scholarly journals Conceptualising Teacher Education for Inclusion: Lessons for the Professional Learning of Educators from Transnational and Cross-Sector Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhairi C. Beaton ◽  
Stephanie Thomson ◽  
Sarah Cornelius ◽  
Rachel Lofthouse ◽  
Quinta Kools ◽  
...  

Despite policy calling for enhanced inclusive practice within all schools and colleges, educators across Europe are facing increasing challenges when providing effective inclusive education for all students as a result of increased diversity within European society. This paper focuses on the development of our understanding of how to support educators’ professional learning around issues of diversity and inclusion. Specifically, it aims to explore what diversity looks like across countries, sectors, and roles, what challenges and dilemmas are posed for educators, and how new approaches to professional learning can support the educators across all sectors. The exploratory study described in the paper emerged from work undertaken as part of an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project called PROMISE (Promoting Inclusion in Society through Inclusion: Professional Dilemmas in Practice). Traditional approaches to professional learning to support teachers’ inclusive practice have tended to focus on discrete courses which address specific learning needs such as autism, literacy difficulties, or behavioural issues. The paper presents findings from a transnational study which indicate that the professional dilemmas facing educators are complex and unpredictable and argues, therefore, that educators require professional learning that is collaborative, interprofessional, and acknowledges that the challenges they face are multifaceted.

Author(s):  
Hemlata

The philosophy of inclusion is not new to India. It was very much there in the ancient times when all children were sent to ‘gurukuls’ for education. In today's context also, the emphasis is on providing education to all children in an inclusive environment. Inclusive education means education of all children, with and without disabilities together in regular schools. It is an approach, which takes into account unique characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs of all children. It is an attempt to meet the unique needs of every child in a regular school setting where all children, including those with disability, try to participate in all facets of school life. The goal is to provide accommodating and personalized education for all students within the context of a general educational classroom. The need of the hour is to develop a universal design of learning which makes learning joyful for all children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 280-291
Author(s):  
Leanne Munchan ◽  
Joseph Agbenyega

This paper argues that whilst inclusive education in early childhood is gaining wider acceptance in the equity and diversity movement, the value and contribution of educators’ voices about what is working and challenging are frequently ignored. This small-scale research explored five early childhood educators’ understandings and experiences of inclusive education in two kindergartens in Victoria, Australia. A thematic analysis of the data highlights inclusion as a right to belong and fully participate; the need for modifications to orchestrate a culture of acceptance, diversity and inclusion; a lack of support and inadequate professional learning; and supporting effective practice through relationship with families, experts and children. The findings draw implications of evidence-based professional learning that is less focused on the interests of academic researchers and policy makers and more on the everyday needs of early childhood educators.


Author(s):  
Chris Forlin ◽  
Dianne Chambers

Special education has undergone continued transformation since societies began to provide an increasing number of specialized, segregated facilities for children with like needs during the 20th century. Since then, there has been a worldwide movement against a segregated approach and toward greater inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools. The provision of a dual special education and regular school system, nevertheless, remains in existence, even though there has been a strong emphasis on a more inclusive approach since the latter half of the 20th century. As regular schools become more inclusive and teachers more capable of providing appropriate modifications for most students with learning needs, simultaneously there has been an increase in the number of students whose needs are so severe that schools have not been able to accommodate them. While these children and youth have special needs, they are invariably not related to an identified disability but fall more into a category of diversity. In particular, students who are excluded from schools due to severe infringements, those who are disenfranchised from school and refuse to attend, and those with severe emotional, behavioral, or mental health issues are not being serviced by the existing dual system. For these students neither existing special schools that cater to students with disabilities nor regular inclusive schools provide an appropriate education. The provision of a complementary and alternatively focused education to cater to the specific needs of these marginalized students seems to be developing to ensure sustainability of education and to prepare these new groups of students for inclusion into society upon leaving school. This tripartite approach highlights a new era in the movement toward a sustainable, inclusive education system that caters to the needs of all students and specifically those with the most challenging and diverse requirements.


Author(s):  
Jill Duncan ◽  
Renee Punch

Abstract Inclusive education workforce capability is the ability of the education workforce to meet individual student learning needs, regardless of educational context. In this study, we investigated the perceptions of 12 principals in Australian education settings on their views about roles and responsibilities related to the workforce’s preparedness for inclusive education. We used thematic analysis to identify 9 major themes and 3 subthemes across the 3 roles about which participants were asked: the principal’s role, the system’s role, and the teacher registration boards’ role. The findings indicated a number of areas of concern for these principals about ensuring the capability of the education workforce in the context of extensive student diversity. In summary, results indicated that principals, systems, and teacher registration boards each have a role in building inclusive education workforce capability, with a coordinated effort more likely to bring Australia closer to its pledge of inclusive education for all students.


