Inclusive Pedagogy Research Articles

Inclusion of children with disabilities and special educational needs in physical education: an exploratory study of factors associated with Irish teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, and school context

ABSTRACT Since the publication of the Education for People with Special Educational Needs Act in 2004, inclusion in Ireland has become a priority for the educational system. Despite the promotion of physical education (PE) as a key setting for facilitating inclusion in schools, research has shown that the children with special educational needs and disabilities are still excluded from PE. Research evidence shows that teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy and the broader school context within which teachers work are among the most important factors facilitating inclusion in PE. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, self-efficacy in delivering inclusive pedagogies, and perceptions about whether inclusion was supported within the schools. A cross-sectional design was used, and a questionnaire was sent to Irish PE teachers. Results of this study showed that teachers’ attitudes were positively correlated to the number of different types of disabilities in PE class. It was found that secondary school teachers had higher self-efficacy levels than their primary school colleagues. Findings from this study revealed that teachers who had frequent personal contact with SEND people showed more positive perceptions about the extent to which inclusion was supported in the school within which they worked.

Challenges and Potential of a Diverse Music Teaching Force: A Review of the Literature

Current practices of music pedagogy have not been successful at attracting or retaining students of color; as a result, K–12 bands, orchestras, and choirs often reflect the disproportionately White demographics of music performance settings. Practices in the field of music education must adapt to prepare teachers to provide inclusive pedagogy to the racially diverse student populations they will encounter. This includes creating a more diverse teaching force, as well as changes to both teacher preparation practices and the K–12 music curriculum. In this literature review, I examined literature that addresses the question of how to foster inclusivity in music pedagogy.

Statistically Left Outs and Socio-Historically Legitimized Groups in Nepal

This article explores the realities underpinning the statistically left outs and socio-historically legitimized groups in Nepal by relating the Vedic and Western theoretical perspectives to perceive the reality at the grassroots level. It does so by summarizing the Vedic perspectives and various sociological theories and then looking at the local issues linking with the Western perspectives with my reflection. It reveals that experiential knowledge, globalization, and legitimization are the major sociological aspects influencing the Structure of Nepalese society. The article concludes that the ruling class prepares Statistical data for their purpose, which leaves out the actual/accurate data about the subaltern, ethnic, and minority groups. Voices of the poor students, girls, ethnic and minority group of the School can be addressed by making the policy in education and transforming the school structure with inclusive pedagogy into equity and equality social environment for the students is the major implication of this article.

Enseñando moralidad como competencia inclusiva en educación superior: efectos de la discusión de dilemas y contribución de la empatía

Inclusive pedagogies belong to the diversity agenda in higher education and so their teaching methodologies should be tested to ensure the effective training of students in democratic and inclusive citizenship competencies, such as moral competence. Moral-dilemma based methods have proven to be effective in learning about morals in specific programmes, but there is still no evidence for their cross-cutting application in regular courses. These methods could also be enriched by strategies aimed at learning competences that have been identified as predictive factors in theories of moral judgement and development, such as empathy. The current study examines the effects of a 10-hour teaching intervention on learning moral competence using a version of the Konstanz Method of Dilemma Discussion (KMDD), either applied in isolation or using a mixed strategy of dilemma discussion and narrative persuasion activities, this last method with the aim of verifying the contribution of empathy to moral learning. The hypotheses regarding the two methodological approaches were tested using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group in the ecological context of the first semester of teacher training. Data were collected using the Moral Competence Test and were analysed with linear mixed models. The results did not support the expected empathy-induced moral learning. However, significant progression in moral competence when using KMDD is shown. The discussion considers the disassociation between empathy/altruism and moral competence in order to interpret the ineffectiveness of the mixed strategy. The need to apply pedagogies with a more experiential focus is suggested in order to foster moral learning by means of activities in community diversity environments.

Implementing digital neuroscience in special-needs-teacher education: exploring student-teachers' multifaceted learning outcomes related to teaching children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

In recent decades, there has been increased use of neuroscience in teacher education, which refers to applying knowledge from brain science to teaching. Similarly, digital learning has been extensively integrated into teacher education, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the benefits of assimilating educational neuroscience into special-education training-particularly using digital platforms-have yet to be examined. The current study explored the use of digitally-delivered educational neuroscience, related to neurodevelopmental disorders (ND), in teacher education, to gain insight into the learning outcomes alongside the contribution of the digital platform. Employing a qualitative approach, we recruited 193 student-teachers who learned a digital ND-related neuroscience course. Data collection included open-ended reflections, open-ended story questions and five focus groups - all of which were analyzed using content analysis. Findings revealed a process involving four learning outcomes: understanding brain-based mechanisms of ND, enhanced empathy, extended perception of teachers' professional role, and the design of pedagogical adaptations. The analysis also pointed out the various ways in which the digital platform facilitated these learning outcomes. The study provides theoretical insight into the role of digitally-delivered educational neuroscience in the service of inclusion. It further discusses the practical implications of using digitally-delivered educational neuroscience in teacher education to promote an inclusive pedagogy and best practices.

