The tension between exclusion and inclusion has been a shaping force in U.S. society and education. Public schools, in particular, have experienced stages of incorporating a larger number of children with disabilities into classrooms. In the United States, until approximately 1800, the great majority of students considered to be learners with disabilities were not deemed worthy of formal education, even though they were perceived as brothers and sisters who were part of the community (Hawes, 1991; Rothman, 1971). The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of an urban inclusive program by secondary learning disabled students, their teachers, and support staff. Questions that were answered were: 1) What are the similarities and differences of perceptions between a regular education classroom and a special education classroom? 2) What are the intrapersonal and interpersonal skills of students who have been diagnosed as learning disabled? 3) What are the perceptions of learning disabled students in regard to family life? The method that was utilized was a case study design. The findings of this study indicate that in spite of the students being included in regular education classes, they (students) preferred being in special education. The teachers liked the inclusion program, but felt that it lacked the resources necessary to make the program successful. It can be concluded that inclusion is a worthwhile program; however, the needs of the special education students could not be totally met. / Ed. D.

We live in an age where our most significant 'story' is becoming that of a growing population living on a resource scarce planet. The need for us to do things differently is clear, increasing our awareness of the importance for social innovation around the world, yet the overriding narrative of our time remains embedded in a value system that maintains things just as they are. By looking at the stories we tell and the ways we tell them this study seeks to understand the role that 'narrative' plays in shaping our world, the power it has to influence an alternative reality, and its significance in creating conditions that are conducive for social innovation to occur. This paper gains a deeper understanding of the value systems in which our storytelling behaviour seems to be fundamentally entrenched by exploring the differences between how we understand and make sense of stories of commercial, as opposed to social, interest. In doing so, it has tried to gain insight into how we have successfully managed to sustain and fuel the growth of a global culture that rooted in an extrinsic value system, while we have failed to engender a sense of social responsibility, justice and equality. By conducting a series of participatory action research workshops across four different case study contexts, the research sought to challenge three core elements identified in the literature as occurring in narrative patterns: (1) narratives appear to be framed within either a negative or a positive framework; therefore, reflecting only a 'partial story', and perpetuating stereotypes or incomplete truths; (2) they are generally told by a single, external storyteller, with a very clear agenda; and (3) they are constructed to appeal to extrinsic values. The study set out to understand how we might unlock fixed narratives in the pursuit of social innovation - reconstructing new narratives that could in turn influence and perpetuate alternative realities. The workshop approach drew on influences from three practice-based methods: Theory U, human-centred design and elements of mindfulness practices. They were designed to prioritise story creation by multiple storytellers from inside the case study context, encourage the exploration of both negative and positive aspects of an experienced truth, and appeal to intrinsic values by creating the space for emergence and honesty. The workshops took place at a non-profit organisation, a private ii company, a public sector community health centre, and with an independent group of individuals from the same area. The core finding of this research was that by gaining a sense of 'agency' over their own capacity to identify, shape and share their own story, participants appeared able to identify and deconstruct 'fixed narratives' and move towards reconstructing a 'new, shared narrative' that was more inclusive of everyone's lived experience. A series of common factors appeared to play a consistently significant role in creating the conditions for this to take place. Some form of mindfulness, or body-based, practice was effective in encouraging participants to connect to 'experienced truths'. The use of different media to identify and create their stories increased participants' capacity to connect with their sense of control over shaping their own narrative, and the quality of listening within each group affected the quality of the story and the storyteller's own level of engagement. This appeared to lead to what is referred to in this paper as 'narrative agency'. The above factors also appeared to contribute to a common 'journey' or eight-stage experience. This consisted of fully entering the narrative workshop space (grounding), witnessing their authentic personal story (activating), articulating and sharing with a group honestly (connecting), embodying the emergent personal narrative (consolidating), gaining a sense of ownership and control over their own story (agency), integrating their own story with the experiences and stories of others allowing a new shared narrative to emerge (integrating), and demonstrating a desire to co-create a new narrative to inform new authentic actions (co-creating). This research demonstrated that it can be challenging to separate ourselves from the 'fixed stories' we have come to claim as our own and truly create the space and time to connect with our deepest needs, thoughts and desires. Consequently, we often have no real 'agency' over our stories. The study indicated that a deeper understanding of how to create conditions that generate a sense of 'narrative agency' could contribute to emerging practices in the field of social innovation, such as human-centred design and Theory U, and potentially inform new products, processes and systems.