The purpose of this study was to examine the mediational role of social support, in1portance, and competency on global self-worth for a group of learning disabled (LO) children who participated in an inclusion program. Inclusion programs are one method of educating ill children. These LD children spend the entire- school day, including all academic classes, in a regular classroom. Special education teachers assist these children within this regular classroom setting. In the current study, 24 children from the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades completed four questionnaires. Their perceived competency and importance scores were used to derive a discrepancy score. It was hypothesized that social support and discrepancy scores would correlate with global self-worth. Social support was found to correlate significantly with global self-worth, but discrepancy scores did not. In addition, competency in the areas of general intellectual ability, behavioral conduct, and physical appearance were found to correlate with global self-worth. It was also hypothesized that these children would spontaneously compare themselves to other children in their regular classroom rather than other handicapped children. A majority of the children in this sample acted in accordance with this hypothesis. This comparison also resulted in a positive effect on their feelings of competency. Finally, it was hypothesized that classmate support rather than parental, teacher, or friend support would correlate highest with global self-worth. This hypothesis was not supported. The parent subscale of the social support measure correlated highest with global self-worth. The relevance of these findings to children's feelings of self-worth and the inclusion program are discussed. / Master of Science

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The expansion of workplace demographics in response to globalization and intersectionality has resulted in the workplace becoming increasingly diverse. Research indicates that there are both positive and negative consequences for having diverse workplaces, and the positively inclined studies emphasize how workplace diversity can provide a strategic advantage to organizations when managed effectively. Thus, scholars and organizational decision-makers have diverted their efforts towards understanding leadership and the ways that leaders manage diversity and inclusion to facilitate a climate for inclusion in the workplace. The present study aimed to identify the differences in expectations and perceptions of workplace fairness, effective leadership, and the management of diversity and inclusion between different sociocultural groups to see if they led to the applicability of various leadership behaviors in diversity-related situations. Using a multi-method design, this research assessed the perceptions and expectations of leadership and the management of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Study One utilized an online survey design to measure the extent to which a leader was expected to be culturally responsive, a manager of diversity and inclusion, and effective. Study Two utilized a quasi-experimental design that exposed participants to DEI-related leadership scenarios where they assessed the leader’s behavior. Both studies collected the sociodemographic information of the participants. Results for Study One (N = 290) suggested that sociodemographic differences play a role in expectations of effectiveness and social justice and equity for managers, leadership effectiveness expectations for managers increase as social justice and equity expectations for managers increase, and culturally responsive leadership expectations for managers play a role in the extent that employees expect leaders to manage diversity and inclusion. Study Two (N = 448) results determined that cultural humility positively influences the relationship between leadership styles (i.e., transformational leadership, Daoist leadership, transactional leadership, and Machiavellian leadership) and the perception of leadership effectiveness. Machiavellian leadership was perceived as less socially just, culturally humble, and effective than the other leadership styles (i.e., transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and Daoist leadership); sociodemographic information was found to be mostly related to perceived leadership effectiveness; and perceived cultural humility and social justice are positively associated with leadership effectiveness. Ultimately, this study revealed the empirical significance of culturally responsive leadership behaviors in the workplace, provided evidence to show the distinct contributions of positive leadership in DEI-related situations, and emphasized the importance of considering the expectations and the demographic distribution of employees when leading to ensure organizational compliance among followers.