Why inclusive education falters: a Bernsteinian analysis

ABSTRACT The inclusive education policy agenda has not made a significant impact on the global problem of educational exclusion. Explanations for this lack of impact include inadequate teacher education, lack of resources, negative attitudes, and a policy-practice gap. This paper takes a different turn and, using the concept of classification, argues that the challenge to achieve more inclusive education is more fundamental than has been previously articulated. Key tenets of the inclusive education agenda demand a weakening of the insulation between categories that are sustained and advanced by current marketised and standards-driven education systems. Inclusive schooling weakens spatial insulation, collaboration weakens professional insulation, transformability weakens ability insulation, intersectionality weakens identity insulation, and inclusive pedagogy weakens pedagogical insulation. When inclusive education is mapped onto strongly classified education systems, limited instantiations of inclusive education are inevitable, and difference and exclusion are re-inscribed. Change is possible if 1. Those advancing the inclusive education agenda acknowledge the identities and defences that classification constructs. 2. The workings of power that sustain insulation between categories in education are identified. 3. Counter-hegemonic action that weakens insulation and blurs boundaries is encouraged.

Fostering inclusive higher education through universal design for learning and inclusive pedagogy – EU and US faculty perceptions

ABSTRACT Academic debate highlights the need to develop suitable teaching and training practices to accompany the implementation of universal design for learning (UDL) and inclusive higher education policies. This study addresses this need by investigating the relationship between knowledge and utilization of inclusive pedagogy, on the one hand, and the degree of implementation of UDL principles, on the other hand. While inclusive pedagogy is uniquely different from UDL, the two hold great value for one another and contribute equally to advancing inclusive education. This research is based on a quantitative analysis of original data from an international survey, comparing US and EU responses. It reveals that all the variance across gender and country of employment in UDL implementation is due to knowledge and utilization of inclusive pedagogy. Therefore, we argue that higher education institutions must invest in increasing faculty understanding and practical implementation of inclusive teaching through professional development to achieve scalable UDL implementation. This will contribute to tackling new developments in international education, such as ensuring inclusive and equitable education for an increasingly diverse student body and preparing students for engaging in social justice and positive global change, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Changing Landscapes of Teacher Quality in Initial Teacher Education: Examples from Scotland and Turkey

Teacher quality has attracted much attention both conceptually and empirically, especially in tackling some global challenges. Initial teacher education (ITE) has historically been one of the key actors in developing teacher quality and one of the foci in research. The article contributes to these debates by comparing two ITE programmes, from Scotland and Turkey, which have been recently reshaped. Both countries have currently declared new reformative steps and introduced internationally cared new conceptions into teacher quality. This study utilized a comparative approach and document analysis to investigate the evolution of views on teacher quality in different countries. The findings provide insights into the changes that have occurred in each country's perspective over time. ' Drawing from the two contexts, the paper sought evidence in articulated reports for core values and capacities, digital transformation, teacher agency, and innovative and inclusive pedagogies, which are considered important elements of the teaching profession in related literature. Followingly, the study outlines and compares the decisions and intended actions of these two contexts in terms of similarities and discrepancies under the aforementioned four indicators that can be both an example for international ITE programmes and a road map for teacher quality in ITE curricula design. By comparing two examples of ITE programmes with the suggested indicators of teacher quality, we would like to extract insights to reconsider and re-conceptualize teacher quality in much wider literature and future research.

Towards an Inclusive Pedagogy: Applying the Universal Design for Learning in an Introduction to History of Global Art Course in Ghana

This convergent parallel mixed methods study was aimed at addressing the lack of empirical studies in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as an inclusive pedagogy in the Ghanaian higher education context. The overarching objective was to find out whether UDL has the potential in improving the learning processes and learning outcomes of the diverse students reading a History of Global Art course. Quantitative and qualitative data sets were garnered from 122 conveniently sampled students using an adapted version of the Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory-Students (ITSI-S) survey instrument. The findings of the study revealed that the UDL principles of multiple means of representation, multiple means of engagement and multiple means of action and expression impacted positively on students’ learning processes and outcomes. UDL assisted greatly in the development of collaborative, problem-solving, good time management and critical thinking skills, while increasing learners’ level of motivation. The study contends that though the UDL as an inclusive pedagogical approach requires a lot of dedication on the part of the instructor as well as a great deal of time and material resources, the accrued benefits of its implementation on the students’ learning processes and learning outcomes are far-reaching.

