Inclusive Secondary School Research Articles

Instructional Leadership in Inclusive Secondary Schools of Zimbabwe: Balancing Multiple and Competing Expectations

This article explores school heads' enactment of instructional leadership practices in inclusive secondary schools in Zimbabwe. It provides answers to the central question: How do school heads enact instructional leadership practices in inclusive secondary schools and how does sense-making by school heads explain instructional leadership practices in this instructional environment? The article forms part of a larger study on the challenges of and opportunities for instructional leadership in inclusive secondary schools of Zimbabwe. The study employed a qualitative multiple case study research approach and was informed by the enactive sense-making theory. The cases comprised three secondary school heads purposively sampled in line with the extent to which they embraced inclusivity in terms of serving differently abled learners. Data were collected using a combination of semi-structured interviews on instructional leadership thought and practices, non-participant observation and documents analysis. The data were analysed using the interactional narrative analysis approach and presented using the case-by-case method. The study revealed that participants understood instructional leadership in their schools in the morphed sense of the concept as a multidimensional and stakeholder-based social activity built on equity principles. However, the concept of

Peer-seating groups and social participation by students with learning disabilities in full-inclusion in Malaysian secondary schools

ABSTRACT In Malaysian secondary education, typically only academically able students with learning disabilities and acceptable behaviour join mainstream classrooms for full inclusion. Social participation at school is one key indicator of inclusive education outcomes. Most Malaysian mainstream classrooms group students into small fixed peer-seating groups. This group could represent one support for social participation available to students with learning disabilities (LD) in inclusion classrooms. However, nothing is currently known about the views and experiences of social participation from the perspective of Malaysian students with LD or about the support provided by their peer-seating group in mainstream classrooms. We investigated the social participation of four focal students with LD in two Malaysian inclusive secondary schools, using a qualitative multiple case study design. The peer-seating group played a prominent role in focal students’ social participation. Several themes identified in the analysis revealed the peer-seating group’s facilitation of social participation (i.e. close contact with peer-seating group; working together on tasks; free time together), but other themes identified obstacles (i.e. limited or absent friendship network). This study contributes to a better understanding of the school social participation experiences of Malaysian adolescents with LD.

Student Self-Efficacy and Aptitude to Participate in Relation to Perceived Functioning and Achievement in Students in Secondary School With and Without Disabilities.

School-based Physical Education (PE) is important, especially to students with disabilities whose participation in physical activities out of school is limited. The development over time of participation-related constructs in relation to students’ perceived functioning and achievement is explored. Students in mainstream inclusive secondary school self-rated their PE-specific self-efficacy, general school self-efficacy, aptitude to participate in PE, and perceived physical and socio-cognitive functional skills at two timepoints, year 7 and year 9. Results were compared between three groups of students with: disabilities (n = 28), high grades (n = 47), or low grades (n = 30) in PE. Over time, perceived physical skills of students with disabilities became strongly associated with self-efficacy and aptitude to participate. Perceived socio-cognitive skills in the study sample improved and had a positive effect on PE-specific self-efficacy. Efforts should be made to limit the accelerated negative impact of perceived restricted functioning of students with disabilities. Grading criteria need to be developed to comply with standards adapted to fit abilities of students with disabilities. Meaningful learning experiences appear to be created when participation is promoted and capacity beliefs (PE-specific self-efficacy) are boosted. Allocating resources to support the development of students’ socio-cognitive skills seem to have potential for overall positive school outcome.

PROVISION OF NECESSARY TEACHING AND LEARNING NEEDS FOR IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN TANZANIA INCLUSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

This paper focuses on provision of necessary teaching and learning needs for improving academic performance of students with visual impairment study- ing in inclusive private as well as public secondary schools in Tanzania. It was guided by the following three specific objectives: to analyse reasons for provid- ing necessary teaching and learning needs of students with visual impairment in Tanzania inclusive secondary schools; to assess types of teaching and learn- ing needs that are necessary in provision of education for VI students in Tanza- nia inclusive secondary schools; to highlight significance of providing necessary teaching and learning needs to students with visual impairment in Tanzania inclusive secondary schools. The Open System’s Model was adapted in conducting this study. The model provides pieces of advice for provision of education under the following stages: input, process, and output to enable students learn efficiently as well as per- form better in studies and examinations. In its pursuit, the study applied qualitative research approach and a case study design. Qualitative research approach and the case study allowed the researcher to avoid biases by sup- porting researched information with clear facts as advised in rules of credibil- ity, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Twenty-four participants selected under purposive sampling procedure were involved in the study. Semi- structured interviews and focus group discussions were the employed data col- lection methods. The researcher insists that necessary teaching and learning needs should always be provided in Tanzania inclusive secondary schools for students with visual impairment. Their significance is to facilitate students’ les- son understanding and better performance in examinations. Good examination results will assure parents and the government on extent to which education provided in the country meets intended national goals. It should be maintained by making provision of such needs a continuous process.

