching-learning process. When applied to the context of inclusive education, gamification offers opportunities to increase the participation of students with different profiles and needs, promoting a collaborative and engaging learning environment. This article explores the impact of gamification on inclusive education, analyzing how this approach can be used to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities and other learning challenges, can benefit from innovative methodologies. Based on a literature review and case studies, the article discusses the main benefits of gamification for inclusion, such as increased engagement, personalization of learning, and intrinsic motivation of students. It is concluded that gamification has a fundamental role in advancing a more inclusive and equitable education, highlighting the need for adequate infrastructure and teacher training for its effective implementation.

Evaluating the Socioecological Classroom in Full-Service Schools: A Whole-School Approach to the Inclusive Education Context in South Africa

This paper evaluates the socioecological classroom in the context of a whole-school approach to inclusive education, which has evolved beyond the traditional classroom setting. Inclusive education calls for a paradigm shift to accommodate learners previously marginalised, with the classroom transforming into an ecosystem. The socioecological paradigm steers away from the notion that psychological and physiological elements are the main causes of disability. The importance of addressing multiple layers of influence is emphasised to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment. First, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, which emphatically explains how a learner’s development is influenced by the systems in the environment that surrounds them, and then Foucault’s Theory of Power and Knowledge, in which power and knowledge are interconnected and inseparable, with power being exercised through the creation and control of knowledge, guided this study. A qualitative approach was adopted, and semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and non-participant observation were used to collect data. Phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data from these data-collecting instruments. It was found that learners with disabilities need support at home, with imbalances being found in the power–knowledge relations between teachers and parents, and teachers occupying a superior position regarding academic knowledge. Some teachers still believe in the Medical-Deficit Model. A strengths-based approach should rather be adopted. Strategies for enhancing community–school collaboration that balances teacher–parent power dynamics should be explored.

General and special education teachers' attitudes towards evidence‐based practice

AbstractIn the context of special and inclusive education, applying evidence‐based practice (EBP) is important for providing equal access to effective and efficient education for students, regardless of their ability status. However, there is a relevant research‐practice gap in this area. To better understand how teachers can be supported using evidence‐based interventions and to identify training and development needs, we developed a questionnaire on attitudes towards EBP and piloted it with a sample of 809 teachers in Germany. The factor structure was determined using categorical exploratory factor analysis in half of the sample and then confirmed using categorical confirmatory factor analysis in the other half. Good model fit and factor reliability were observed. The instrument is measurement‐invariant between general and special education teachers. As expected, we found more positive attitudes towards EBP among special education teachers. No significant differences were observed between the different age groups. Based on these findings, it can be assumed that the measurement instrument is suitable for use in implementation research, as well as in the evaluation of initial and in‐service teacher training programmes. Further studies on convergent, divergent and prognostic validities are necessary.

Supervisi Pendidikan di Sekolah Inklusif: Tantangan dan Solusinya

Educational supervision in inclusive schools faces various challenges, particularly in addressing the diverse needs of students, the lack of specialized training for teachers, and the limitations of resources and supporting facilities. The aim of this research is to identify the challenges of supervision in inclusive schools and to seek effective solutions to improve the quality of supervision within the context of inclusive education. This study employs a library research method, using data sources from books, journals, and relevant previous studies. Data analysis is conducted qualitatively through literature review. The findings indicate that enhancing teacher competency through continuous training, implementing collaborative supervision methods, and strengthening supporting facilities are effective solutions to address the challenges of supervision in inclusive schools. In conclusion, educational supervision in inclusive schools can operate more optimally when supported by a comprehensive approach, both in terms of teacher competency development and the provision of adequate facilities

Inclusive or exclusionary? A study of representation of disability in Indian primary school textbooks

ABSTRACT In India, the pursuit of inclusive education seeks to create equitable learning environments where children with disabilities are fully integrated into mainstream schools. Within this context of inclusive education, this paper critically examines the teaching materials used in Indian primary education, with a focus on NCERT English and Hindi textbooks, to evaluate disability representation. Drawing upon Jan Grue’s Disability Discourse Analysis as a framework, the study deconstructs the language and narratives used in these textbooks to uncover underlying biases and explore how disability has been portrayed. The analysis highlights the need to enhance the inclusivity of educational content to better align with India’s goals for inclusive education.