Media Pembelajaran Pendidikan Inklusi Sahabat Kecil Therapy & Learning Center di Medang


 The purpose of this study was to find out the learning media used by inclusive educators at the little friend therapy & learning center in Medan. This type of research is descriptive qualitative. The main informants consisted of inclusion tutors and school principals. Data collection techniques in this study used interviews, observation, and documentation. Data analysis from the results of this study was carried out by descriptive analysis. The results showed that 1) learning media in inclusive education at Kawan Kecil Therapy & Learning Centers in Medan used several therapeutic tools or learning tools, namely alphabet boards, puzzles, and sandboxes in training children's creativity, very important to facilitate learning. 2) the implementation of learning at the little friend therapy & learning center in Medan where the implementation was carried out there were two sessions to facilitate the learning process. 3) Obstacles encountered during the learning of inclusive children at the little friend therapy & learning center in Medan, one of which is the existence of hyperactive children, uncontrolled emotions in learning and even a disconnection between the teacher and parents of students, solutions that need to be made to maximize inclusion programs in schools, including activating school evaluation programs, participating in training or BIMTEK related to inclusion services, and supervisory relationships or networks to monitor teacher work programs so that they are better and planned.
 Keywords: Learning Media, Inclusive Education

Disability Studies, Inclusive Pedagogy, and Universal Design for Learning: A Faculty Pilot Experience

This essay documents the process of a year-long faculty pilot group in a western U.S. state university that applied disability studies scholarship to collaborative implementation of universal design for learning (UDL) and inclusive practices in teaching. In addition to faculty, library instructors, disabled student representatives, diversity and equity administrators, and disability support staff were involved in this group. The goals were to deepen knowledge about disability history, exclusions, and current innovations from disability communities; to increase knowledge and skills in accessible pedagogies, specifically in UDL; and to expand commitment and community among faculty participants in order to scale up efforts in our institution beyond the pilot group. This essay documents the experiences of the learning group, which consist of an overview of the curricular framework, a discussion of qualitative research from focus group interviews with faculty participants, and insights gained from the process, including unexpected collaborations, community building, and innovative ideas for institutional support and transformation.

Preparing preservice teachers for working with students with intellectual disability: evaluating the impact of supplementary fieldwork experiences

ABSTRACT In this paper, the utility of instruments for evaluating how well preservice teachers are being prepared for teaching students with intellectual disability in inclusive classrooms are explored. This included an investigation using an instrument to assess the attitudes of first-year preservice teachers (PSTs) toward individuals with intellectual disability (n = 96) and to measure changes in PSTs’ attitudes after participating in a supplementary fieldwork experience that involved tutoring young adults with intellectual disability (n = 39). Results revealed that PSTs held generally positive attitudes, particularly those who had previous experience with people with intellectual disability. Involvement in the tutoring programme contributed further to promoting productive attitudes among PSTs by decreasing levels of discomfort when interacting with people with intellectual disability, but counterintuitively tempered their endorsement of inclusion in schools. While more opportunities for PSTs to work alongside students with intellectual disability in authentic contexts are needed to prepare them for the reality of being inclusive educators, our findings suggest that the current ways these opportunities are designed and assessed need further investigation.

Nurturing caring pedagogical relationships through a digital storytelling approach: New avenues for educators

The digital storytelling approach is a creative and powerful learning strategy, offering new ways of actualizing oneself and connecting people with each other. From a relational emancipatory pedagogy perspective, the author shared a narrative story of a successful caring pedagogical relationship and offered new avenues to inspire novice and seasoned educators to transform their teaching practices within social diversity. Sharing meaningful stories would nurture caring pedagogical relationships and foster an inclusive pedagogy in nursing education.

Web Technologies in the Development of Computational Thinking of Students with Mental Disabilities

Computational thinking is an important and necessary part of a modern person’s thinking. It has been proven that the development of this way of thinking in students with mental disabilities allows them to navigate quickly in the modern world, identify problems and create complex solutions. Online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the possibilities of the usage of web technologies in the education of children with mental disabilities. This study aims to evaluate the impact of web technologies on the development of computational thinking of students with mental disorders. The experiment involved 14 students aged 8-12 and 4 tutors. For 8 weeks children were trained in computational thinking and computer science. Assessment of computational thinking was performed with cCT-test by El-Hamamsi et al. before and after the experiment. After conducting computer science lessons using web technologies the respondents showed a higher level of computational thinking (M=15,7, SD=3,69), compared to the results of preliminary testing (M=5,93, SD=2,3). Web technologies can significantly increase the effectiveness of inclusive pedagogy, which establishes the importance of integrating web technologies into the teaching system in inclusive classes of general education schools.

