Mainstream Educational Institutions Research Articles

South African Teachers’ Application of Inclusive Education Policies and Their Impact on Learners with Learning Disabilities: Implications for Teacher Education

Global inclusive education policies compel teachers worldwide to accommodate all learners in the teaching and learning environment, including learners with learning disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the application of inclusive education policies in South African mainstream educational institutions. The study further aimed to promote the acceptance and recognition of all learners with disabilities. The study employed a qualitative research approach and phenomenological design. In-depth interviews were used to generate the data, which were further transcribed and analyzed thematically. Ten teachers from five different mainstream schools were purposively selected to participate in the study. The findings revealed that South African teachers have adequate theoretical knowledge regarding inclusive education policies, with limited self-efficacy to apply such knowledge in inclusive teaching and learning environments. The study suggests the re-enforcement of the application of inclusive education policies through collaboration between special schools as resource centers, inclusive full-service schools, and mainstream educational institutions. The study argues that there should be continuous professional development for teachers in the field of inclusive education. The study’s findings will serve as a springboard for future research surrounding the same topic and to conscientize educational practitioners on the need to accommodate learners with learning disabilities in mainstream educational institutions.

Homeschooling among Urban Chinese Protestants: A Descriptive Study

Abstract As individualized education increases in popularity, homeschooling likewise garners more attention from Chinese middle-class families. Over the past decade, the number of families choosing homeschooling has increased annually. However, most homeschooling Chinese Protestants wish to focus on the cultivation of beliefs, character, and values in the education of their children. In their eyes, homeschooling provides the best way to transmit cultural heritage. Homeschooling brings with it many challenges and difficulties in the daily lives of Chinese Protestants: cross-pressure from traditional Chinese culture systems, opposition from parents and other family members, conflicts with mainstream educational institutions, and power struggles with Chinese secular authorities. Moreover, educational resources, guides, and materials for Chinese homeschooling families are scarce, thus leaving homeschooling families to grope in the dark. The biggest deterrent to them is the disqualification of their children from taking college entrance examinations because homeschooled children lack the requisite status to enroll as official students. Thus, the role conflicts among Chinese, Christian, pariah, and legal deviant statuses pose considerable tensions for parents and children. This paper offers insight into these issues through qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 50 respondents from urban Chinese Protestant families that had previously been screened through a brief survey instrument.

THE STUDY EXPLORES THE INFLUENCE OF DRIVING SCHOOLS ON ROAD SAFETY

Abstract: , Mainstream educational institutions are crucial in determining how well students do academically and develop personally. These establishments are essential to forecasting and improving the conduct and performance of students in the educational system. Throughout their academic journey, educational institutions can validate and support students’ self-reported advances and achievements by identifying and measuring the different learning and developmental requirements of college students. For example, a study examining the relationship between undergraduate dentistry students’ academic achievement and their personal development and sense of identity emphasizes how crucial it is to comprehend how these elements interact to affect student success. Mainstream educational institutions place a high value on academic performance and holistic development in order to best prepare students for the ever-changing demands of the modern world. In a same vein, the Mainline is committed to creating a superb academic atmosphere. Keywords – STEM education, project-based learning, multidisciplinary education, active learning, and innovation

Ocena funkcjonalna w doświadczeniach nauczycieli w projekcie Specjalistycznych Centrów Wspierających Edukację Włączającą. Doniesienie z badań

Introduction: In June 2023, the pilot program for implementing the first Specialist Inclusive Education Support Centers into the Polish educational practice concluded. The authors conducted evaluative research within the Specialist Inclusive Education Support Centers (SIESCs) in Łódź, Poland. Research Aim: The purpose of the research aim was to evaluate the support provided to teachers in mainstream educational institutions, and the purpose of the article was to show the experience of conducting functional assessment in recognizing the diverse needs of students. Method: The research method employed was focused group interviews with teachers and school principals, along with content analysis of the opinions expressed by participants in the self-study network. Results: The research results are their selected statements, evaluating against different areas of support, the experience of using school functional assessment. Conclusions: The conclusions of the research confirm teachers’ concerns about functional assessment, perceived as a new form of educational diagnosis, but also highlight significant needs in this area arising from the inclusive approach in the Polish education system. The staff of special schools serving as SIESCs, can be instrumental in implementing the functional assessment process for inclusion purposes.