How signature strengths develop positive interdependence and empowerment in an inclusive education context

AbstractThis study evaluates the Individual Strengths, Collective Power! program in fostering students' use of strengths vocabulary and improving classroom relationships in an inclusive education setting in Switzerland, where students with and without special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) attend school together. The study involved 179 students, ages 8 to 12, divided into an experimental group that received specific training and an active control group that had access to program resources, regardless of their SEND status. The study used the Strengths Use Scale (SUS) and the Gratitude Questionnaire to measure students' awareness of their strengths and gratitude. In addition, a sociometric measure, the Peer Acceptance Index (PAI), was developed to assess classroom dynamics. Results indicate that strengths‐based interventions significantly expanded students' vocabulary of strengths and increased positive discourse, particularly among girls. Time and age were the main predictors of positive peer commentary, rather than the interventions themselves, which had no significant effect on PAI scores. The study suggests that strengths‐based tools, even without guided use, can positively influence students' language about strengths, although they did not change classroom relationships within the 9‐week period. Further research is recommended to explore the specific effects and mechanisms of strengths‐based interventions in inclusive settings.

Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Early Childhood Teachers’ Career Success in an Inclusive Education Context

Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Early Childhood Teachers’ Career Success in an Inclusive Education Context

Unlocking the path: Exploring parental perception and coping strategies amidst special education challenges within mainstream educational settings in Israel

AbstractWithin the dynamic context of inclusive education for children with special needs in Israel, parents play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. The present study focuses on the experiences of parents with children who have special needs in inclusive educational frameworks in Israel. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 parents of children with special needs who are enrolled in inclusive educational settings, either in mainstream classrooms or kindergartens. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using theoretical thematic analysis, which yielded four main themes: persistent conflict, challenges in choosing educational settings, proactive coping strategies and interaction with educational settings. The study highlights conflicts with other parents, difficulties in decision‐making, and lack of adequate support from the system. Findings underscore the necessity for enhanced organizational frameworks, more proficient staff and supportive environments to effectively include children with special needs into mainstream education in Israel.

Exploring belonging in the documentary inclusief [inclusive] as a matter of care

In this article we study the concept of ‘belonging’ within the context of inclusive education. We see inclusion and belonging as two entangled concepts and focus on inclusion as an ethical process. We do this by analyzing the Flemish documentary Inclusief [Inclusive] to investigate the idea of belonging as building and finding roots. As a method we carry out a close reading of two episodes of the documentary and plug in theory to gain a deeper sense about the meaning of belonging in two students’ life stories. In our writing process these fragments become tangible. Through the stories, we see how belonging emerges. We come to understand belonging in inclusive education as connected to the dynamic interplay with the context; listening with care; and radical relationality. By combining these elements schools can invest in becoming inclusive communities of care, and contribute to every student having a feeling of belonging.

Analysis of Knowledge and Skills among Special Education Teachers in Inclusive Schools in Indonesia

This research examined the knowledge and skills of special education teachers within the context of inclusive education in Indonesia. Employing a quantitative survey approach, the study aimed to determine whether a statistically significant disparity existed between these two variables. The data collection technique utilized included knowledge tests and performance assessments, involving 637 participants from 26 districts/cities. The data analysis technique employed was the t-test using SPSS. The research findings indicated that the mean knowledge score (51.85) was lower than the mean skill score (73.90). The t-test result showed a value of -29.87 with p-value <0.05, indicating a significant difference between the knowledge and skill scores. Several factors contributed to the higher skill scores, including limited access to specialized training and professional development, curriculum structures prioritizing skill-based coursework, and the unique demands of inclusive education settings.

Profiles of Teaching Assistants’ Role Performance in Chinese Elementary Schools: A Person-Centred Approach

ABSTRACT Using a person-centred approach, this study aims to identify teaching assistants’ (TAs) profiles in terms of their role performance levels and how these profiles are associated with TAs’ personal and job characteristics. Three hundred and eighty TAs from Chinese elementary schools completed the Teaching Assistants’ Role Performance Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis yielded three profiles: (1) the low role performance level, (2) the medium role performance level, and (3) the high role performance level. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that profile membership was associated with TAs’ personal and job characteristics (i.e. educational level, years of classroom experience, professional training received, and part-time or full-time status) in different ways. The findings contribute to the literature on TA role performance in an inclusive education context and have practical implications for improving role performance among TAs.