Professional learning promoting agency in challenging practice contexts

ABSTRACT This study promoted professional learning and agency through a pragmatic formative intervention. Participants sought to change professional practices in classrooms in response to critical reflection on pedagogic practices and wider social concerns. Australian researchers collaborated with teachers and teacher educators from Nepal, informed by cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). Change Laboratory methods identified a contradiction between heavy curriculum content and pedagogies that were regarded as educationally desirable and socially just. Participants developed eight principles to help teachers enact high-quality, inclusive pedagogies. One group linked this to the idea of MicroProjects, a solution for time-pressed teachers that could embody all eight principles. They worked with teachers in a nearby school to develop and implement MicroProjects across the Grade 1–12 curriculum. The paper traces a cycle of expansive learning actions, revealing how committed, activist research methods promoted teacher professional learning and agency in challenging contexts of the Global South, shifting from what is towards what ought to be.

Paving Ways for Effective Inclusion in Selected Mainstream Secondary Schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa

This study explored mainstream secondary school teachers’ understanding of inclusion from an interpretive paradigm and adopted a qualitative research design. The study used the inclusive pedagogy approach as the theoretical framework which was propounded by Florian, Back-Hawkins, and Rouse which is located in the sociocultural framework. The research was conducted at three selected schools in Gauteng, a province in South Africa. Twelve participants were purposefully sampled using critical case sampling. Data were generated using individual face-to-face interviews, followed by thematic data analysis. The findings of the study show that teachers understand inclusion as the accommodation of all learners, from a disability perspective, as equal treatment and non-discrimination of learners, and as unity in diversity. The study concludes that teachers have different understandings of inclusion with some seeing inclusion from a disability perspective. It is recommended that the government should facilitate teacher development on inclusive education policies and practices through pre-service and in-service training while workshops should enhance teachers’ holistic understanding of the inclusion of learners in mainstream schools. The government should also elucidate policy documents such as the Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System, and the Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support document.

Neurodiversity is Human Diversity, an Equity Imperative for Education

This article discusses historical system structures in education that have impeded on inclusion and present pertinent historical challenges, pedagogy and beliefs that are foundational in cultivating inclusive environments today. It explores Neurodiversity, an equity imperative, as critical to shifting the culture of teaching and learning by offering a potential framework for overcoming historical systemic barriers to inclusion. Next, it discusses shared attributes of epidemiology of teacher beliefs, neuroscience and Teacher self-study as potential foundational components, complimenting Neurodiversity paradigms. Lastly, a proposed theoretical framework and suggested future research which could lead to the development of an inclusive pedagogy. Education is the cornerstone to fostering talent and creativity of each individual and it is only when the system is truly inclusive of all human diversity, can individuals flourish developing their talents.

Transformative pedagogy for inclusion and social justice through translanguaging, co-learning, and transpositioning

AbstractThe idea of translanguaging has disrupted much of the thinking in bilingual education. A common misunderstanding, however, is that translanguaging was intended to be a language teaching strategy. This article seeks to explore what a translanguaging approach to language teaching entails, with specific reference to the education of minoritized and racialized bilingual and multilingual learners in the school systems in English-dominant countries such as the UK. In particular, I highlight the connections with and contributions to the inclusion and social justice agenda that the translanguaging project aims to make. Translanguaging takes one step further from multilingualism in challenging the raciolinguistic ideologies that view bilingual learners as having separate languages and languaging lives. It instead views their racial/ethnic identities and linguistic practices together, that is, their translanguaging being. My main argument here is that to use translanguaging as a pedagogy for inclusion and social justice requires a change of mindset, not just practice – that is, translanguaging pedagogy rather than pedagogical translanguaging – which can be achieved through processes of ‘co-learning’ and ‘transpositioning’.

How to attract the next generation of chemists.

Getting the next generation to participate in chemistry will require dismantling normative approaches to education and mentoring. Inclusive pedagogy that incorporates social issues and innovative teaching with special attention to historically excluded groups are keys to unlocking the full potential of future scientists.

Student teachers’ perspectives of learning to enact an inclusive pedagogy: insights for working in high poverty school environments

ABSTRACT Preparing new teachers to support all learners and to mitigate the impact of poverty on school learning experiences and outcomes is challenging. Many student teachers are concerned about how to respond to the needs of increasingly diverse groups of learners. While inclusive pedagogy offers a possible solution to the problem, there is still much to be learned about how to prepare and support teachers for inclusion. This study investigates the perspectives of student teachers in enacting an inclusive pedagogy in high poverty school settings. It considers the professional knowledge and skills the student teachers focus on during their initial teacher education. The paper draws on qualitative data from student teachers enrolled on a one-year Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Scotland. The findings highlight the importance of student teachers: (i) developing professional knowledge for connecting to the lives and experiences of children and young people, and (ii) developing professional and interpersonal skills for inclusion. Implications for initial teacher education are discussed.