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Psychology of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2002. / The aim of this study was to pursue an investigation if mainstream educators are adequately equipped to deal with learners with special educational needs in ordinary classrooms. From the literature study it became evident that inclusive education is not simply a reform of special education but it accommodates all learners within mainstream classrooms. Changing over to inclusive education will have to be done with great responsibility, otherwise inclusive education in South Africa will be doomed from the beginning. The actual implementation of inclusive education could be highlighted as being inter alia the following: > Legislation pertaining to inclusive education. »- The community as a whole. > No learners should be excluded from mainstream schools. ► In-service training and professional development. * Children should be grouped according to chronological ages. > Class size. ► Curriculum must be readapted. ► Assessment and evaluation should be changed. *■ Programmes and facilities must be constantly monitored and assessed. »- Financial issues need to be addressed. ► Facilities will have to be suitably adapted. Successful implementation of inclusive education will depend upon an effective and responsive educators to cater for the needs of all learners. The following needs of the educator influence his perceptions of inclusive education. * Emotional needs. *- The need for knowledge and skills. > The need for support. Inclusive education would require educators to: > Have a positive attitude. * Be flexible in their thinking. > Be critical, creative and innovative in their approach to teaching and learning. To measure the educators' perceptions of inclusive education it was necessary to design a set of values, attitudes, beliefs and responsibilities against which the perceptions of the educators could be measured. The values, attitudes, beliefs and responsibilities were grouped into the following key performance areas. > Successful implementation of inclusive education. ► Educators' perceptions of an inclusive classroom. The questionnaires were completed by the school principals, deputy principals, heads of department and educators. It was analyzed and the data processed. The study confirmed that the successful implementation of inclusive education will depend on the availability of the following: > A school and district based support team. *- In-service training and ongoing retraining. > Adequate funds. » Collaboration and consultation between special and mainstream educators. *■ Guidance and counselling facilities for parents. > Parental involvement. * Accessible transport. > Physical barriers to the built-in environment. > New teaching strategies. *■ Curriculum adaptation. In conclusion a summary was presented and based on the findings of this study. The following are some of the recommendations that were made: The implementation of inclusive education in South African classrooms need changes to be made to the curriculum, institution and methods of assessment. ► Successful implementation of inclusive education depends upon South Africa's utilization and development of its human resources. > Successful implementation of inclusive education relies largely on governance and funding.

When the implementation of inclusive education was announced by government, it did not come without shared concerns by many parents, educators, lecturers, specialists and learners about the future of the educational system in South Africa. Research needs to be done in order to address these concerns. The present study aims to address some of those concerns as well as to investigate what is provided to mainstream educators in terms of training, support and skills in three schools in the Cape Winelands district of the Western Cape Education Department. These educators have all previously received training in inclusive education. The researcher embarked research to establish whether the educators believed the training and support they received was effective. Previous studies, local as well as abroad, indicate the importance of effective training and support for mainstream educators when it comes to the successful implementation of inclusive education. Aspects the researcher attempted to highlight are pre-service and in-service training of educators. A closer look is taken at classroom support, collaboration among all parties involved and peer support in order to get a clear understanding of what is needed, with special reference to the issue of support. The researcher also took a closer look at the types of skills that are required for the successful implementation of inclusive education-Data was collected through the administration of a questionnaire. The main findings revealed that the majority of educators believe that the training, support and skills they received from the Western Cape Education Department were effective. These results were interesting, given the fact that most educators, both locally and abroad, still raise concerns about training and support. Some key focus areas the researcher identified for the successful implementation of inclusive education are the integration of pre-service and in-service training programmes, parental involvement and collaboration between special and mainstream schools.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education of the requirements for the Degree Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2019. / The implementation of inclusive education in mainstream schools has for some time faced challenges in South African schools. Although much has been achieved in terms of policy development, and the restructuring of schools, the effects of changes have not been properly managed and evaluated. Evaluation and monitoring changes will help to determine the achievement of the policies and tracking the implementation of inclusive education. The main aim of this study was to assess teachers’ experiences of the implementation of inclusive education and to determine the strategies they employed in order to accommodate diversity in their classrooms. Questionnaires were used, both closed-ended and open-ended questions to collect data from primary school teachers. Seven Richards Bay primary schools were identified as the sampling frame. Out of seven schools, one school chose not to participate. A total number of 104 teachers participated in this study. The closed-ended questions were analysed quantitatively. With regards to open-ended questions qualitative analysis was employed. The study revealed that teachers do embrace inclusive education however, most were still found practicing their old methods of teaching, which they were using before inclusive education was introduced. This was due to lack of skills and training. Teachers were given options to choose from with regard to special methods they use in accommodating diversity in their inclusive classrooms. Out of 104 teachers who participated, fifty nine (59) indicated that they do not use any special method to accommodate diversity in their classroom while (45) forty five declared that they use special methods in their inclusive classrooms. The study recommends that in-service training should be provided. Monitoring strategies should be put in place in order to provide support and guidance to teachers. Parents must also be involved in the education of their children. Through the involvement of the School Governing Bodies (SGBs).