Teaching assistant roles in supporting students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Chinese primary classrooms: divergent expectations among general education teachers and teaching assistants

Objectives Clarifying the roles of teaching assistants (TAs) is crucial for enhancing their support effectiveness. This study aimed to explore the differences in expectations regarding the roles of TAs between general education teachers and TAs in Chinese primary classrooms as well as the factors associated with these differences. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was employed. A total of 465 general education teachers and 400 TAs were surveyed to provide quantitative data, while five teachers and five TAs were interviewed to provide qualitative data. Results The quantitative survey revealed significant differences between teachers and TAs in terms of their overall expectations regarding TA roles as well as differences in the dimensions of personal care and classroom support. In particular, teachers scored significantly higher than TAs with regard to personal support; however, they scored significantly lower than TAs with respect to overall expectations and classroom support. The qualitative investigation revealed that these differences in role expectations were associated with internal (i.e., perceptions of the purpose of TA support and knowledge of student abilities) and external factors (i.e., professional training from schools and communication between teachers and TAs). Conclusions This study enriches the international literature on the role expectations of TAs in an inclusive education context and has important implications for their role clarification.

Specialized Educational Assistance (AEE) from the perspective of inclusive education

This article addresses the role of Specialized Educational Assistance (SEA) within the context of inclusive education in Brazil. Since participating in the World Conference on Special Educational Needs in 1994, the country committed to ensuring access to all children to elementary education by 2015, promoting inclusive education that considers the different learning needs of students, including those with disabilities. SEA is a fundamental strategy provided for by the National Policy on Special Education in the perspective of inclusive education, offering support and resources to minimize the difficulties faced by students with disabilities. This article discusses relevant legislation, including Decree No. 7,611/2011, which establishes guidelines for special education, highlighting the importance of integrating SEA into the school's pedagogical proposal and involving family participation. Additionally, it is emphasized that SEA is not intended to replace regular education but to complement it, offering services adapted to the individual needs of students.

‘That’s Not Something That’s Necessarily on the Radar’: Educators’ Perspectives on Dysgraphia

Abstract This qualitative study focused on educators’ perspectives of teaching students with dysgraphia. Dysgraphia can be referred to as a specific learning disorder (SLD) in writing and includes difficulties with handwriting, spelling, and/or composition skills. To explore the educators’ experiences, an interpretative phenomenological analysis method was implemented. This involved generating semistructured interviews and locating key concepts from these interviews, in tandem with researcher reflections. The results indicated that educators developed their self-efficacy in supporting students with dysgraphia on the job, augmented by self-guided and external searches for information about dysgraphia. The participants described their colleagues as generally unable to provide them with dysgraphia-specific knowledge due to a lack of awareness of dysgraphia within schools. Two of the three educators pursued Multisensory Structured Language training, departing the classroom to work in private tuition. Three teachers offered strategies for supporting students with dysgraphia, such as explicit, systematic, scaffolded, and repetitive instruction coupled with assistive technologies or lined paper and slant boards. The study concluded that dysgraphia-specific professional learning, coupled with collective efficacy, could proactively build teachers’ capacity and self-efficacy in supporting dysgraphia within an inclusive education context. These measures would more aptly support students with dysgraphia to reach their potential.

Analysis of Inclusive Education Perception among In-Service Early Childhood Teachers Using Inclusive Indicators

This article presents an analysis of inclusive education perceptions among in-service kindergarten teachers, contextualized within the context of inclusive education in China. In the 1980s, the Ministry of Education in China initiated the ‘Learning in Regular Classrooms’ campaign, advocating for the integration of special needs children into mainstream classrooms — an instrumental stride toward inclusive education. With the growing emphasis on inclusivity, the preschool education in China has progressively moving forward to embrace this paradigm. In this study, a survey was conducted with 30 in-service early childhood teachers in China, seeking to comprehensively assess their perceptions towards inclusive indicators within the broader framework of inclusive education. Through a meticulous analysis of the inclusive education indicators exhibited by 30 in-service kindergarten teachers, the research utilizes Booth's questionnaire as a validated instrument to gauge the nuanced facets of inclusive education implementation. The findings illuminate diverse performances among in-service kindergarten teachers, unravelling variations across three pivotal dimensions of inclusive education.