Author(s):  
Gwadabe Kurawa

Inclusive education, in most countries affected by an emergency or crisis, is focused on providing access to quality education for all children. Provision of quality education for all children, as discussed in much literature about education, is very much dependent on teacher quality. Improving and sustaining the quality of teaching is equally determined by the type of training and professional development offered to teachers. Teachers, however, in emergency contexts such as in the Northeast of Nigeria, may be recruited to improve student learning, having received little or no relevant training. Therefore, professional learning for teachers that is intended to offer them opportunities for immediate and sustained improvement in practice is, this chapter argues, needed in such emergency contexts. This chapter therefore analyses teacher professional development that can improve the standard of education for all children and then assesses the effect of this development in practice in the Northeast of Nigeria.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Tiina Kivirand ◽  
Äli Leijen ◽  
Liina Lepp ◽  
Tiiu Tammemäe

Significant and effective implementation of inclusive education (IE) has been a major challenge in many countries during the last decades. Although teachers’ knowledge and skills are considered a key factor for successful inclusive practice, the whole school staff commitment and contribution to implementing IE policies are equally important. Collaboration between different professionals such as teachers, school leaders, and support specialists is crucial. This study aimed to design and implement an in-service training course for school teams (teachers, support specialists, school leaders) on IE in the Estonian context and to explore how participants experienced learning as a team in this course. The results of this study showed that the main aspects of the in-service training for school teams valued by participants were: (1) All topics covered in a systematic and coherent way gave a good opportunity to focus on relevant issues, which should be considered in the schools’ self-development activities in the field of IE; (2) practical approach to training structure helped to identify priority areas that need to be developed in particular schools; (3) learning from each other both within their own school team and across school teams contributed to finding the best solutions for meaningful implementation of IE. The implication of these findings is further discussed in the paper.


Author(s):  
Alevtina Gennadievna Ryapisova ◽  
◽  
Svetlana Olegovna Yakushenko ◽  

The article presents the main results of research activities devoted to the implementation of the labor function of a teacher-psychologist – psychological enlightenment in an inclusive practice. The key concept is defined: psychological enlightenment is understood as a type of professional activity of a teacher-psychologist, which provides for the dissemination of scientific psychological knowledge, contributes to the expansion of horizons and the development of the value attitude of individuals and groups of people to the phenomena in the educational space. The purpose of the study is to characterize the actual aspects of the content and adequate forms and methods of psychological enlightenment in the context of inclusive practice. Thematic content, various forms and methods of psychological enlightenment of subjects of inclusive education – teachers, parents and students of different ages-are proposed. As an author’s result, a project of the activity of a teacher-psychologist on the organization of psychological enlightenment on the basis of a calendar of events related to inclusive education was developed. On the basis of calendar and thematic planning, recommendations for organizing outreach activities in an educational organization that implements inclusive education are proposed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90
Author(s):  
K. Myrzakhankizi ◽  

In this article, the authors point to the most acute problem today of children with special learning needs in an inclusive environment. Today it is one of the world’s problems. The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Salamanca Declaration on Principles of Education Policy with Special Needs (Salamanca, Spain) of 1994 are the legal basis for this issue. The “State Program for the Development of Education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011 - 2020” says that the legislation of our country provides equal rights to children with special learning needs, and in the coming period the number of kindergartens and schools with inclusive education will increase. In accordance with world processes, our country is also expanding inclusive education. It is well known that there is a need for specialists to educate children with special needs. In this regard, the authors disclose the practice of the department of special education Abay KazNPU for the training of speech pathologist. At the same time, given that young people today do not understand speech pathology well, the author points out the importance of involving the media in this process, thereby emphasizing the importance of expanding the understanding of inclusion, by parents, young people and the general public.


Author(s):  
Nouf Salem Alenezi, Bader Jassim Alqallaf, Hamed Jassim Alsa Nouf Salem Alenezi, Bader Jassim Alqallaf, Hamed Jassim Alsa

This research is a qualitative interpretive case study focuses on the perspectives of (6) students with physical and visual disability who study at college of basic education in Kuwait. It sought to elicit the “voice” of students with disabilities, seeking to identify their experiences of inclusive practice and any barriers to participation. The researchers conducted semi structured interviews. It was processed and analysed through data coding, categorising and emergence of themes. Participants of the current study showed a willingness towards the concept of inclusion with some concerns, which include the cultural, structural, and social barriers of implementing inclusive education. The results of this study emphasise the importance of increasing the knowledge of inclusion and how to deal with students with disability. Overall, recommendations include a need for training courses for the faculty members at the College of Basic Education in the field of disability and inclusion.


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