Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree MASTER OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2002. / The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of primary school educators concerning inclusive education for learners with hearing impairments. The orientation to the study is followed by a chapter to explain the design of the research, substantiating the choice of format, methods of data collection and analysis. A qualitative research method was chosen on account of its explorative, descriptive and contextual nature. Data was collected by means of interviews with mainstream educators with learning impaired learners in their classrooms. This was followed by a literature review to compare and complement the qualitative data analysis. The results from the qualitative research showed that the black primary school educators generally have negative perceptions of the inclusion of hearing impaired learners. The challenge facing many mainstream educators is that they have not been trained to cope with the diversity of learners now entering school. They have, for example, not been trained to meet the special educational needs of hearing impaired learners. Educators often feel that they are obliged to implement policies, such as inclusion of all learners, about which they were not consulted. They do not have a clear understanding of the demands of changes they must implement and lack adequate time to prepare for the implementation. Many mainstream educators lack confidence in their own abilities to teach learners with diverse needs. They fear failure, and are concerned about the educational needs of the "normal" learners in the inclusive classroom. Educators' perceptions are also influenced by the availability of sufficient support and resources and the amount of time required of the educator to address the special educational needs of the diversity of learners. Lack of knowledge and experience of exceptional children, such as the hearing impaired have a negative influence on educators' perceptions of mainstreaming. The study concludes with the findings from the qualitative research and the literature review and the following recommendations were made: • In-service and pre-service training courses in special education must be offered at all educator training institutions. • The development of both the curriculum and the school must include a variety of strategies to facilitate the learning and teaching of all learners.

There are a greater number of inclusive postsecondary education (PSE) programs for students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the U.S. than ever before. Consequently, there are a greater number of students with ID who now have the opportunity to participate in fully inclusive PSE programs with the intent of improving their transition outcomes related to employment, independent living, and quality of life. For students with ID to get the most out of these expanding PSE opportunities, it is imperative that they develop the personal competencies that will better prepare them to participate in such programs. The current study began the exploratory process of identifying, from a parent perspective, the personal competencies related to inclusive PSE readiness for students with intellectual disabilities in the broad categories of (a) the personal skills, (b) knowledge, and (c) attributes. This purpose was achieved by using a three-round Delphi survey, administered to a sample of parents of students with ID who have participated in one of the 44 federally funded Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs). The first round of the survey generated 56 items that participants in Round Two then rated on a 7-point scale of importance related to preparing students with ID for participation in inclusive PSE. In the final round of the Delphi survey, participants were provided with the mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution for each of the 56 items from Round Two and asked to rerate each item based on the additional information provided. In Round Three the expert panel of parents gained consensus on 33 items related to personal skills, knowledge, and attributes they deemed important for students with ID to develop in order to be prepared for an inclusive PSE program. Results of the study were discussed in the context of the literature related to personal competencies for college readiness for students with and without ID. Additionally, implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research were discussed.

Kristina Dahlström (2021) "The basis must be inclusion" special educators views about inclusive education. Master degree in Special education, 120hp, Institution of School Development and Leadership, Faculty of Education and society, Malmo University. This study aims to contribute to a wider understanding about inclusive education. The main purpose of this study is to investigate seven special educators views about inclusive education. The studies questions are: - How does the special educators define inclusion? - What does the special educators think promotes and hinder inclusion in an individual-, group- and organisation level? - Is it possible to discern factors of especially significans in the work with inclusion? The study is conducted by using the method of interview. The perspecitve is from seven special educators point of views. They all work in primary schools. As a framework this study uses systemtheory and the theory of power by Focault. The key findings of this study is to be found in individual, group and organisation levels. On an individual level the study found that a good relationship between teachers and pupils are crucial to be able to have an inclusive education. How teachers interact and understand the needs of the pupils are important in inclusive education. On group level the study found that alternative tools, and differentiated methods is good for inclusion. Findings also indicated that the cathegory perspective is negative for inclusion. How teachers think think about what pupils are able to acomplish makes a big difference in how teachers choose wich didactic method to use. This can make the pupils less included or more included. On organisation level the study shows that inclusion needs to be the goal with the same understanding in schools. Schools needs to work systematic with inclusion to be able to improve and adjust their work to benefit pupils. The study concludes that special educators needs to work in all levels in school to be able to work for an inclusive school. If they only work in the individual level promoting work will be less sussessful. The implication of the results shows that inclusion need to be a part in every schools agenda to be able to have an inclusive school. The study contributes with an extended knowledge about inclusion in the eyes of specialeducators who work in primary schools. It also contributes about knowledge how schools can be more inclusive. As the title says: The basis must be inclusion. Keywords: inclusive education, relations, special education, systemtheory.

