The 3P model for creating sustainable educational reform: an epilogue to the special issue

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 571-584
Author(s):  
Thomas Peter Gumpel ◽  
Judah Koller ◽  
Naomi Weintraub ◽  
Shirli Werner ◽  
Vered Wiesenthal
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Global Movement ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
3P Model

PurposeThis article presents a conceptual synthesis of the international literature on inclusive education while expanding upon, and incorporating, the articles in this special issue. The authors present their 3P model (philosophy, policy and praxis) and relate each paper in this special issue to different aspects of their model.Design/methodology/approachThis article serves as an epilogue to this special issue of the Journal of Educational Administration as well as a discussion of historical and conceptual distinctions between mainstreaming and inclusion while examining global trends in understanding the move toward inclusive education.FindingsThe authors examined the detrimental effects of ableism and a medical model of disability and their effects on the educational system. They conducted an analysis based on examining the philosophy, policy and practice of the inclusive movement, specifically by examining conceptual models and inclusive decisions, conceptual frameworks for describing inclusive policy and a focus of the application to educational administration. The authors examined the global movement from segregation/exclusion to integration and then to inclusionary praxis.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors maintain that the inclusion literature lacks a sound positivistic empirical base, and so they present throughout the article possible avenues for such research as well as future directions for comparative research.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the philosophical underpinnings of the inclusive movement is central to developing viable inclusive educational settings. The authors distinguish between inclusive schools and local educational authorities where stakeholders have moved toward an inclusionary system (the minority) versus locales who are reluctant to move systems to actual change.Originality/valueThis article takes a wider view of inclusionary practices, from one focusing on children with disabilities to one focusing on historical and traditional exclusionary practices. By widening the scope of the inclusion discussion, to one of exclusion, the authors present a viably wider lens to educational administration.

Why is everything old new again? Revisiting debates about the form and function of research in educational administration

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-356
Author(s):  
Robert Donmoyer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
First Century ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Historical Essay ◽  
Twenty First Century

PurposeThis paper has a twofold purpose: (1) to demonstrate, largely with historical evidence, that, contrary to what some have argued, thinking about educational research articulated at the start of the twenty-first century was not really “new wine in new bottles” but, rather, a continuation of the so-called paradigm wars about, ultimately, unresolvable methodological and epistemological issues that occurred during the twentieth century; (2) to suggest a way members of the educational administration field might transcend, or at least circumvent, time-consuming and distracting battles about unresolvable methodological and epistemological issues in the future while keeping their focus on issues of practice.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quasi-historical essay that uses influential literature during the historical periods focused on as evidence to support the essay's arguments.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that twentieth century philosophical disagreements about research methods and the role that educational research can play in policy and practice decision making were not resolved but, rather, were largely reenacted during the first decade of the twenty-first century, again without a resolution. The paper proposes a way that administrators, policymakers and researchers can manage this situation and still use research to make policy and practice decisions.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests a new role for both school administrators and policymakers to play. If administrators/policymakers play this role successfully, all types of research can inform decision making about policy and practice, and researchers can concentrate on doing their research rather than engaging in unresolvable philosophical disputes.Originality/valueAlthough a great deal has been written about the twentieth century's theory movement and paradigm wars and the twenty-first century's so-called science wars, the link between these phenomena has not been discussed in the literature. In addition, there have been few attempts to articulate an operational strategy for managing unresolvable philosophical disputes about research methods and the role that research can play in decision making. This paper tackles both matters.

The disillusion of calculative practices in academia

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Argento ◽  
Dorota Dobija ◽  
Giuseppe Grossi
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Management ◽  
Audit Culture ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Complex Settings ◽  
Calculative Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight and compare insights from research conducted in different disciplines on the effects of the use of calculative practices in academia. It also acts as an introduction to the special issue on “governing by numbers: audit culture and contemporary tales of universities’ accountability”. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews the findings and reflections provided in academic literature on the various types of consequences stemming from the diffusion of the “audit culture” in academia. In so doing, it draws upon insights from previous literature in education, management and accounting, and other papers included in this special issue of Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management. Findings The literature review shows that a growing number of studies are focussing on the hybridization of universities, not only in terms of calculative practices (e.g. performance indicators) but also in relation to individual actors (e.g. academics and managers) who may have divergent values, and thus, act according to multiple logics (business and academic logics). It highlights many areas in which further robust academic research is needed to guide policy and practice developments in universities. Research limitations/implications This paper provides academics, regulators and decision-makers with relevant insights into the critical issues of using calculative practices in academia. Despite the negative effects have been observed in various disciplines, there is an evident perpetuation in the use of those practices. Originality/value This paper contributes to the ongoing debates on the disillusion of calculative practices in academia. Yet, positive changes can be achieved within the complex settings of “hybrid” universities when the apparent class division between academics and managers is bridged.

