Inclusive Educational Experiences Research Articles

Leveraging Emerging Technology to Design an Inclusive Future with Universal Design for Learning

The aim of this article is to explore the opportunities and challenges that arise with the proliferation of new technology, to provide an understanding of why it is important to try new strategies in education, and to provide an inclusive framework for experimentation using tools such as robotisation, automatisation, artificial intelligence and immersive learning. Significant challenges exist in implementing transformative technologies with a limited or non-existent evidence base for their use, and designing inclusive educational experiences with a limited evidence base is even more challenging. In order to address this need, the article presents some ways in which educators can make informed implementation decisions around these new tools. First, we examine the rule of the least dangerous assumption, which supports trying new technologies even if the evidence base is lacking. Next, we present a strategy that educators can use to apply the research-based framework of UDL in order to make informed implementation choices with new technologies. Finally, based on information gained from experience in providing professional development, school level implementation, individual student interventions and teacher focus groups, we offer some recommendations for practice. We present several fun propositions that can help create a culture to support educators as they endeavour to create inclusive educational experiences with emerging technologies. We also explore current trends in technology use, describing and providing practical examples of implementation and integration to support a more inclusive future with emerging technologies.

A metaphor analysis on pre-service teachers’ perception of inclusive education

본 연구의 목적은 메타포 분석을 통해 예비일반교사의 통합교육에 대한 인식을 알아보는데 있다. 이를 위해, 예비일반교사에게 통합교육에 대한 메타포 작성 질문지를 제시하여 총 112명의 자료를 수집하여 분석하였다. 자료 분석은 코딩과 제거 단계, 분류 및 범주화 단계, 신뢰도 평정 단계, 양적 자료 분석 단계로 실시되었다. 분류 과정을 통해 97개의 메타포가 선정되었으며 의미에 따라 7개의 주제 (1) 조화, (2) 필수 요소, (3) 선행 학습, (4) 연결 고리, (5) 양날의 검, (6) 다양성, (7) 낯섦과 두려움으로 범주화하였다. 또한 연구대상자의 성별, 학년, 전공대학, 학령기 통합교육 경험 유, 무에 따라 메타포에 차이가 있는지 검증하였으며 그 결과 집단별 유의한 차이는 없는 것으로 나타났다. 마지막으로 이러한 결과에 기초하여 논의 및 향후 연구를 위한 시사점을 제시하였다.The purpose of this study is to examine the perception of pre-service teachers inclusive education through a metaphor analysis. For this purpose, metaphorical questionnaires for education were presented to pre-service teachers and a total of 112 data were collected. Data analysis was carried out in coding and elimination phase, classification and categorization phase, reliability rating phase, and quantitative data analysis phase. 97 metaphors were selected through the classification process and categorized into seven themes, (1) harmony, (2) essential elements, (3) prior learning, (4) linkage, (5) double-edged swords, (6) diversity, (7) unfamiliarity & fear. In addition, there was no significant difference in the metaphor between the groups according to gender, grade, major in college and experience of inclusive education in school age. Finally, based on these results, implications and suggestions for future research are presented.

Factors Influencing Engineering Identity Development of Latinx Students

Contribution: This paper explores the factors contributing to the development of engineering identity in Latinx students at two institutions. A better understanding of these factors will support the development of more inclusive engineering education environments and experiences. Background: Persistence of Latinx engineering students is of particular interest due to their underrepresentation in the field. Identity is a lens for understanding student persistence, but Latinx students are underrepresented in prior engineering identity studies. This paper seeks to identify the unique factors, academic and professional, that contribute to engineering identity development, and potential means for supporting the persistence of Latinx engineers. Research Questions: 1) What academic and professional affect factors predict engineering identity development of Latinx students? and 2) What role does the institution play in Latinx students’ engineering identity development? Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was used to measure engineering identity based on a framework incorporating both academic and professional affect elements. Regression analyses were conducted on 892 responses to an online survey from Latinx engineering students, with additional insight from interviews with ten Latinx engineering students. Findings: Six of the nine factors analyzed (performance/competence, interest, recognition, analysis, framing and solving problems, and tinkering) were significant predictors of Latinx students’ engineering identity, as were institution, gender, and having a parent with an engineering degree. Engineering identity was higher for Latinx students at the Hispanic Serving Institution, but none of the interaction terms were significant, so the relationship between these factors and engineering identity is similar at each institution.