The invisible support of community schools in a highly unequal education system: Exploring the experiences of minority pupils and teachers

AbstractThis study contributes to the research on ethnic educational inequality, by deepening the current understanding of education initiatives organised by the ethnic‐cultural minoritised communities most affected by these inequalities. A univariate analysis was performed on data from an original survey conducted in Flanders, in which 816 teachers and 3037 pupils from 60 primary schools were asked about, among other things, their experience with and their perceptions of these educational initiatives. The results of this analysis show that these community‐based education initiatives are widely attended by ethnic minority youth, but also that teachers in mainstream schools are rarely informed or even aware of the existence of these initiatives, or the important role they play in their pupils' lives. The broader social and scientific implications are discussed in this paper, as little to no similar larger‐scale research exists that maps the relationship between these community‐based education initiatives and mainstream educational institutions.

Designing and implementing individual learning routes for mathematics teachers to overcome professional deficiency

Introduction. In recent years, the problem of staffing mechanisms in the field of education has been actively discussed in the global community. Teachers are required to restructure their professional position with regard for modern demands of the society and the state, to improve their skills in designing the content of education. The latter is implemented through professional development of teachers as well as creation of personalised trajectories for the development of professional competencies. The purpose of the study is to describe a scientifically grounded approach to designing individual educational routes for mathematics teachers, aimed at overcoming the existing professional deficiency and creating due conditions for their realisation. Methodology and methods. The research involved 103 teachers of mathematics of mainstream educational institutions of Krasnoyarsk and Krasnoyarsk region, Russian Federation, aged below 35, having work experience in their profession of at least one year. Open observation of the teachers’ work, interviewing and online survey was used; in addition, the results of the final state certification of 9th and 11th-year pupils of the region were taken into account. The statistical analysis of the results was made using the Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results. The model of individual educational route of mathematics teachers, aimed to overcome professional deficiency, was designed and implemented according to the following stages: identification of teachers’ subject-specific and methodological deficiency; development of technology for design of individual educational route to overcome teachers’ professional deficiency; presentation of action plan for individual educational routes. The results of subsequent diagnostic work of mathematics teachers who took part in the study showed a statistically significant increase in the performance level in all parameters (p < 0.05). Conclusion. The proposed scientifically grounded approach to the design of individual educational routes makes it possible to eliminate a number of professional deficiency features characterising the work of mathematics teachers. The realisation of the author’s algorithm for designing the route contributes to professional development of a teacher. The research materials can serve as a basis for the development of personalised individual routes for teachers of any professional profile.

Reclaiming Indigenous Health in the US: Moving beyond the Social Determinants of Health.

The lack of literature on Indigenous conceptions of health and the social determinants of health (SDH) for US Indigenous communities limits available information for Indigenous nations as they set policy and allocate resources to improve the health of their citizens. In 2015, eight scholars from tribal communities and mainstream educational institutions convened to examine: the limitations of applying the World Health Organization’s (WHO) SDH framework in Indigenous communities; Indigenizing the WHO SDH framework; and Indigenous conceptions of a healthy community. Participants critiqued the assumptions within the WHO SDH framework that did not cohere with Indigenous knowledges and epistemologies and created a schematic for conceptualizing health and categorizing its determinants. As Indigenous nations pursue a policy role in health and seek to improve the health and wellness of their nations’ citizens, definitions of Indigenous health and well-being should be community-driven and Indigenous-nation based. Policies and practices for Indigenous nations and Indigenous communities should reflect and arise from sovereignty and a comprehensive understanding of the nations and communities’ conceptions of health and its determinants beyond the SDH.