FAIR AND INCLUSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION: A STUDY OF GAP BETWEEN TEACHERS-STUDENTS RELATIONSHIP

Purpose of the study: The current study was conducted to examine the cognitive and motivational variables believed in inculcating the maturity of the teacher-student relationship and, in turn, school success.
 Methodology: The survey and observation method was utilized, and the sample was a random sample of 248 teachers and 566 students of grades 9 and 10 from four sample districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The Chi-Square Test was applied to scrutinize the contrast between fair and inclusive secondary school education and the teacher-student relationship.
 Main Findings: The results suggested that it is essential for teachers to transfer their positive and motivational attitude, sincerity, and emotional stability to students according to settings in order to develop fair and inclusive secondary school education.
 Applications of the study: The current study is useful for KPESE because it focuses on improving the present status of secondary school education; for this reason, they allocate resources and set up an IMU system for staff and school success.
 Novelty/Originality of the study: For the first time, the current research was conducted to clarify the bond between fair and inclusive secondary school education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with healthy, positive, strong teacher-student relationships.

Exploring Parental Involvement in Education in Selected Inclusive Secondary Schools in Maseru District, Lesotho

This study investigated parental understanding of the concept “Parental Involvement in Education” of their children (PIE) in three inclusive secondary schools in the Maseru District of Lesotho. It also investigated the extent to which parents make contributions to the education of their children. The study was quantitative, exploratory in nature and used a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire to collect data. 700 parents in these schools were randomly selected to fill the questionnaires and the data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results revealed that most parents understand PIE and its implications, but do not do much to assist teachers in schools. Mothers appeared to support the teaching of their children more than fathers. Prominent barriers in their efforts to help teachers included work-related commitments and a lower level of education. The study proposed formation of support groups involving all stakeholders for the purpose of raising awareness about PIE, educating parents about their roles in the education of their children, and improving communication among all stakeholders.

Teacher-Student-Relationship Quality in Inclusive Secondary Schools: Theory and Measurement of Emotional Aspects of Teaching

Inclusive healthy schools are committed to provide a learning environment for a healthy development and optimal learning support for all students, regardless of their performance, language, learning and behavior disposition or disability. In order to achieve this goal, the relationship between teacher and students is crucial. Research in this area has shown the importance of emotional aspects as a mark of quality of teacher-student relationships, recognizing them as strong predictors for better achievement, compared to professional and subject-related aspects of teaching. Nevertheless, empirical studies in inclusive schools are seldom considering teacher-student relationships, as a theoretically sound conceptualization is missing in the context of research in inclusive schools. In the present paper, based on the attachment theory and the research on joint attention, two emotional components of teacher-student relationships are examined as key-concepts of high relevance for inclusive schools (emotional resonance and shared intentionality). It is also discussed how to empirically operationalize and measure these emotional components with the intention of analyzing the current situation of inclusive schools in future studies.

Teacher-Student-Relationship Quality in Inclusive Secondary Schools: Theory and Measurement of Emotional Aspects of Teaching

Teacher-Student-Relationship Quality in Inclusive Secondary Schools: Theory and Measurement of Emotional Aspects of Teaching

Specifics of professional health of teachers

The article considers and describes in detail the peculiarities of teachers’ professional behavior. The authors determine its most specific and essential features, as well as its structure depending on the type of educational organization and region of residence. Besides, a significant part of the research is devoted to the consideration and comparison of teachers’ professional behavior characteristics depending on the level of occupational health disorders. The experimental study involved the teachers who implement inclusive education in the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation (Kaliningrad and Vologda regions). Among them there are future teachers and secondary school teachers implementing inclusive practice, preschool and secondary school teachers working with the children with disabilities. The total amount of the participants was 1450 people, and the number of representative samples came up to 752 people. In the course of the study, the role of various factors in teachers’ professional behavior was revealed and updated: behavioral and environmental factors as well as personality traits. In order to maintain professional health of teachers, a psychological and pedagogical workshop was organized, which included educational and applied stages. In modular psychological and pedagogical support, the emphasis was made on health-saving technologies that contribute to professional burnout prevention, on the possibility of developing and applying relevant patterns of coping behavior in labor relationships.