Collaboration within a curriculum of support in the classroom: occupational therapists' and educators' perceptions and experiences

Introduction: According to South Africa's key education policies, all children can learn and need support, necessitating collaboration between occupational therapists and educators. Collaboration between occupational therapists and educators within the classroom is however a relatively new practice in South Africa and there is a dearth of literature that report on studies in this regard. The aim of this study was thus to explore occupational therapists' and educators' experiences in adopting a classroom approach in three primary mainstream schools in the Metro North education district in the Western Cape. Methodology: A qualitative research approach andexploratory descriptive design was utilised. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and focus groups with educators and occupational therapists who participated in the curriculum of support in the classroom programme. Thematic data analysis was conducted. Findings: Three themes highlighting the meaning and value the participants assigned to classroom collaboration, andfactors that facilitate or limit the implementation of the curriculum of support emerged from the analysis. Conclusion: The study is useful in expanding the understanding of the changing role of occupational therapists within the context of inclusive education and contributes to the development of educator support strategies utilising the whole classroom approach. This approach entails the educator and occupational therapist working together in implementing activities in the classroom to all learners. These learning activities are based on curriculum themes and occupational therapy principles and components. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Occupational therapists' roles in the education practice context are expanding from traditionally working in special school settings to providing support to educators within public mainstream schools. The role of the occupational therapist within public mainstream schools is evolving from a consultative role and providing input into the individual support of learners to providing hands-on support to educators and collaborating with them within the classroom.

Powerful Knowledge in Religious Education—Questions of Epistemology and Subject Literacy in Democratic and Inclusive Educational Contexts

In this article, the focus is to grasp ongoing discussions regarding powerful knowledge in relation to social sciences in a broader sense, but especially in relation to religious education. Discussions around norms and values are central in classrooms where both multireligiousness and secularity characterize students’ everyday life and where students constantly move between different multicultural contexts. It is the aim of this contribution to explore the ongoing discussions relating powerful knowledge in RE to existential questions and controversial issues. One way for teachers to work with these goals is to focus partly on subject literacy and on powerful knowledge in relation to inclusive teaching, and partly on subject content where core value issues are expressed together with existential and controversial questions. This will be discussed and explored in this contribution focusing on powerful knowledge and epistemology in social science, and especially in the school subject of religious education.

Building Policies and Initiatives for Inclusive Educational Contexts: The GLIC Italian Experience.

Inclusive education has emerged as a global priority, and the integration of assistive technology (AT) is recognized as a crucial component for creating inclusive educational environments. However, the successful implementation of AT hinges on supportive policies and initiatives. This article delves into the experience of the GLIC Association in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education, exploring their efforts in developing policies and initiatives to facilitate the introduction of AT in educational contexts. The GLIC Association has devised a service provisioning model in state schools that ensures adequate support for the integration of AT, thus promoting inclusive education.

Indonesian Teachers' Self-Efficacy on Implementation Cooperation and Class Management towards Inclusive Education

In inclusive education, teachers' self-efficacy represents their self-assessment of the capability to organize classroom learning with students' various learning needs, including disabilities. The teacher's self-efficacy is observed in three aspects, namely instruction efficacy, collaboration efficacy, and managing behaviour. This study examines the effects of differences in working units, experiences of teaching students with special needs, and teacher training on inclusive education on teacher self-efficacy in the inclusive education context. The participants of this study were 233 teachers, in which most of them were women and had master's degrees. For the data analysis, we used Multi-Variate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). This study concludes that only the teacher work unit variable induces different teacher self-efficacy scores. Teachers in elementary schools have the highest self-efficacy scores in instruction, collaboration, and managing behaviour efficacy.

Mentoring Novice Teachers in a Norwegian Context of Inclusive Education

ABSTRACT There is global agreement that schools should be inclusive, however both experienced and inexperienced teachers find this challenging. In this study we explore how experienced teachers working as local mentors for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) address the challenges they face in an inclusive school. The study is designed as a qualitative study consisting of three different focus group discussions with three samples of mentors, and two surveys with one sample of mentors and one of NQTs. Data was collected in 2021, and descriptive analysis of the survey-data and thematic analysis of focus group discussions were conducted in 2022. Key findings indicate that the topics dominating NQTs supervision also challenge their mentors’ practices concerning 1) pupil behaviour and inclusive-adapted education, 2) inclusive classroom management and relationship building, and 3) inclusive parent-teacher cooperation. Furthermore, although the mentors acknowledge lack of expert knowledge, their self-efficacy is maintained due to professional mentoring-collaboration. An implication of the study is the need for recognising the mentoring process as a joint responsibility between all members of the professional community in schools, and not only a task for the assigned mentor.