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education of children with ASD: A review of Russian and foreign research

Introduction. Contemporary psychological and pedagogical studies emphasise that the success of inclusive education of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) depends largely on teachers’ readiness and ability to understand students’ with ASD specific needs and take them into account when implementing learning technologies. Thus, it is extremely important to investigate teachers’ attitudes towards educational inclusion of students with autism and identify factors, which may facilitate or hinder teachers’ readiness to work with this category of students in an inclusive format.Aim. On the basis of an analytical review of Russian and foreign academic publications, the aims of the research were the following: to identify and specify the attitudes of teachers to the educational education of children with ASD; to reveal the factors that determine educators’ readiness to teach children with ASD.Methodology and research methods. The theoretical and methodological framework of the research involves social and psychological concepts of an inclusive culture formation in the society. The authors used the methods of theoretical and comparative analysis, systematisation and generalisation of research publications and materials concerning the origins of stereotypical views of different social groups towards children with autism and the problems of professional training of teachers to work in the conditions of inclusion.Results and scientific novelty. The teachers’ attitudes towards children with ASD are highlighted and described on the basis of a complete and complex review of academic publications, which was undertaken for the first time. The authors identify the reasons for positive attitude towards this kind of inclusion and barriers preventing the perception of students with autism as full participants in the educational process. The rejection of idea concerning the possibility and effectiveness of mutual learning of schoolchildren with normative development and with ASD results from the teachers’ characteristics (lack of awareness about the heterogeneity of autism and its manifestations, uncertainty in own forces and abilities to interact with children with expressed emotional and behavioural disorders) and from the lack of methodological and advisory assistance, including the absence of support by an interdisciplinary team of specialists. The age and profile of teachers’ professional activities may also be influenced by the willingness to work in the conditions of inclusion with children with ASD. The recommendations for change in negative attitudes of general education school teachers to the discussed type of inclusion are proposed.Practical significance. The research results can be used to develop a set of measures for improving the inclusive culture of teachers and eliminate their skepticism about teaching in mainstream educational institutions for children with ASD. Moreover, the present findings might help to design specific technologies for interaction with children both in the educational context and in the widest range of social situations.

Wirrawi Bubuwul – Aboriginal Women Strong

The scholastic success of Bolongaia (Maria Lock), at the Parramatta Native Institution in 1819, arguably positions her as an academic giant. Bolongaia’s exam results challenged the opinions of the day when she ‘bore away the chief prize’. Bolongaia’s academic success was based purely on her acquisition of western based knowledges and values. In contrast, I was awarded a Masters of Indigenous Education in 2016. This academic achievement draws attention to a significant change in the positioning of Aboriginal Knowledges in the academy. This article is a letter to my ancestral grandmother, Bolongaia, to tell her about the Aboriginal women who have challenged the status quo of western based educational frameworks and research paradigms. This article honours the Aboriginal women who have paved a way for Aboriginal knowledges in mainstream educational institutions in ways that Bolongaia was unable to experience and perhaps even imagine in her lifetime.

A FESTIVAL AS A PEDAGOGICAL TOOL TO PROMOTE INCLUSION IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN SCHOOLS

The focus of education policies on greater equity and accessibility of education for all exposes an important difference between narrow and broad definitions of the concept of inclusion. The narrow definition is tied above all to the school context, where responsibility for the realisation of inclusion lies with pedagogical workers. The broad definition refers to an understanding of inclusion as the embracing of diversity as a positive value for the community, regardless of the institutional context in which we endeavour to achieve inclusion. The research discussed the inclusive educational practice of a special educational institution catering for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Using a sample of 139 participants at the international inclusive festival Play With Me, the attitudes towards inclusion and towards persons with special needs (a Likert scale was created) were researched. The results indicate that respondents generally had positive attitudes towards inclusion; there were differences between them, depending on the roles they undertook at the festival (mentors of students taking part in the festival and volunteers running various festival activities), the institutions they came from (special or mainstream educational institutions, associations, NGOs), and whether or not they had experience of individuals with special educational needs (SEN), either in their work or in their studies. Although a broad understanding of inclusive culture is present in the statements of respondents, it appears that both general and special teachers (in the role of mentors) still incline slightly more towards a narrow understanding of inclusion than volunteers do, which raises questions about pedagogical workers' conception of education. Keywords: inclusion understanding, intellectual disabilities, positive attitudes, special educational institution.