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to examine how and why elementary school principals collaborate with their teaching staff to facilitate a commitment to educating students with disabilities in the general education classroom. The researcher used a qualitative multiple case study of three elementary schools to gather the data to answer the research questions posed for the study. The primary methodology for collecting data was from coding semi-structured audiotaped interviews with principals and selected general and special education teachers who were collaborating for the purpose of integrating students with disabilities into general education classrooms for part of their academic instruction. Informal interviews or purposeful conversations were also conducted with other selected general and special education teachers and paraprofessionals at the elementary school sites. Coding procedures followed those used in grounded theory. The study demonstrated that principals play a major role in how students with disabilities are successfully integrated into general education classrooms. Six themes emerged that are consistent with the related literature on the generally effective practices of school administrators. First, principals must work with their staff to cultivate a school climate that nurtures all students in an environment where they all belong, where high expectations are set for all students, and where teachers can teach all children. Second, principals must establish an open system of communication that allows all teachers and parents to share their feelings about the inclusion process at their school and to make recommendations for change if needed. Third, school administrators must work with their faculty to develop mutual goals and to resolve problems. Fourth, principals must assume responsibility for ensuring the necessary support for school policies, including integrating students with disabilities into the general education classrooms. Responsibility was defined as providing instructional, staffing, and emotional support. Fifth, principals must give high priority to providing coordinated planning time for teachers who are working together to facilitate effective communication, team problem solving, and monitoring of student progress. Sixth, principals must support ongoing staff development opportunities that provide information and strategies for working in a school environment that is accepting of all members of the school community. / Ed. D.

This research investigates the practices of teachers in Nigerian classrooms where children with disabilities are being educated alongside their peers. The research objective was to develop an understanding of how teachers in Nigerian classrooms are developing their practice. Since the commitment the Nigerian government to the provision of universal basic and inclusive education for all children, research and reports on what the implementation of inclusive practice entails have been carried out. These have been largely quantitative, focusing on the percentage of children with disabilities who now have access to basic education and the percentage of these children in regular schools or classrooms. The research in Nigeria has used surveys to determine the attitudes and readiness of teachers and school administrators to implement inclusive practice. The problems of implementing inclusive practice have also received attention. It is against this background that this qualitative inquiry seeks to understand what is happening in classrooms with regard to the teaching and learning of all children. To address the main research question, how are teachers with experience of inclusive education developing practice in Nigerian classrooms? qualitative data was generated over eight weeks through the use of semi-structured (non-participant) classroom observations, which were followed-up by semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers from three different schools. To further enhance the understanding of the teachers’ developing practices, the schools’ administrators (either the principal or vice principal) and the resource persons were also interviewed. The overall design of the study was an instrumental-collective case study in which teachers were purposively sampled on the basis of their experience of inclusive education. This design was based on the understanding that inclusive practice is developed through an interaction of what teachers do, what they believe and what they know. Thus, a single factor of readiness and a positive attitude does not fully account for the development of practice (Rouse, 2008). The framework for participation, developed by Black-Hawkins (2010; 2014), guided the process of data generation and the analysis. This research is based on an understanding of inclusive practice as a process of addressing and responding to diverse learning needs that emphasizes how this response is provided. This understanding provided the premise within which the data was deductively (i.e. theoretically driven) analysed. An inductive approach to the analysis was also added to the deductive process of analysing the data generated in order to develop an understanding of the case teachers’ classroom practices. Three main findings emerged from this study. Firstly, teachers’ actions are influenced by their understanding of what teaching and learning are, as well as their knowledge and beliefs about the process through which children with disabilities are expected to learn. Case teachers’ knowledge was found to have significantly influenced their practices. Secondly, there was an absence of collaborative efforts between teachers and/or between teachers and resource persons available within the school context. This absence of collaboration is often associated with a lack of understanding or clarity with regard to the role of resource persons. Thirdly, this study identified barriers and opportunities that were embedded in teachers’ developing practice. The barriers include