Włączająca edukacja przedszkolna – założenia teoretyczne a perspektywa praktyczna Przedszkola Miejskiego nr 152 w Łodzi

The aim of the article is to analyse the theoretical assumptions of inclusive education in the context of changes to the educational policies in Poland and beyond. In the first part of the article, the authors present the problem of the changes to teaching children with special educational needs from a segregation approach to an inclusive approach. Then they briefly describe one of the first projects supporting schools in preparing and implementing inclusive education in Poland. In the next part of the article, the authors present the experience of inclusive education implemented in a public preschool in Łódź in the context of organisational and methodological changes, working with parents and the social environment. The presented areas of activities include the good practices, which are the basis for including all children (including children with special educational needs) in the peer group. The article ends with a reflection on the need for the continuity of activities that are the basis for preparing all pre-school education facilities for the concept of inclusion.

South Korean elementary school teachers’ experiences of inclusive education concerning students with a multicultural background

ABSTRACT Due to the increase of economic immigration over the last few decades, South Korea has rapidly become a multi-ethnic society. The number of students with a multicultural background (SMBs) has increased more than tenfold in the past ten years. Research has revealed that despite physical inclusion of SMBs in general classrooms, SMBs tend to struggle at school as a result of language difficulties, academic underachievement, and social isolation. Shedding light on the Salamanca thinking, this study aims to investigate how teachers’ experiences of SMBs vary according to school cultures. Thirteen teachers from three schools (with different school cultures) were invited to participate in qualitative semi-structured interviews. It was revealed that the teachers, who worked in the different school cultures, expressed differently with regard to (1) teachers’ reasoning about SMBs’ struggles, (2) teachers’ professional knowledge and strategic practices, (3) collaboration with a multicultural education supervising teacher (MEST), and (4) dependency upon external support. The school judged to be contributing to ‘true’ inclusion was characterised by ample support from a MEST and the creation of an inclusive learning environment for SMBs as a whole-school approach. What can further ‘true’ inclusion of SMBs in elementary schools and the implications thereof are discussed.

Teachers’ Belief and Efficacy Toward Inclusive Education in Early Childhood Settings in Korea

In the literature, teacher self-efficacy has been found to increase teachers’ effective teaching strategies and students’ positive learning outcomes in inclusive education, which highlights the importance of identifying and fostering factors associated with increased self-efficacy. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine the relations between teachers’ demographic and background variables (i.e., age, teaching experience, and training experience), teachers’ beliefs toward inclusive education, and teachers’ self-efficacy. Specifically, this study aimed to test the mediating effects of teachers’ beliefs toward inclusive education on the relations between teachers’ demographic and background variables and their self-efficacy using structural equation modeling (SEM). Teacher beliefs toward inclusive education included the effectiveness of inclusive education on the social and cognitive development of children with disabilities and on non-disabled students’ understanding of the needs of children with disabilities. Results indicated that whereas teacher age and teaching and training experiences had no direct relations with teachers’ self-efficacy in inclusive education, teaching and training experiences had significant indirect relations with their self-efficacy through their beliefs toward inclusive education. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Expanding the Scope of Universal Design: Implications for Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

This article encourages postsecondary educators to expand the scope of applications of universal design and universal instructional design by exploring how principles of UD and UID can be applied to other social identities, and specifically to gender identity and sexual orientation. There are many parallels that can be drawn between students who are excluded because of their disability and students who are marginalized on the basis of nonconforming gender identity or sexual orientation. It is important that faculty and staff understand intersectionality and interdependence among social identities and consider what steps they can take to apply UID principles in ways that consider multiple aspects of identity in order to provide inclusive educational experiences for all students. Scenarios for further discussion are provided.

Community Conversations on Inclusive Higher Education for Students With Intellectual Disability

Amid rapid growth in the higher education movement, access to inclusive higher education for students with intellectual disability (ID) remains limited. This study used “community conversations” to explore how stakeholders in three communities envisioned the inclusion of students with ID on their local college campus and the supports needed to launch new postsecondary programs. Conceptualizations of inclusion extended beyond the experiences students might have and addressed skill development, training and supports, campus and community attitudes, and potential partnerships. Stakeholders identified a constellation of people and resources needed to support successful college experiences. We offer recommendations aimed at spurring inclusive higher education experiences and highlight community conversations as a promising approach for informing the initial movements of local planning teams.

