Helen Dwyer | Stockholm University (original) (raw)

Helen Dwyer

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Papers by Helen Dwyer

The international journal of interdisciplinary educational studies, Dec 31, 2022

A comparative perspective on teacher attitude-constructs that impact on inclusive education in So... more A comparative perspective on teacher attitude-constructs that impact on inclusive education in South Africa and Sweden

Antologin innehaller texter om Karin Danell och Charlottendals skolhem, den forsta specialskola f... more Antologin innehaller texter om Karin Danell och Charlottendals skolhem, den forsta specialskola for elever med grav sprakstorning (av Agneta Ahlin-Emilsson); om Alfhild Tamm, en pionjar inom las- o ...

Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 2010

ABSTRACT This paper is based upon the collaboration between two research groups from Stockholm Un... more ABSTRACT This paper is based upon the collaboration between two research groups from Stockholm University and the University of South Africa. The main objective is to compare attitudes between South African (SA) and Swedish teachers regarding inclusive education (IE). IE in this paper is examined as a distinct part of the Swedish welfare system. The method used can be characterised as a combined, quantitative and qualitative research design with a purposive sampling. A similar adapted questionnaire was distributed in the two countries. The Swedish teachers in our data are more pro-inclusion and more hesitating to accommodate learners with barriers in special schools. However, both the Swedish and the SA teachers in the study are hesitating towards the feasibility to implement IE practically. A team approach is concluded to be an adequate pedagogy for supporting IE both in South Africa and Sweden.

South African Journal of Education, 2011

This article is based on joint research, between academics from South Africa and Sweden, comparin... more This article is based on joint research, between academics from South Africa and Sweden, comparing the influence of South African and Swedish teachers' attitudes towards the practical application of inclusive education (IE) in the classroom. The aim of the study was to identify and investigate problem areas pertaining to teachers' attitudes to IE. Attitudes often relate to interaction with others. This study departs from Festiger's theory of cognitive dissonance, which deals with the influence of people's attitudes and attitude change. In this research teachers from South Africa and Sweden completed the same questionnaire on perceptions pertaining to IE in their school system. A number of attitude-constructs were derived from the data via exploratory factor analysis methodology. Attitude-constructs included policy issues and specialised support; practical implementation of IE; teacher support structures; teachers' receptiveness of IE implementation; feasibility of proposed IE practices; and role of special schools in an IE environment. Negative responses to some of the attitude constructs identified problem areas in Swedish and South African inclusive systems. The comparative nature of the work enabled the researchers to suggest remedial action within each country's socioeconomic setting, and in this way affect change in teacher attitudes.