Developing inclusive education systems: what are the levers for change? (original) (raw)
Related papers
Challenges of the secondary school context for inclusive teaching
Issues in Educational Research, 2010
Senate and State Government reviews into inclusion in Australian schools during the last two decades have revealed that the inclusion of students with disabilities in schools has proved challenging. A qualitative study involving interviews with 50 leaders in inclusive education suggest that currently the secondary school context is a barrier to the development of inclusive teachers. Although inclusive policies and legislation are in place, they are not supported by adequate funding and resources. This has had a negative effect on the capacity of systems, schools and teachers to be inclusive. From the views expressed by the participants in this research, it is clear that there is a continued need for systems to allocate adequate funding and resources, review current secondary school structure and professional learning, and for stakeholders to have access to specialist knowledge so as to enact the philosophy of inclusion.
British Educational Research Journal, 2011
This paper reports on a study designed to examine teachers' craft knowledge of their practice of 'inclusion' in terms of what they do, why and how. The research approach offers an important alternative to studies of students with 'additional needs' and the search to articulate the specialist knowledge and skill required to teach them. Through classroom observations and interviews with 11 teachers of students across the full age range in two Scottish primary schools, we investigated how teachers make meaning of the concept of inclusion in their practice by exploring theoretical assumptions drawn from the literature about inclusive pedagogy. The analysis enabled us to identify practical examples of inclusive pedagogy that met the standard of extending what is generally available to everybody, as opposed to providing for all by differentiating for some. Examples of the inclusive pedagogical approach are provided.
European Journal of Education Studies, 2020
The aspiration to inclusive education has increased significantly following the promulgation in 1994 of the Salamanca Statement and more recently the recognition of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Inclusive education is a best practice, policy and provision in education systems and schools. Orientations to inclusive education are important since they shape practice implementation. This paper explores the rationale and critique of inclusive education. Evidentially, the critique professes measures such as evidence-based practice, teacher professional development and effective resourcing as important to enhancing inclusive education. The paper argues that beyond the criticisms, inclusive education remains the best educational alternative for promoting equitable, socially just and value-oriented practice in schools and education systems. It suggests ‘accelerated inclusive education’ as a best practice for achieving comprehensive inclusion especially for those with disability or ...
Inclusive Classroom: Some Lessons From The UK
2015
The aims of this study is to portray the inclusive classroom in a school in the UK. What teachers do to handle the Special Educational Needs (SEN) children or children in needs, what are the equipments and facilities to cope the difficulty, and how to increase the SEN childrens' abilities. One of the challenges faced by education systems in around the world is inclusion. It is not simply about placing pupils with SEN in mainstream classrooms, but also examines about the quality of education received by all groups of learners and includes student's presence, participation, acceptance, and achievement. This research was held in the UK which has been implemented this system for years. This study was designed in the case study with one single case design. In this case, school AS was the single case and researcher investigated three different ranges of classrooms with different ranges of age groups. The researcher chose case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of the p...
Research in the field of inclusive education: time for a rethink?
International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2016
This paper sets out to challenge thinking and practice amongst researchers in the field of inclusive education. It does this based on an analysis of published articles in the International Journal of Inclusive Education between 2005-2015, which identified topics and methodologies used in studies of inclusive education. The analysis highlights the fact that most of the studies are only concerned with certain groups of learners and that a limited number make use of collaborative, transformative approaches. It is argued that focusing only on some students, rather than on all, is contrary to the principles of inclusive education. At the same time, given the emphasis of inclusion on enabling the participation for all students, it is argued that more research needs to adopt collaborative approaches that set out to change thinking and practice in the field. Illustrative examples from articles that used such approaches are discussed to highlight their potential benefits.
British Educational Research Journal Exploring inclusive pedagogy
This paper reports on a study designed to examine teachers’ craft knowledge of their practice of ‘inclusion’, in terms of what they do, why and how. The research approach offers an important alternative to studies of students with ‘additional needs’ and the search to articulate the specialist knowledge and skill required to teach them. Through classroom observations and interviews with eleven teachers of students across the full age range in two primary schools, we investigated how teachers make meaning of the concept of inclusion in their practice by exploring theoretical assumptions drawn from the literature about inclusive pedagogy. The analysis enabled us to identify practical examples of inclusive pedagogy that met the standard of extending what is generally available to everybody, as opposed to providing for all by differentiating for some. Examples of the inclusive pedagogical approach are provided.
Theories of Inclusion, Theories of Schools: deconstructing and reconstructing the ‘inclusive school‘
British Educational Research Journal, 1999
The Government's recent commitment to inclusive education aligns English policy in special needs education with the international inclusion movement. One of the founding assumptions of that movement is that mainstream schools can and should develop structures and practices which will allow them to respond more fully to the diversity of their pupil populations. This article reports a study of four comprehensive schools seeking to develop in this more inclusive direction. It finds, however, that their attempts were beset by difficulties and ambiguities which call for an explanation. It considers, and finds inadequate, accounts within the literature in terms of theories of educational change, theories of inclusive schools and micro-political theories. These accounts, it argues, need to be supplemented by a perspective which sees responses to diversity as being beset by dilemmas arising from contradictory imperatives within mass education systems. Such a dilemmatic perspective suggests that movement towards inclusive schooling is likely to be more problematic and more complex than we have supposed.