Developing inclusive policy and practice in diverse contexts: A South African experience

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berenice Daniels
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
School Psychologists ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
White Paper ◽  
National Commission ◽  
Barriers To Learning ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
Education Support

Pre-1994, South Africa was a country riddled with inequality and discrimination stemming from the policy of ‘apartheid’. Since 1994, there have been considerable efforts made to enable the country to move toward becoming non-racial and democratic, with a culture of human rights and social justice. One of the primary tasks of the new democratically elected government was a reform of the education system. Specialized Education was initially neglected, but then in 1996 a National Commission was appointed to investigate Special Needs in Education and Education Support Services, of which the author was one of the co-ordinators. The timeline for the full implementation of the resulting White Paper 6 on Inclusive Education is 20 years. Inclusive Education in South Africa aims to meet the needs of all learners by addressing barriers to learning, welcoming diversity and fostering maximum participation by all in the culture of the school. This article, based on the author’s experience, will discuss the challenges for implementation of the policy in one of the South African districts which field-tested the recommendations in White Paper 6, a district with diverse contexts, the emerging promising practice, and the implications for specialized support professionals, in particular the role of school psychologists.

scholarly journals Formation of inclusive culture in the implementation of inclusive education: challenges and achievements

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37
Author(s):  
A.Yu. Shemanov ◽  
A.S. Ekushevskaya
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Shared Values ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Access To Education ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Educational Organization ◽  
Equity In Access ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
Educational Inclusion

The article analyzes the concept of inclusive culture and the methodology of its definition and formation, attempts to apply this methodology in different countries (USA, UK, Spain, New Zealand, Australia). In international practice, educational inclusion is created on the basis of educational organization inclusive culture which is considered as the ground of inclusive policy and practice. In the framework of organizational approach, inclusive culture is defined as a set of shared values which favour creating of inclusive community in organization. Changes of shared values accepting diversity of learners and their educational needs have a key significance in this process. These changes should concern not only declared values, but basic assumptions of educational organization members. The understanding of social justice and equity which lays in the ground of inclusive values influences inclusive policy and practice. In the modern discourse of inclusion, this understanding is based mainly on social-constructionist approach, which conditions preferences in interpretation of social justice and equity in access to education and associated with these preferences risks. In conclusion, the need for the balance between tasks of education and inclusion is suggested in order to minimize risks associated with different understandings of equity in the access to education

Original sin(s): lessons from the US model of special education and an opportunity for leaders

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 507-520
Author(s):  
Jake Cornett ◽  
Kimberly M. Knackstedt
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Special Education ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education Law ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us

PurposeThe United States (US) system of special education committed three original sins that perpetuate inequities between children with disabilities and their peers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the US system, contrast this history against international disability law and identify opportunities for leaders to transform policy and practice for inclusive education.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explores the development of the three sins in US special education law: (1) weaving throughout it a medical model of disability, (2) failing to mandate inclusion and (3) hampering meaningful enforcement. The paper contrasts the US system with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), an international law adopted by 180 nations that requires inclusion of people with disabilities at all levels of systems.FindingsThis paper finds that the United States has not embraced inclusion in education, but has permitted a continuum of segregation and integration. After a discussion of the three sins and the CRPD, the authors describe opportunities for international and US leaders to learn from the original sins of the United States and develop a system of true inclusion for all students through the transformation of policy and practice.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on policy development and implementation, with implications for future amendments to US education law and international public administration of education.

scholarly journals Global trends in a fragile context: public–nonpublic collaboration, service delivery and social innovation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Bozic
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
External Pressures

Purpose This study aims to enhance the understanding of the nature of collaboration between public and nonpublic actors in delivering social services and achieving social innovation in a fragile context, with an emphasis on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs). The paper focuses on Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Southeastern European country which has faced a turbulent post-conflict transition and experienced challenges in its social welfare policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach This study uses institutional theory, particularly new institutionalism and institutional networking, as a lens through which to understand public and nonpublic collaboration and social innovation within a fragile context. This study adopts a sequential mixed-method approach. Data were derived from 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from local CSOs, international donors and public institutions, as well as a survey of 120 CSO representatives. Findings The collaboration and social innovation in a fragile welfare context have been initiated primarily by nonpublic actors and developed within the triple context of relations between public, civil and foreign donors’ organisations. In such a context, coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphisms act as leading drivers, but also as potential barriers of public–nonpublic collaboration and social innovation. They are triggered by influences from multiple actors, challenging power relations and external pressures on local CSOs. Originality/value The paper contributes to the growing research interest in the role of nonpublic actors in the provision of public services and public social innovation, but examines these issues from the perspective of a fragile context, which has thus far been overlooked in the literature.