Factors in educational exclusion: including the voice of the youth

ABSTRACTThe processes of educational exclusion are multiple and diverse. Research has shown that exclusion from school goes far beyond access. It is associated with crucial issues related to educational processes (belonging, recognition or representation) and results (knowledge or certificates). The objective of this article is to delve into the analysis of factors in educational exclusion, including the voice of the youth, as a key element in understanding these factors. The article begins with a literature review addressing the meaning, mechanisms and profiles of educational exclusion. It then presents qualitative fieldwork, consisting of six focus groups of young people (aged 14–24) who have been excluded from mainstream educational institutions in Barcelona, Spain. The results of the empirical analysis point to four critical elements in the process of educational exclusion as experienced by the youth: educational transitions; the role of teachers; the impact of grouping practices and disciplinary mechanisms; and the contrast between mainstream educational institutions and alternative learning arenas. By including the voice of the youth, the article provides a better understanding of the factors contributing to educational exclusion so as to advance in the construction of an educational system able to guarantee students’ right to learn and succeed in school.

The Inclusive Education Process Implementation Problems and Solutions to the Teachers' Point of View

Class teachers are the main resource to reach the goal of implementation of inclusive education in mainstream educational institutions. There will be different views and actions of teachers in any educational institution and we should not expect that everybody think and act in the same way. To implement inclusion in school a lot depends on teachers’ attitudes toward pupils with different needs, on whether teachers have necessary skills, competences, knowledge, pedagogical approaches, techniques, methods, materials that help to deal with diversity, whether a teacher has the necessary support inside and outside the school. In the article the issues of how teachers of mainstream schools in Latvia judge their ability to be inclusive; what challenges they see in their work and what kind of solutions they see on local and national level are emphasized. The article describes the overview study done by the author and it presents the findings and results of the study, the resolution of the scientific conference „Teacher in Inclusive Education” to promote implementation of inclusive education on national level supported by the participants of the conference.

Confucius or Mozart? Community Cultural Wealth and Upward Mobility Among Children of Chinese Immigrants

Most studies of Chinese upward mobility focus on how immigrant community institutions sustain ethnic culture to foster educational success. In contrast, I analyze how community-based music schools develop a cultural strategy to guide immigrants to pursue enrollment in prestigious colleges by utilizing high cultural capital in classical music. Chinese immigrant families take advantage of information networks in these schools to develop a bonding form of social capital that allows not only middle-class families but also working-class families to redefine the meaning of ethnicity. This is theoretically surprising, because some theory predicts that middle class status is needed to benefit from such cultural capital. Through competence in Western classical music, Asian students signify their well roundedness, an achievement that goes beyond rote learning. Chinese families pursue this musical cultural strategy to incorporate themselves into mainstream educational institutions. Research on the strategic use of nonoppositional musical culture for educational mobility suggests the limitation of segmented assimilation theory.

Policies, Administration, and Management

The chapters in Part IV of Handbook of Distance Education (2007), “Policies, Administration, and Management,” focus on the ways in which policies encourage or hamper the integration of distance education into mainstream educational institutions. The authors provide insights and perspectives into the key policies, roles, structures, processes, and standards that characterize the rapidly changing educational environment. The information in this chapter will be useful to distance education practitioners and leaders in responding to current challenges and in proactively influencing future change.