A case study approach was used to investigate how principals manage inclusive schools and how teachers and principals perceive inclusion. The study was conducted in two elementary schools known for successful inclusion practice. A total of five special education teachers, five regular education teachers and the two principals of the schools formally participated in the data gathering for the study while numerous other school personnel informally participated. Qualitative research methodologies (Patton, 1990; Miles & Huberman, 1994) were employed to determine the principals’ role in supporting inclusion practices. Data were gathered by interviewing teachers and principals, observing the school environment and reviewing inclusion related school documentation. This study demonstrated that principals have a pervasive effect on inclusion environments and program delivery. Several themes emerged which correlate with related literature on effective practices for principals. First, communication was identified as an essential tool for principals to practice. Through good communication, decisions can be made and problems solved that relate to inclusion. Effective communication practices also provide outlets for expressions of feelings about inclusion. The second theme, principal support, was identified as necessary to the practice of inclusion. Support was defined as providing materials and equipment, hiring additional personnel, training, solving problems, and providing emotional support to teachers. The third theme involved creating an atmosphere of caring throughout the schools. Caring focused on valuing students and promoting acceptance of diversity among the schools’ student population. How principals manage a school in the context of inclusion was the central question of this study, therefore, the thoughts, beliefs, and feelings of the teachers and principals about the practice of inclusion were essential to uncover. Participants identified hard work as a necessary part of inclusion practice. Hard work was defined as working longer hours, collaborating with other teachers, problem solving, defining roles and making decisions. In this regard, teachers believed that the appropriate scheduling of students into certain teachers’ classrooms was important to student success and teachers’ satisfaction, and they spent many hours solving scheduling issues. High expectations also emerged as a common central theme in both schools. Expectations that appeared most clearly were teachers expecting other teachers to share in certain responsibilities, teachers and principals holding all students to similar standards, and teachers and principals expecting certain kinds of supports and duties of one another. In this regard, positive relationships were viewed as critical to program success, and both teacher and principals worked hard to maintain this at all times. The two cases reported here provide a window into how inclusion can be made to work. The stories told here support existing knowledge about leadership, and show explicitly that each setting for inclusion must be actively created by the key participants. / Ed. D.

U.S. demographic shifts are not being reflected in higher education institutions (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.; U.S. Department of Education, 2013). While institutions recruit underrepresented students and faculty, retention of these populations continues to be an issue in part due to a lack of sense of belonging (Booker, 2007; Hurtado and Carter, 1997), poor institutional climate (Hurtado, Alvarez, Guillermo-Wann, Cuellar, and Arellano, 2012; Rhee, 2008), and institutional racism (Stanley, 2006). Organizational culture theory offers a lens to examine the underlying structural problems preventing organizations from permanently adopting diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the institution. This qualitative study examines how faculty members describe organizational culture of diversity and inclusion at a research university with a high degree of student diversity. The conceptual framework was Schein's (2010) organizational culture model. Participants included 19 faculty members who identified as Caucasian/White, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Asian/Pacific Islander. Of all participants, 12 were male and seven female. In-person interviews were conducted to gather data. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Five themes emerged: forming culture, describing diversity and inclusion within the culture, learning impacted by diversity, feeling the culture, and directing culture. Unique findings from this study reveal that participants believed there is a shifting organizational culture of diversity and inclusion at the selected institution due to newly acquired designations, causing redefinition of existing assumptions. Additionally, faculty members (a) held different definitions for diversity and inclusion, which affected how they understood the university's responsibilities; (b) relied on localized diversity initiatives over university-wide ones; (c) believed in the unique needs of a highly diverse student body; and (d) were concerned with gaining diversity and inclusion at all ranks of the institution. Findings suggest that faculty at this institution viewed the organizational culture of diversity and inclusion to be welcoming for students. However, participants' perspectives were mixed about this same culture being welcoming to all faculty members. The study has implications for administrators and faculty members seeking to create more diverse and inclusive organizational cultures. Findings also have implications for future research on organizational culture, faculty, diversity, and inclusion. / Ph. D. / Although U.S. demographics are becoming increasingly diverse, these shifts are not reflected at universities and colleges. Diverse students and faculty are underrepresented in these spaces. Based on previous research, evidence has indicated that diverse underrepresentation is in part due to the unwelcoming environments diverse populations face in university and college settings (e.g., structural racism). In spite of university and college leaders’ efforts to increase diversity on their campuses and make environments more inclusive, these efforts are not always put into practice uniformly throughout these postsecondary institutions. In this study, I investigated this problem by focusing on the values and behaviors that contribute to creating a welcoming environment for diverse populations at a university with a diverse student body. I interviewed faculty members at this university and gathered information about their perspectives on diversity and inclusion. By conducting the study at a university with a diverse student body, I assumed that this university member’s values and behaviors contributed to welcoming campus environments for diverse populations. My goal through these interviews was to learn from faculty members about the values and behaviors related to diversity and inclusion at this university. In these interviews, faculty members discussed values and behaviors in relation to diversity and inclusion at their university; they defined diversity and inclusion; shared their individual efforts to make learning environments more welcoming for diverse students; conversed about the initiatives that the university put in place to create welcoming environments for diverse populations; and talked about the challenges at the university as these related to diversity and inclusion, which consequently and periodically resulted in less welcoming campus environments. Findings from this study are important because as demographics in the U.S. continue to shift, universities and colleges will need to pay close attention as to how organizational values and behaviors impact diversity and inclusion while they attempt to create environments that are welcoming to diverse populations.