Inclusive education in New Zealand: rhetoric and reality

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Anne Selvaraj
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Special Education Policy

Purpose – New Zealand continues to struggle with interpreting and implementing its current policy of inclusion, especially as it relates to children traditionally known as having “special educational needs”. The purpose of this paper is to trace the discursive development of institutionalised Special Education in New Zealand and examines how the funding and policy mechanisms of neoliberalism within which rights-based inclusion was introduced have complicated the planning and delivery of services in schools. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on Gillian Fulcher’s (1989) discourses of disability as they are expressed through policy documents and educational reports to examine the language and values that have underpinned the development of Special Education policy and provision in New Zealand. Findings – The paper has identified and attempted to explain the extent to which traditional forms of exclusion have continued to structure current policy and practice despite a paradigm shift to inclusion. It argues that this has militated against clear understanding, acceptance and success of this major paradigm shift. Research limitations/implications – In examining the social nature of disability, and its implications in the structures of education today, it is possible to consider opportunities for acting to address these. Originality/value – The value of this work is in taking an historical approach to help understand why there continues be a distance between policy rhetoric and the reality of its implementation in practice.

scholarly journals International Comparisons of Inclusive Policy and Practice: Are We Talking about the Same Thing?

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona D'Alessio ◽  
Amanda Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Comparative Education ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Inclusive Policy ◽  
Methodological Difficulties

This article has been especially written by the journal Guest Editors as an introduction to key issues in making international comparisons regarding inclusive policy and practice. The authors argue that there is a very real amplification of the methodological problems faced by researchers working in comparative education when they consider the field of special and inclusive education. Two ‘problem’ areas are discussed: (i) the incomparability of terminology – words such as inclusion may or may not have the same meaning when translated into other languages and also other contexts; and (ii) the inherent methodological difficulties within the ‘target’ population of research in inclusive education – pupils with special educational needs are not identified, assessed or offered provision in the same ways within countries. This means that comparisons of approaches within countries are problematic – and comparison of these countries at an international level becomes extremely difficult. Therefore, the key question is exactly what can be usefully compared?

scholarly journals Guest editorial: The entrepreneurship challenges in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Ernesto Amorós ◽  
Juan Carlos Leiva ◽  
Adriana Bonomo ◽  
Juan Carlos Sosa Varela
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Guest Editorial ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Regional Competitiveness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
The Caribbean

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue “The Entrepreneurship Challenges in Latin America”. Design/methodology/approach Latin America and the Caribbean is a region with many potentialities. Like one of the largest markets in the world, entrepreneurship activities can constitute a key element to enhance regional competitiveness. Findings This study makes a general overview of entrepreneurship dynamics in Latin America and its contexts. This study presents the eight manuscripts that constitute the special issue. Originality/value This study contributes to current academic conversations and highlights the relevance of continuing inquiring about the entrepreneurship phenomena at the regional level. Contribution to impact This study expects that this special issue will help the region’s scholarly entrepreneurship community and others interested in Latin America. This study also believes that this special issue manuscript makes a relevant contribution to policy and practice.

A systematic review of educational leadership and management research in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş ◽  
Sedat Gümüş
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Recent Effort ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Principalship

Purpose While the current knowledge in the field of educational leadership and management (EDLM) has been primarily based on research produced in English-speaking Western societies, there have been significant efforts by other societies to contribute to the knowledge production, especially during the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to identify the contribution of Turkey to the international EDLM literature by investigating the topical focus, conceptual frameworks and research designs of papers published by EDLM scholars from Turkey. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive content analysis method was employed to examine 315 empirical, review, conceptual and commentary papers published by Turkish scholars in core educational administration and Web of Science journals. The time period of the review left open-ended. However, in practical terms, it begins in the year 1994 when the first article from Turkey was published in any of the selected sources and ends at the end of 2018. Information relevant to the research was extracted from each article and was coded to facilitate quantitative analysis. Using Excel software, descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were provided for each research question. Findings Results show that Turkish EDLM scholars mostly rely on survey based quantitative research approach, employing advanced statistical techniques in the analysis of the data. However, mixed method and qualitative studies are relatively less common. Organizational behavior, school leadership and emotions stand out as most frequently used topics, while Turkish scholars are not interested in analyzing the educational outcomes such as student achievement and school improvement. Consistent with the findings related to topical foci, a large number of those who were interested in correlational studies examined the relationship between leadership roles and organizational behaviors. Research limitations/implications The data set only included journal articles and excluded conference proceedings, books and theses/dissertations. Nevertheless, the authors believe this review adds significantly to previous reviews of local EDLM journals conducted by Turkish scholars. The authors concluded that the Turkish scholars should direct their future research to exploring and better understanding the practices of Turkish principals in schools by: diversifying their research topics; incorporating more qualitative and mixed-method designs; and taking into account specific features of the culture and educational system in Turkey. Practical implications Based on the current higher education context, reducing scholars’ teaching load, diversifying research funding opportunities, and modifying access to tenure tracks seem necessary interventions to support EDLM research with strong ties to practice and to the sociocultural context. In addition, policy changes aiming professionalization of administrative positions and establishing some forms of formal training for school principalship are needed. Such changes can help transfer the knowledge produced by the Turkish EDLM researchers to the practice and provide solutions to problems related to school administration. Originality/value This paper will add to recent effort to identify how a developing nation outside Western perspective approaches the field, and contributes to the global knowledge base.

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