Educational rights for indigenous communities in Botswana and Namibia

The indigenous peoples of Botswana and Namibia, the San, have the lowest educational attainment rates of any population in both countries, despite various efforts to incorporate them into mainstream education systems. Both countries are signatories of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which includes several references to education. This document, and other rights mechanisms, address both the right to access mainstream educational institutions that respect and accommodate the languages and cultures of indigenous children, and the right to ‘establish and control their own educational systems and institutions, providing education in their own languages in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning’ (Article 14). This article provides an overview of the current state of both of these aspects of educational rights for indigenous peoples in Botswana and Namibia. What is the best way to improve educational options for San communities in southern Africa? Can a rights-based approach be effective? Does an indigenous rights perspective have anything to add to the debate? This paper examines these questions, and links rights-based arguments with other approaches to education. It argues that a variety of approaches are needed to fully address the complex issues confronting San communities today. A sophisticated understanding of indigenous rights acknowledges this, and if used strategically, could provide a comprehensive and productive approach to educational issues for San communities.

‘My home and my school’: examining immigrant adolescent narratives from the critical sociocultural perspective

Privileging the voices of 12 recent Chinese immigrant adolescents, this multiple‐case narrative study examined their home and school experiences from the critical sociocultural perspective. The adolescent stories about home testified to the significant influence of immigrant poverty, parental sacrificial altruism, and disciplinary Chinese parenting in their academic achievement. The adolescent experiences at school revealed their appreciation of Canadian liberal education, their perception of ethnic peer divides, and their concerns about the ineffectiveness and the negative psychological consequences of the ESL (English as a Second Language) programming. Locating the adolescent narratives in the hierarchical power of domination in Canadian society, this article challenges mainstream educational institutions to address the changing nature of urban Canadian classrooms, structurally and ideologically representing the strengths of cultural diversity.

Survey of Transformative and Spiritual Dimensions of Higher Education

The purpose of this study, conducted in Winter 2003, was to document academic programs and other initiatives in North American universities and colleges that incorporate transformative and spiritual elements of learning. A combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments was used for data collection. Transformative learning has historically referred to a primarily epistemic, rational process whereby adult learners become aware of their unconscious roles, beliefs, and assumptions. The operational definition of transformative learning used in this study emphasized reflective learning, the intuitive and imaginative process, and the ethical, spiritual, and/or contemplative dimensions of education. Questionnaire responses and interviews indicated that although there is great interest in bringing transformative/spiritual elements into higher education, this movement still exists primarily among individual faculty within classrooms rather than as a departmental or institutional strategy. However, there are a number of notable initiatives in mainstream educational institutions. Survey participants were also asked about strategies that would support the transformative learning movement.

Shaping the Future of Multicultural Education

The current multicultural education movement emerged in response to the ethnic revitalization movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the elements related to this reform movement are slowly permeating the mainstream curriculum and mainstream educational institutions. However, reforms such as ethnic studies, bilingual-bicultural education, and multicultural education remain primarily on the periphery of the American educational establishment. As we shape the future of multicultural education, we should conceptualize strategies for institutionalizing multicultural educational reforms within the nation's schools and colleges. This paper discusses the conceptual, historical, and ideological issues which should be seriously considered when educators design multicultural educational programs for the future.

The Right to Inclusive Education in the Light of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This article examines the rights of persons with disabilities in the field of inclusive education based on fundamental human rights outlined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Inclusive education is essential to achieve universal respect for the right to education, including persons with disabilities. Only inclusive education systems can offer persons with disabilities both quality education and the opportunity to improve their social situation. Inclusive education is not just about placing students with disabilities in mainstream educational institutions; it also means making them feel welcome, respected and valued. The values that underlie the concept of inclusive education reinforce the capacity of everyone to achieve their goals and to conceive of diversity as a source of enrichment. Students with disabilities need appropriate support to participate in the education system on an equal basis with other students. Ordinary educational institutions must provide students with disabilities with a learning environment that maximizes academic progress and socialization.