Perceptions of Regular Education Teachers toward Inclusion of All Handicapped Students in Their Classrooms

Inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries: A review of the research literature from 1990 to 2014

BACKGROUND

In this study, a literature review was conducted to analyze studies published from 1990 to 2014 in English-written literature on inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries.

AIMS

This study sought to review and analyze research conducted on Inclusive Education (IE) in Arab countries.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

The following electronic databases were used in searching the relevant literature: ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PsychINFO, EBSCOhost Databases, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database, ERIC, and Google Scholar. After the publications to be included in this study were retrieved, each study was reviewed and analyzed. Each study was examined for details such as authors, title of research, publication year, country, purpose, methods, and key findings.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

The results showed that a total of 42 empirical studies related to inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries have been published. More than two-thirds of these studies came from United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The majority of the studies were published in the last 6 years. The main parameters in these studies were: attitudes toward inclusion, barriers to inclusion, and evaluating inclusion.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The results of the current study revealed that relatively little IE research has been conducted in Arab countries. More research is warranted to test the generalizability of the results of the current study. Further research is also needed to analyze IE practices and demonstrate strategies for the effective implementation of IE in these countries.

Including Students who Are Visually Impaired in the Classroom: Attitudes of Preservice Teachers

Introduction

This study examines the perceptions of preservice teachers concerning the inclusion of students with blindness or low vision (visual impairments) in their classrooms.

Methods

Using a modified version of the Preservice Inclusion Scale (PSIS), data were collected from participants in three universities in the United States before and after the completion of an introductory special education course. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) test was conducted to investigate the change in participants’ attitudes toward inclusion.

Results

The anxiety measure revealed an increase in the calmness level of preservice teachers, and the receptivity measure revealed a nonsignificant change in their receptivity level toward inclusion.

Discussion

There were three main study outcomes: A between-subject effect of the universities was not evident, no significant changes in hostility or receptivity were found, and the confidence of preservice teachers in teaching students with visual impairments was not a predictor of changes in attitudes toward inclusion.

Suggestions for future research

Future research should determine the nature and scope of strategies included in coursework, and whether these strategies relate more to improvements in attitudes than to coursework that does not include them.

Struggling for inclusive education in the North and the South: educators' perceptions on inclusive education in Finland and Zambia

A survey assessed the perceptions of 1350 Zambian teachers and parents and 512 Finnish teachers regarding inclusive education and consequently the best placement for children with different disabilities. On the whole, perceptions varied but were quite critical. On inclusion in general, the regular (also termed "ordinary") Finnish teachers were the most critical group and the Finnish special education teachers the most optimistic. Most respondents felt that inclusive education enhances social justice. However, the pursuit of inclusion in practice, especially the guarantee of good and effective education for all, was seen as problematic. Compared with Finnish respondents, the Zambian respondents preferred a more segregated educational environment for children with different disabilities. Type and severity of disability affected the preferred educational setting and there were clear differences in this regard between the respondents from the two countries. The findings support the idea that educators' attitudes towards inclusion are important in developing inclusive school systems and that inclusive education is best understood as a multidimensional concept that, at the practical level, is highly context-dependent.