Looking Backward to Charter Schools

Charter schools are promoted as a contemporary American invention. But the documented history reveals that charter schools actually evolved over the centuries in England, structured to reflect the highly stratified British class system. The last stand to hold onto the charter-school system in England was waged by Margaret Thatcher under the banner of “parental choice.” But her campaign went down to defeat as the British public opted for the American-style, inclusive and comprehensive secondary school. The charter-school movement raises the clear and present danger of splitting up the American unitary, comprehensive school system at cost to the American democratic experience.

Social participation of students with autism spectrum disorder in general education settings

Abstract This article presents a systematic review of the recent literature from 2005 onwards on the social participation of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in inclusive elementary and secondary schools. These students may experience particular challenges in social interaction and communication within mainstream settings, due to the specific characteristics associated with ASD. In the context of this review, social participation has been defined as a multidimensional concept including four key aspects: (1) friendships/relationships, (2) contacts/interactions, (3) ASD students' social self-perception, and (4) acceptance by classmates. This multidimensional framework has been adopted to examine how the inclusion of students with ASD in general K-12 settings shapes their social participation status. We reviewed 24 studies in relation to the four key aspects of social participation for the students with ASD. Overall, the results are mixed. On the whole, students with ASD have been found to maintain a lower social participation status within their schools, but some encouraging findings have also been reported, especially at the elementary school level. In the secondary school level, students with ASD were found to face more challenges in regards to peer social participation and interactions. Implications for special and inclusive practice and research are being discussed.

Drivers of ‘inclusive secondary schools’ selection: lessons from Lebanon

ABSTRACT Despite growing interest in educating students with disabilities in mainstream environments over the last two decades in Lebanon, how students with disabilities and their parents identify suitable schools remains ambiguous. This research explores factors that influence students with vision impairments and their parents when selecting a school. It adopts Bronfenbrenner’s [1979. The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Design and Nature. Harvard University Press] ecological model. Qualitative data was gathered from 29 pre-secondary and secondary students with vision impairments, 10 parents, 14 headteachers and 9 leaders of governmental and non-governmental organisations. Findings reveal that for those requiring support provision, the school’s willingness to accept them and available support drive school selection. However, when children do not require support provision, academic attainment, convenience and school reputation drive selection. Furthermore, findings showed that autonomous decisions were connected to ‘normalisations’ whereby students with vision impairments acted in a way considered ‘acceptable’ by society. It can be argued that whilst some schools offer access to education for some students with disabilities, those offers, and subsequently student retention, are often dictated by school and supporting authorities and made in an exclusionary rather than inclusionary manner, demanding adaptation from students rather than the educational environment.

Case Study of a Student with Disabilities in a Vocational School during the Period of Online Virtual Classes due to Covid-19

In this research we will get an insight into the achievements in mastering foreign languages for one specific student with difficulties. The student with disabilities, the foreign language teacher, the student's mother and the educational rehabilitator participated in the research. The teacher states the support of the inclusive secondary vocational school that the student attends and copes with all challenges. One of the methods used in teaching was mobile learning during the three-month online teaching period of pandemic situation caused by Covid-19. During this period Croatia was forced for the first time in history to implement online teaching. For the purpose of this study all of the students besides this student attended classes in the virtual classroom called Edmodo. Edmodo is the mobile application which is considered as a tool for mobile learning. Mobile learning means that students use their portable devices in order to learn. The interview, used as a method of data collection, was written by participants via email due to the required physical distancing. The materials were then transcribed and a quantitative data analysis was performed. Difficulties in the work of foreign language teachers have been identified, such as lack of experience, lack of teaching assistants as well as lack of additional teaching aids and specific materials and the specific teachers’ training for teaching in the contemporary inclusive school. At the end, the authors suggest guidelines for teachers in vocational schools in adopting new skills and competences in their teaching process in an inclusive school.

Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Skills Groups at School: A Randomized Trial Comparing Intervention Environment and Peer Composition

ABSTRACTThis study used a randomized controlled trial to compare two distinct models of group social skills interventions with adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants had a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, had an IQ greater than or equal to 70, and were educated in the general education setting. Data from 62 adolescent participants who were randomized to one of two treatment conditions (skills versus engage) were analyzed. Skills participants had a diagnosis of ASD or social difficulties. Engage groups included adolescents with ASD and typically developing (TD) peer mentors. Skills and engage participants both improved joint engagement and reduced solitary engagement; however, skills participants reported higher social stress and lower quality interpersonal relationships at exit and increased emotional symptoms and problem behaviors at follow-up compared to the engage group. The findings suggest that within inclusive secondary school settings, it may be beneficial to include TD peers in social intervention groups.