As a result of recent federal legislative changes affecting educational policies, co-teaching, which requires general and special educators to work together to provide instruction to students in inclusion classrooms, has been on the rise and is considered by some educators as a method for meeting mandates required by law. While co-teaching is an idea that should work in practice, teachers who implement co-teaching find themselves facing complex issues regarding their roles and responsibilities within the context of program logistics. This qualitative study was designed to help co-teaching partners and others to understand how co-teaching partnerships are formed, develop, and work in classrooms. This understanding may be helpful to others as they seek to overcome barriers and form relationships that facilitate successful co-teaching partnerships. Elementary co-teachers in a rural school district were interviewed face-to-face, and a document analysis was conducted to examine how co-teachers experience co-teaching partnerships. Six general education co-teachers and six special education co-teachers were randomly selected for interviews, and they were asked to bring any literature that they had received on co-teaching to the interviews. Results indicate that co-teachers thought compatibility was important when working as co-teachers. They expressed the need for a mutual planning time during the school day, and both general and special education co-teachers were concerned about the amount of uninterrupted time special education teachers could spend in inclusion classrooms. When co-teachers thought they had a compatible partnership, they were willing to make alternative planning arrangements, and they were accepting of the time special education co-teachers could spend in the classroom. / Ed. D. / Co-teaching requires general and special education teachers to work together to provide instruction to students in inclusion classrooms. Co-teaching has been on the rise and is considered by some educators as a method for meeting mandates required by law. While coteaching is an idea that should work in practice, teachers who are practicing co-teaching find themselves facing complex issues regarding their roles and responsibilities in the classroom. This study was designed to help co-teaching partners and others to understand how co-teaching partnerships are formed, develop, and work in classrooms. This understanding may be helpful to others as they seek to overcome barriers and form relationships that facilitate successful coteaching partnerships. Elementary co-teachers in a rural school district were interviewed face-to-face, and a document analysis of any literature co-teachers had received on co-teaching was conducted to examine how co-teachers experience co-teaching partnerships. Six general education coteachers and six special education co-teachers were randomly selected for interviews, and they were asked to bring any literature that they had received on co-teaching to the interviews. Results indicate that co-teachers thought compatibility, to be able to get along together, was important when working as co-teachers. They expressed the need for the same planning time during the school day, and both general and special education co-teachers were concerned about the amount of uninterrupted time special education teachers could spend in inclusion classrooms. When co-teachers thought they had a compatible partnership, they were willing to make alternative planning arrangements, and they were accepting of the time special education co-teachers could spend in the classroom.

Yes / Digital inclusion research has been critically important in drawing an understanding of how policies, society, organisations, and information technologies can all come together within a national environment that aspires to be a digital nation. This research aims to examine the factors influencing e-Inclusion in the UK within a digital-by-default policy for government services. This study is pursued through combining the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB) with Use and Gratification Theory (U&G) and conducting a self-administered survey targeting 510 Internet users to study the level of citizens engagement with e-government services in the UK. By incorporating gratification, trust, risk and external factors (i.e. self-efficacy, accessibility, availability, affordability) within DTPB, the proposed model of e-Inclusion used in the paper demonstrates a considerable explanatory and predictive power and offers a frame of reference to study the acceptance and usage of e-government within a national context where nearly all government transactions are digital-by-default. The findings revealed six dimensions as key inhibitors for e-Inclusion, namely: demographic, economic, social, cultural, political, and infrastructural.

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