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In this study, I used to use a variety of accommodative techniques to conduct oral interviews with young adult participants who presented with unique social language needs. Their needs highlighted and allowed critique of the research methods that I have learned, bringing up important ethical and pedagogical issues regarding difference and (dis)ability in research and research populations. I asked them what they thought about and wanted from their social experiences and learned that they perceive themselves as being perpetually misunderstood. I analyzed the data for potential misunderstandings and uncovered alternate readings of communication that are naturally not considered when typical assumptions of communication prevail. Avoiding misunderstandings can be as easy as changing one’s assumptions about communication. With small changes in assumptions, meanings change, and outcomes improve. The project revealed themes that speak to larger cultural conversations about ability and young adulthood. These millennials are not using social media; they think differently about the “high-functioning vs. low-functioning” autism dialectic; and they critique adult programs and services. Suggested tips for cross-cultural communication are provided.

This thesis focuses on creating an interactive installation as immersive experience for hearing-impaired user. To date, little research has been conducted especially on interactive (sound) installation for impaired visitors, particularly these visitors with hearing impairments or who are hard-of hearing. Based on literature research and a case study, a new lighting design proposal was developed for Soundforest, an interactive musical installation at Scenkonstmuseet in Stockholm, Sweden. The audio-experience is enhanced ambient lighting, which alters in brightness depending on the interaction of visitors. For evaluation, a prototype was set up in the installation space and tested by one participant. The first testing leads to the assumption that the additional layer of ambient lighting can enhance the emotional experience of the visitors. The results show that the test person had great pleasure in interacting with the prototype. Still, to develop a full picture of the consequences and emotional effects, additional research is required.

<p>Most scholars now believe that Black students in schools will only succeed if they exhibit certain character traits, such as grit, resilience, and optimism. However, Black students are punished during school at a higher rate due to the belief that Black students need to be “fixed.” There is much literature that measures the so-called helpful traits that successful Black students have. For example, there are hundreds of studies that look at “resilient” Black students, and those researchers disseminate evidence that calls for Black students to change their being. The understanding that well-behaved students do better in schools than “bad” Black students is a dominant idea that my study challenges. As a result of my study Black students’ knowledge and behaviors are viewed with a humanizing lens that appreciates how Black students engage with the social structure of school. It is emphasized that the process of school discipline reinforced through discourses limits inclusion of Black student’s identities in education; however, I assert that the process of school discipline is reinforced through discursive limits that restrict Blackness in real-life school settings. In addition, as schools reflect larger society, this dissertation also interrogates how Black people navigate systemic racism despite the inundation of social norms that favor whiteness. Using qualitative methodologies and critical theoretical approaches, I examine 1) racializing surveillance in education, 2) Black student resistance at a high school, and 3) racism’s larger effects on societal responses to anti-blackness. First, I use critical autoethnography to tell my story as a Black girl in school navigating racializing surveillance and my understandings of how to be a good person/student. Second, I reframe Black student resistance by engaging five Black high schoolers in congregation meetings, exploring their creative and necessary work confront racialized discipline at their school. Third, I use psychoanalytic theory to describe how a pedagogy of anti-blackness penetrates not just in schools, but also larger society. Furthermore, how a society (and schools as an organization within society) disciplines individuals is not neutral, and school discipline is unjust. </p>

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<p>The three studies included in this dissertation collectively aim to highlight the negative impact that culturally homogenous academic, social, and financial systems on college campuses have on the experiences of culturally diverse college students. Currently the academic, social, and financial experiences of college students are not structured to support culturally diverse student groups, thus inhibiting their development of a sense of belonging and contributing to the low retention rates of culturally diverse students. The first study, “Examining Individualism in College Student Retention Theory and Practice: A Transition from Student Integration to Institutional Adjustment,” is a meta synthesis that explains that contemporary retention theories and practices are based on antiquated retention theories and are inadequate in addressing the needs of culturally diverse college student populations. The second study, “Financial Literacy Programming in American Higher Education: What’s There and What’s Missing,” is a qualitative study that addressed the research gap regarding financial literacy and wellness by more clearly defining the financial experiences and interactions that college students have within the financial systems of college. As a follow-up to the second study, the third study, “Values and Value: A Qualitative Study on Culturally Responsive Financial Literacy Programming,” examines more closely the content of financial literacy programs in higher education to identify ways that financial literacy programming on college campuses is responsive to students’ cultural identities. The findings of the included studies collectively inform foundational principles of a culturally responsive retention theory through which the college environment can be examined and potentially transformed to be more inclusive in access and support for culturally diverse students.</p>