Girls with Disabilities in Zimbabwe's Inclusive Rural Schools: Challenges and Possibilities

The aim of this study was to understand the social and academic experiences of girls with disabilities (GWD) in Zimbabwe’s inclusive secondary rural schools. Guided by the concepts of the critical feminist disability theory, data were collected through in-depth interviews with five purposefully selected girls with physical and sensory disabilities and five special-needs teachers. The findings reveal that, despite the presence of supportive attitudes and resource centres, these GWD’s basic right to quality, inclusive education is negated in rural schools. The research participants narrated their struggles with barriers created by negative attitudes, resource constraints and inaccessible environments. The intersection of gender, disability and rurality contour the experiences of GWD. In particular, resilient patriarchal, religious and societal norms prefigure GWD as abject beings, unworthy of investment by some parents, teachers and state officials. Thus, the notion of inclusive education as adopted in Zimbabwean official policies does not appear to be supported by the implementation or awareness raising of teachers and school leaders in the Mberengwa district of Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province.

Intelligibility as a Methodological Problem in the Rehearsal Spaces of Apple Time, a Signed Play

In this study, we investigate the impact of American Sign Language (ASL) playbuilding on the language practices of culturally and linguistically diverse deaf high school students. Students' learning of ASL takes place in an inclusive secondary school environment in a small midwestern Canadian city. This study explores ways in which participants develop linguistic repertoires through the production of a play involving eight deaf youth actors supported by a production team consisting of a nondeaf director, a nondeaf teacher, a deaf teacher, and a deaf elder volunteer. Analysis of participant interactions during the processes of language teaching and learning and meaningmaking in the context of daily school surroundings and activities supports the assertion that intelligibility of perceptions situated in deaf and nondeaf ontologies is a methodological problem.

Review of Interventions Supporting Secondary Students with Intellectual Disability in General Education Classes

Instruction and support for students with intellectual disability in general education classes should be informed by research-based interventions. In this systematic review, we examined the focus and impact of interventions delivered in inclusive classes to support middle and high school students with intellectual disability. We identified 40 intervention studies involving 177 secondary students with intellectual disability attending a range of core academic and elective classes. These multicomponent interventions fell within five primary categories: systematic instruction, peer support arrangements, self-management strategies, peer-mediated communication interventions, and educational placement changes. Although the overall focus was fairly balanced across academic, social, and behavioral outcomes, each intervention approach prioritized somewhat different dependent measures. Moreover, although the impact of the interventions on most outcomes was positive, the methodological quality of these studies was somewhat varied. We offer recommendations for future research and practice aimed at strengthening the availability and implementation of effective interventions within inclusive secondary school classes.

A Case Study of a Therapeutic Inclusive Secondary School (TISS) in Enugu, Nigeria

This paper is a case study on the Therapeutic Inclusive Secondary School (TISS) in Enugu State, Nigeria-West Africa. The aim of the study is to investigate all issues affecting the learning conditions in the TISS. This study is guided by nine research questions that are to be answered with descriptive statistics; simple percentages as well as mean and standard deviation. The study employed the case study research design with a study population comprising 40 respondents. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect data with the Therapeutic Inclusive Education Questionnaire (TIEQ), which is a structured questionnaire, interviews, and observations to elicit information from the respondents. A test of internal consistency, using Cronbach’s Alpha method, yielded a reliability index of 0.88. The results of the findings, among others, reveal that the respondents had a positive attitude to a greater extent towards inclusive education. It was also found that the friendly nature of the learning environment towards students with special needs enhances student learning. The researcher recommends, along with other related suggestions that parents and the community should be encouraged to be involved by the promotion of more awareness programs.

Between rhetoric and reality: disabled Rwandan young women’s perspectives on gender inequality in school

This article examines the limits of national discussions on gender equality in Rwanda from the perspectives of disabled young women. Based on 16 in-depth interviews and three focus group interviews with disabled Rwandan young women, this article points out that the barriers to gender equality are interpersonal and institutional. The empirical analysis reveals that gender biases at Rwanda’s largest inclusive secondary school are reinforced by wider cultural and religious norms, which endorse the subordination of disabled girls and young women in school. The study suggests that the equality rhetoric/reality gap will remain in Rwandan schools and society if the wider cultural and religious institutions are not examined and transformed.

Performance Lag Address Programme (PLAP): The View of Teachers in Inclusive Primary and Secondary Schools

Performance Lag Address Programme (PLAP): The View of Teachers in Inclusive Primary and Secondary Schools