an absence of a sense of shared values in the classroom between all members of the classroom community, while the opportunities include the use of information from students with disabilities as a source of support to enhance classroom practice. This research contributes to the literature on inclusive classroom practice, especially the strand of literature that in recent years has called for investigations into what inclusive classroom practice comprises and when such practice can be identified on the basis of clearly stated underpinning principles (Florian, 2014b). In using clearly identified principles, it was possible to identify that both inclusive and exclusive practices can be present in the same classroom context and why this is so. Through the use of the framework for participation and theoretical ideas developed and used in researching inclusive education in a different context, this thesis has demonstrated the extent to which these ideas can be applicable in other contexts. In so doing some findings have been reasserted and new insight situated in a particular context has been developed. It is therefore argued that understanding the processes of developing inclusive practice requires a need to situate practice in the broader cultural assumptions, expectations and values of teaching and learning. The findings are discussed and recommendations such as the need for a more deliberate and collaborative efforts in working with resource persons to enhance classroom teachers’ ability to address learning difficulties while developing their inclusive classroom practice are made. The conclusion drawn is that teachers with experience of inclusive education in Nigeria are developing practice that meets some of the theoretical standards of inclusive classroom practice. Regardless of this, there are certain cultural assumptions, understandings and ideas that need to be reflected on and reviewed in order for practice to be further developed and improved upon in Nigeria.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:27:24Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 calore_aco_me_rcla.pdf: 1326512 bytes, checksum: 4805310886e6cebf4c8962282d8b0e38 (MD5) / See-Sp / Este trabalho evoca as “ticas” de “matema” de um grupo de jovens e adultos cegos. Pautada nas teorias da Etnomatemática e da Educação Inclusiva e com o objetivo de observar, descrever e analisar o ser, o saber e o fazer de sujeitos cegos em instituições de ensino, a pesquisa de caráter etnográfico ocorreu em dois ambientes distintos: um instituto especializado e uma escola estadual da rede regular de ensino, ambas da cidade de São José do Rio Preto, SP. Por conseguinte, face aos aspectos culturais das artes e técnicas de um grupo de cegos, estas resultantes de experiências educacionais simultâneas de integração e de inclusão, os dados remetem às influências da cegueira e da instituição especializada no desenvolvimento das “ticas” de “matema” do grupo considerado. Assim, as artes e técnicas do ser, do saber e do fazer da pessoa cega provêm de seis alunos cegos e de uma professora cega da escola regular, além de outros dezessete alunos do referido instituto. Portanto, este ensaio mostra um exemplo de transição entre integração e inclusão e questiona o impacto da cultura de um grupo de cegos para uma proposta de educação inclusiva. / This work evokes the “tics” of “mathema” by a blind adults and young people group. Guided by the Ethnomathematics and Inclusive Education theories and with the purpose to observe, account and analyze the being, knowing and the doing of blind characters in educational institutions, the investigation of ethnographic type has occurred at two different environments: a specialized institute and a public state school both situated in São José do Rio Preto city, SP. Therefore, in view of the cultural aspects the arts and techniques of a bind people group, these like results of the integration and the inclusion simultaneous educational experiences data refer to the blindness and the specialized institution on the “tics” of “mathema” development by the group on research. Then, arts and techniques of the blind being, knowing and doing come from six young students and one teacher at a regular public school and seventeen adult students at a specialized institute for blind people. Thereby this essay shows an example of the transition educational between the integration and the inclusion and it asks the impact of the culture by a blind group for an inclusive education proposal.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2002. / To provide equal access to education, it is required that children be placed in the least restrictive environment that will promote their academic and social development. Schools are therefore integrating learners with special education needs (LSEN) from segregated special education settings into mainstream schools. Educators play a crucial role in the integration process, thus knowledge of their attitudes is important. The study focuses on the attitudes of educators towards LSEN and the attitudes of educators towards the integration of LSEN into mainstream schools. A study of the literature was undertaken and guided by those insights a questionnaire was drawn up. This was distributed to educators and the information was statistically analyzed and presented. The questionnaire consisted of scales that measured attitudes. The relationship of educator attitudes to such educator variables as age, gender and experience in education was examined. The study revealed that educators hold favourable attitudes to both LSEN and the integration of LSEN into the mainstream. It was also found that male educators hold more favourable attitudes than female educators. Educator variables, age and number of years teaching experience were found to not significantly effect attitudes. Results from this study will enable programmes and policy implementation and development concerning the integration process of LSEN into the mainstream environment.