Perceptions and experiences of inclusive education among parents of children with disabilities in Lagos, Nigeria

ABSTRACTThis paper draws on empirical findings from Lagos, Nigeria, and applies theoretical perspectives from the social and cultural models of disability to examine the everyday experiences of parents of children with disabilities in relation to inclusive and special needs schools. A phenomenological study was conducted to engage with the lived experiences of parents of children with disabilities. Twelve parents of children with disabilities (10F, 2M) living in Lagos participated in semi-structured interviews. The research findings were analyzed through thematic content analysis to identify perceptions and experiences of parents of children with disabilities. The findings show that, given the limited capacity of the state to deliver inclusive education, parents of children with disabilities express mixed feelings about the policy’s true worth; while some parents applaud the system, others see it as a threat to their children’s social integration and future prospects. The findings also show that there is a perception that certain disabilities are more ‘includable’ within the country’s inclusive learning settings than others, based on a cultural logic that places different bodily impairments on a hierarchy. Furthermore, the findings show that because women are held as responsible when a child is born with a disability, women typically bear the burden of meeting the health and education needs of such a child. This paper seeks to highlight the experiences of parents to shed light into complexities that arise when poor countries with severe resource pressures and weak political will experiment with inclusive education policy, and sociocultural barriers that can hinder implementation.

Equity Issues in Teaching and Teacher Education

ABSTRACTConcerns about creating greater equity in education are often projected outside of teaching. Yet the creation by teachers of more equitable and inclusive educational experiences and opportunities can play an important part in wider struggles for social justice. We argue that equity must become a central dimension of teacher education to challenge the complex ways that insidious inequalities are reproduced in and through educational frameworks and practices.

Imagining mathematical thinking for inclusive curriculum: A conversation

ABSTRACTA transcribed conversation between a mathematics educator and a disability studies educator is presented to highlight cross-disciplinary dialog as a fruitful space for recursive and reflexive engagement from which may emerge concepts to further both mathematics and disability education. The opening question, “How can I know what’s possible in terms of engaging students with disabilities in mathematical thinking and reasoning?,” sparks discussion. Critique of typical practices in special education and mathematics teaching are raised in terms of learning theories and ideologies of schooling. Takeaways include the promise of emphasizing mathematical thinking as a way to structure more inclusive educational experiences for students with disabilities.

Transtornos do espectro do autismo e educação inclusiva: análise de atitudes sociais de professores e alunos frente à inclusão

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever as atitudes sociais de professores e alunos que compõem o ambiente escolar de crianças com transtornos do espectro do autismo, acerca da inclusão. Participaram 73 educadores e 116 alunos, de quatro escolas públicas, sendo duas escolas sem experiência de educação inclusiva e duas escolas com crianças com transtornos do espectro do autismo, de 5º. ano, gênero masculino, 10 anos de idade. Foram utilizadas com as duas crianças com transtornos do espectro do autismo provas de avaliação de linguagem e de comportamentos. Para verificar as atitudes sociais dos professores empregou-se a Escala Likert de Atitudes Sociais em relação à Inclusão e dos alunos a Escala Infantil de Atitudes Sociais. Os resultados mostraram que não houve diferenças nas atitudes sociais dos professores e que as atitudes sociais expressas pelos colegas da criança com transtornos do espectro do autismo de quadro clínico menos severo foram mais positivas do que as dos outros três grupos.

Gendered experiences of inclusive education for children with disabilities in West and East Africa

ABSTRACTBackground. Education is a fundamental human right, yet many children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries remain deprived of educational opportunities. The movement towards quality inclusive education (IE) aims to support all children at school. Although gender and disability are key factors influencing IE, limited research explores their combined influence. Purpose. This study explored the gendered experiences of IE for children with disabilities in West and East Africa. Methods. A qualitative interpretive secondary analysis was conducted on studies from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Niger, Zambia, and Malawi. Interviews with children, community members, and policy stakeholders were thematically analysed to explore intersections among gender, disability, and education. Findings. Boys and girls with disabilities experienced similar cases of social exclusion at school. However, girls with disabilities were further hindered by societal biases against their educational potential and by sexual abuse. While boys with disabilities were stereotyped as more capable, their experiences of emotional and physical violence were often overlooked. Implications. To achieve quality IE for all, strategies should aim to foster inclusive and safe school environments for all children, empower girls with disabilities to pursue education, and challenge gendered societal attitudes that hinder educational opportunities.

Educação inclusiva: também um desafio de espiritualidade

Educação inclusiva exige reconhecer cada ser humano em sua singularidade. Buscamos a transdisciplinaridade como suporte porque se nutre da complexidade e convida os educadores a criarem ambientes e contextos de aprendizagens dinâmicos e flexíveis. Uma educação com base na espiritualidade possibilita compreender o universo das relações que emergem da coexistência. Objetivo: investigar se e como experiências educativas, envolvendo a dimensão da espiritualidade, permitem o reconhecimento da interdependência entre si e o outro para então realizar a aceitação desse si e do outro. De caráter qualitativo, a investigação em referenciais teóricos, possibilitou refletir o tema sob diferentes enfoques. Como resultados: A transdisciplinaridade desencadeia, no universo educacional, experiências formativas, como convivências inclusivas, permeadas por ações de complementaridade; a espiritualidade convida para processos educacionais tendo como base relações de ternura e de cuidado. Concluímos que: experiências de educação inclusiva, envoltas pela ternura são sementeiras da vivência espiritual e cultivam a interioridade humana; espiritualidade como fundamento educativo permite o desabrochar da visão da singularidade e da diversidade como amigo, onde amizade tem a ver com proximidade no amar o humano, em cada ser humano.

