Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-79).

Research paper (M.A.) -- Cardinal Stritch College -- Milwaukee, 1980. / A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education (Special Education). Includes bibliographical references (49-55 p.).

In view of the lack of an appropriate instrument to measure primary school music teachers' concerns about teaching music to students with special educational needs in inclusive classrooms in Hong Kong, this research intends to fill the research gap by developing and validating the Music Teachers' Concerns of Inclusive Music Teaching Scale (CIMTS) for addressing these concerns. Specifically, this study aims at: (1) Developing and validating the CIMTS, (2) Assessing its psychometric properties, (3) Exploring primary school music teachers' levels of concern about inclusive music teaching, and (4) Predicting their CIMTS scores with a number of psychological, personality, and environmental variables which are hypothesized to correlate with the CIMTS. Different methods with two samples of primary school music teachers were involved in the development, validation, and prediction of the CIMTS. Regarding development, sequential mixed method involving qualitative analysis was employed to generate, pilot-test, and refine the initial pool of question items. Concerning validation (N = 309), quantitative analysis using item analysis was conducted to evaluate and refine the CIMTS, assessing its internal consistency and construct validity. Specifically, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, SEM estimation, and Multi-trait and Multi-method analysis were performed to establish evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Referring to prediction (N = 224), hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine if the chosen psychological, personality, and environmental variables in the hypothesized model were significant predictors of the scores on the CIMTS. Results indicated that the 25-item CIMTS possessed adequate evidence of validity as well as satisfactory reliability regarding the overall scale and its five factors (Learning Support, Learning Obstacle, Resource, Training, as well as Curricular Design and Assessment). While the level of primary school music teachers' concerns for the Resource factor was found to be the highest among the five factors, Openness-to-Experience and School Climate were shown to be the strongest predictors of their scores on the CIMTS in the hypothesized model. With the development and validation of the CIMTS, this research not only filled the research gap in inclusive music education, but also aroused policy-makers' and music educators' awareness of teachers' needs for formal training in special education and for resource allocated to inclusive music teaching. For future research, with addition of new items, the CIMTS could be expanded in its domain coverage, refined, and revalidated with different samples. Further exploration of possible correlates of the CIMTS should be pursued.

The study investigated how primary schools in Chiredzi District in Zimbabwe, cater for ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs. A mixed method design located in the pragmatism paradigm was used to carry out the study. Post-positivist is an interactive process which produced in-depth, detailed, rich data from personal perspectives and experiences that resulted in realistic understanding of phenomenon, interpreted through the social and cultural context of respondents’ lives. By adopting quantitative and qualitative approaches, the researcher was able to ensure a high level of reliability in the collected data, at the same time obtaining comprehensive information on how primary schools attaching preschool classes in Chiredzi district cater for ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs. Purposive sampling and cluster sampling procedures were used to solicit information from ECD teachers, school heads, parents, the District Education Team, NGOs and critical government ministries through semi-structured questionnaires, face-t-face interviews, focus group discussions, observations and document analysis. The study established that, while the government carries out its mandate of providing social services to learners with special education needs, they are incapacitated due to lack of resources. The majority of schools are not providing adequate health facilities for learners with special education needs. Furthermore, most schools are not providing nutritional supplementation to vulnerable learners, situations which deprive the learners with the much needed opportunity to grow and develop to the anticipated potential. In addition, the study noted that, ECD “A” and “B” children with special education needs enrolled in classes attached to primary schools do not access Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) or Cash Transfers to alleviate the children that are in need. It came out that such a situation impacts on learners’ attendance and subsequently their learning outcomes. Regardless of the stipulations by international treaties on the nature of inclusive education, the study established that, the education system has not yet modified curriculum to accommodate learners with diversified forms of special education needs. The situation is made worse by the fact that, heads of schools, and teachers are not adequately trained to handle learners with special education needs in early childhood development programmes. In addition, schools face the challenge of scarcity of learning resources that support ECD learners with special education needs which seriously impact on the growth and development of young learners at this critical stage of their development. Regardless of the essence of continuous professional development programs, in schools whose purpose is to redress the professional gap in schools, the study found that the CPD are doing very little to transform the mind-set of teachers. The study concluded that learners with special education needs are not benefiting from the current inclusive education programme. The study recommends that following; Stakeholders work together to promote the health and nutritional needs including other social services of ECD learners in classes attached to primary schools. There be a national teacher in-service programme for those teachers deployed in schools, to equip them with the desired skills, and knowledge to handle learners with special education needs, especially at this critical stage of their development. Teachers’ Colleges redesign their curriculum to address inclusive education in schools. Teachers’ Colleges need to empower new graduates with skills and knowledge to handle children with special education needs in schools. Policy makers to advocate for redesigning the curriculum to include children with special education needs to ensure availability of resources in inclusive schools to alleviate the challenges faced by these children. Those policy makers should advocate for a way to ensure that all children with special education be enrolled in mainstream schools. Thus, the study proposed an alternative, holistic, and inclusive education model for schools attaching ECD “A” and “B”