TEENS’ COPING/NON-COPING WITH COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES IN A SPECIAL BOARDING SCHOOL SETTING

<p align="center"> </p><p>The paper focuses on teenagers` with special needs communicative stress and coping. Russia has little experience in inclusive education and adolescents with special needs (health impairments: auditory, visual, speech and motor) as a rule study in special boarding schools. Similar phenomena in typically developed teenagers (12-13 yrs old, n = 100) and their peers having visual (n = 30), auditory (n = 30), speech (n = 25) and motor (n = 15) disorders are compared: communication difficulties, stress experience and coping strategies. Results show teenagers` with special needs vulnerability and disadvantage: only part of them use resources and overcome communication difficulties successfully, while the others are not able to cope with chronic communicative stress.</p>

A Qualitative Study on Special Educators' Inclusive Education Experiences and Their Needs of Special Education Classroom for Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities - Focused on Incheon Metropolitan City

A Qualitative Study on Special Educators' Inclusive Education Experiences and Their Needs of Special Education Classroom for Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities - Focused on Incheon Metropolitan City

РЕАЛИЗАЦИЯ ПРИНЦИПОВ ПРЕЕМСТВЕННОСТИ И НЕПРЕРЫВНОСТИ В ИНКЛЮЗИВНОМ ОБРАЗОВАНИИ КРАСНОДАРСКОГО КРАЯ

<p>The article is devoted to the organization of inclusive education on the basis of the principles of permanency and continuity. Тhe author considers the experience of inclusive education in the educational organizations of Krasnodar Krai. The author has analysed problems of realization of inclusive education, such as insufficient availability of professional education for students with health limitations or physically challenged students and insufficient social and information availability of vocational training.</p><p>The author points out a long-felt need for inclusive education for all people with health limitations on all education levels. The organization of inclusive education on the basis of the principles of permanency and continuity will be possible only if a regional legislation of general and professional education for people with special needs is developed. Other requirements include creation of barrier-free environment in the educational organizations and ensuring social and information availability of vocational training. Тhe author emphasizes that it is necessary to develop a system of vocational guidance for children with special needs and physical challenges.</p>

Embracing student experience in inclusive design education through learner-centred instruction

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the process and outcome of using learner-centred methods to develop students’ empathic design abilities during an educational workshop on inclusive design. In the first section of the paper, we suggest the significance of incorporating inclusive design within the education of design disciplines. Then, we introduce a workshop on inclusive design awareness that architecture and interior design students participated, which applied various learner-centred methods. We discuss the process that incorporated project-based learning, role-playing/simulation and students’ reflections and feedback on their experience. The workshop process, the student project experience and students’ reflections on their learning indicate how multiple methods of learning engage students and enhance their empathic understanding so they can embrace differences and adopt a user-centred design approach. Based on the findings, we provide suggestions for similar educational events that can be applied in other disciplinary contexts.

Attitudes to other ethnicities among New Zealand workers

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the “other-group orientation” (OGO) of New Zealand (NZ) workers as a way of measuring their attitudes to the growing ethnic diversity in the contemporary workplace.Design/methodology/approach– In all, 500 randomly selected NZ employees were surveyed through computer-assisted telephone interviews. Males, females and ethnic groups were included according to their current proportions in the NZ workforce. Analysis is based on 485 useable cases.Findings– While New Zealanders generally have a high level of OGO, minority ethnic groups and graduates score higher on OGO. Among people under 38 years, males tend to have a higher OGO, while among those over 38, females tend to be higher.Research limitations/implications– The study shows the value of studying the attitudes of workers in relation to diversity and OGO. Workers bring their own orientations into the workplace, affecting the way they relate to their co-workers.Social implications– The pathway to more inclusive workplaces in NZ lies largely in influencing the attitudes and behaviour of NZ Europeans. The study suggests that inclusive educational experiences may be a key part of that process.Originality/value– While the research shows that NZ workers are generally very positive about ethnic diversity, it reveals variations among ethnic and educational groups in terms of their openness to others.

Stakeholders’ Perception and Experience of Inclusive Education:

AbstractInclusive education is a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of learners through increasing participation by all categories of learners in the learning environmen...