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Computer-Based Education) / This research was undertaken at a school for Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) by a MEd student. The situation with LSEN learners is extremely complex as they have diverse needs as a result of the medical, situational and educational barriers to learning that they experience. It involves the design, development and implementation of a computerised LSEN Learner Information system that will give the educators in-depth knowledge about the LSEN learner to give them the wisdom to design an individualised LSEN curriculum which is in line with the vision of Educational White Paper 6 (EWP6). EWP6 acknowledges that the problems lie within the educational system and not within the learner and that these barriers must be removed so that all learners have access to education regardless of what barriers to learning they have. This research highlights and addresses these systemic barriers in the design of the LSEN Learner Information System. The Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support document (SIAS) forms the basis of this system as it is used to implement EWP6 and has been used in the design of the individual documents. The current South African legislation provided the vision for LSEN education. The current educational situation provided the reality; these two situations are far apart. There is no adapted curriculum to suit the diverse needs of the LSEN learner. No policies, guidelines or documents exist to assist the LSEN educators. They are confused and discouraged as they are expected to implement mainstream systems that cannot be used with LSEN learners. There is limited support for these educators. The research has been undertaken using Grounded Theory methods, an inductive research methodology, which starts with little else than the research question. It commences with the collection of data from the empirical situation and uses this data to create operational documents and systems that could result in theories being developed. Data was collected from the current LSEN educational system, from the diverse needs of the LSEN learner and from the situation at the research school. This data was used to design LSEN documents that resulted in a number of valuable computerised LSEN documents and systems being developed in this research. These include an LSEN Learner Database, an LSEN Learner Profile and supporting documents. The research shows that the LSEN situation is extremely complex and that each LSEN learner requires an individualised curriculum plan. This is not possible to do using a manual system; therefore an ICT (Information and Communications Technology) solution was implemented. This system gives the educator a full knowledge of the learner's needs that can be used to develop the curriculum needed for the individual learner. The research concludes with an LSEN dream of an individualised curriculum that will be designed in the -next stage- of the research using data that has been collected -in this stage of the research. This research does not provide a theory but rather highlights the need for an LSEN specific teaching methodology to be developed.

This constructivist grounded theory explored the perspectives of twelve families of children who were using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Systems (AAC). There is a growing body of research literature concerning AAC but very little is focused on the perspectives of the ‘whole’ family and the use of AAC in the home environment. Twenty-five parents and children were interviewed using a variety of flexible qualitative methods including a ‘draw and tell’ approach for younger children and ‘Talking Mats’, a framework to support children with complex communication needs to express their views. The core category, ‘Finding a Voice’, emerged from the analysis of the data as families expressed the desire for their child with complex communication needs to gain a voice through the use of AAC. A trajectory was identified which provides a framework underpinning the families’ continuous progress towards ‘Finding a Voice’ for their child. The four phases in the trajectory: Loss of Voice, Prioritising a Voice, Gaining a Voice and Sustaining a Voice encapsulate the strategies parents used in implementing AAC in the home. Dynamic conditions associated with daily family life and routines resulted in parents redefining family roles and shifting priorities to allow the implementation of AAC. The findings show that although the use of AAC systems in the home can be challenging, parents in the study viewed successful communication as a high priority for their children. These findings give a greater insight into the perspectives of families using AAC systems with implications for professional practice.

This research approached the issue of the right to education for children with disabilities in Rwanda. It sought to analyse Rwandan international obligations regarding the right to education of the above mentioned category of children. It also sought to explore Rwandan legal and policy frameworks that were designed to protect and promote the right to education of these children. The research found that some of the provisions of Rwandan legal frameworks do not align with international standards because they focus on segregation rather than on inclusion. The study found also that some policy and strategic frameworks, either overlook the issue of the inclusive education, or do not provide comprehensive strategies to deal with this human rights issue. The research recommended that the amendment be made with respect to the policy and strategic plan framework that disregard or do not provide comprehensively the right to education for children with disabilities. It also urged that the discriminatory provisions be repealed. Finally, the research recommended that the GoR should elaborate a specific policy that promotes inclusive education in order to reach to the education for all by 2015. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Centre for Human Rights / unrestricted

The problem of this study was to determine the degree of Texas Legislative support for public school services to handicapped children not presently being served (birth through two and zero reject). This study has four purposes: To identify trends in respect to educating the handicapped birth through two and zero-reject; To determine State Legislative's attitude with respect to serving; To inform the legislature and educational leaders and familiarize them with the data collected; and to present recommendations to legislators, educators, and agencies of strategies that might be considered in future planning.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / This study investigated the experiences of caregivers regarding their participation in community-based rehabilitation for children with physical disabilities in two selected communities in Botswana. The experiences included the impact of disability on the immediate family, coping strategies, enabling factors and barriers to participation in community-based rehabilitation. / South Africa