The impact of social cognitive and personality factors on teachers' reported inclusive behaviour

Is inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disabilities an impossible dream?

BACKGROUND

Countries have been implementing inclusive educational practices for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) for at least 30 years.

AIMS

Some issues continue to present as unresolved and will be examined in this paper with possible ways forward suggested. 1. There is still a lack of clarity around the definition of inclusion, its theoretical underpinnings, its implementation in practice and evaluation of success. 2. Teachers often still report the same problems of insufficient resources and express the same concerns about lack of skills and knowledge as reported in the early days. 3. A key question is, do children with SEND achieve better outcomes in inclusive educational settings?

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The paper argues that an overarching executive framework applied to the education of children with SEND is needed to provide a common frame of reference that can be shared by educators, policymakers and researchers. New ways of resourcing inclusion are discussed including supporting collaboration between mainstream and special schools to better utilize the expertise located in special schools. The paper examines the evidence for improved academic and social outcomes for learners with SEND in inclusive schools and proposes that psychological outcomes now need to be measured too. It further suggests that future research needs to drill down to the level of teacher classroom instruction rather than rely on the broader mainstream school-special school comparison.

Perceived Competence of Teachers in the Implementation of Trauma-informed Practices for Students with Disabilities in Classrooms in the United Arab Emirates

Trauma refers to an overwhelming experience that can leave lingering and negative memories in individuals. Although it is a precursor to challenging behaviours among students with disabilities, the ability of teachers to manage and support them in overcoming their post-trauma experiences is rarely discussed in the literature. This study aims to understand the perceived competence of teachers in adopting trauma-informed practices (TIP) for students with disabilities in regular classrooms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The trauma model of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guided the development of the Teacher Trauma Management Scale (TTMS) as well as the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR-16), which was used for data collection. A total of 244 in-service teachers were recruited from 22 schools in one of the seven Emirates in the UAE. The data were subjected to a t-test, an analysis of variance, Pearson moment-production correlation, hierarchical regression and moderation analyses. The results show an interrelationship between most of the domains of the SAMHSA model, the ambivalence of participants towards the implementation of TIP, a small influence of social desirability and the effect of background variables on TIP in the UAE. The study findings showed neutrality of participants on trauma management and thus, highlighting the need for TIP policy formulation, curriculum reform and other implications, which are discussed in detail in the paper.

Evaluating Mentors in Violence Prevention: A Longitudinal, Multilevel Assessment of Outcome Changes

There is a need to increase understanding of the effectiveness of bystander programmes targeting gender-based violence in the United Kingdom. There is also a need to utilise a robust theoretical models of decision-making while doing so. Changes were examined in bystanders' attitudes, beliefs, motivations towards intervening, and intervention behavior in situations of gender-based violence. To achieve this, a quantitative examination of Mentors in Violence Prevention was conducted. There were 1396 participants (50% female, 50% male) who were aged 11 to 14 years old (M = 12.25, SD = 0.84) attending high school at the first time point. Participants were attending 17 schools (53% Mentors in Violence Prevention and 47% control) in Scotland. Outcome variables were assessed approximately one year apart using questionnaires. Multilevel linear regressions revealed that Mentors in Violence Prevention did not change outcomes reflecting bystanders' attitudes, beliefs, motivations towards intervening, or intervention behavior in gender-based violence. Discrepancies between the current findings and those of other evaluations may be due to other studies including small numbers of schools that may be more motivated to implement the program. This study also identified two key issues that need to be addressed at stakeholder level before concluding that Mentors in Violence Prevention is ineffective at targeting gender-based violence. That the program has moved towards a more gender-neutral approach in the United Kingdom could explain the null results of this study. Furthermore, the current findings could be attributed to a failure to adequately address the theoretical model underpinning the program in practice.

Evaluating the Mentors in Violence Prevention Program: A Process Examination of How Implementation Can Affect Gender-Based Violence Outcomes

Gender-based violence is a global public health issue and major human rights concern. It is also a type of violence that is disproportionately experienced by women and girls. This study is the first to examine multiple implementation process (dosage, fidelity, and adaptation) effects on changes in anticipated outcomes of a school-based bystander program targeting gender-based violence, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP). Data were collected from two participant groups: mentees (students receiving MVP) and mentors (students delivering MVP), across nine participating high schools. The mentee sample comprised 698 students (about 48.9% males and 49.7% females), aged 11 to 14 years old (M = 11.86, SD = 0.64). The mentor sample comprised 118 students (17.80% males, 82.20% females), aged 15 to 18 years old (M = 16.42, SD = 0.60). Anticipated outcomes were changes in bystanders' attitudes, social influences, control perceptions, intentions, willingness, and intervention behavior, measured using mentees' self-reports at two time points approximately 1 year apart. Implementation processes were measured using mentors' self-reports. Analyses revealed no effects for any of the implementation variables across changes in any of the outcomes measured. These results highlight important implications for the implementation of the MVP program going forward, given its widespread implementation in the United Kingdom. Possible ways that MVP may be enhanced in future are discussed. For example, furthering understanding into how gender-based violence and bystander intervention are addressed and framed during MVP lessons would give more insight into how the current implementation of the program can be improved to maximize its potential benefits.

Physical education teachers' attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

The attitudes of physical education (PE) teachers toward inclusion are critical to the successful provision of inclusive teaching for students with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Saudi Arabian PE teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE classes and the effect of sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender and length of teaching experience) on their attitudes toward inclusion. A total of 1,314 PE teachers (M _age = 41.09, SD = 9.40, females = 42.8%) completed the Arabic version of the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education-Revised Scale (SACIE-R). Analyses found that, in general, PE teachers had moderately positive attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE lessons. A significant difference was found between the two genders in their attitudes toward inclusion. Specifically, female PE teachers demonstrated more positive attitudes toward inclusion than males. Multiple linear regression analysis, meanwhile, showed that the length of teaching experience and the experience of teaching a student with a disability were significant predictors of participants' attitudes toward inclusion. Our findings highlighted the importance of reconsidering the quality of PE teachers' experiences and interactions with students with disabilities as a means to improving their attitudes, which in turn would translate into successful inclusion.

Bystander intervention among secondary school pupils: Testing an augmented Prototype Willingness Model

This study augmented the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) to assess reactive and deliberative decision-making underpinning bystander intervention in gender-based violence contexts. There were 2079 participants (50% male, 49% female, and 1% unreported), aged 11-15 years old (M = 12.32, SD = 0.91), attending 19 secondary schools across Scotland. Participants self-reported the augmented PWM variables, then their intervention behaviour approximately 1 month later. Path analyses mostly supported the predicted relationships between positive and negative bidimensional attitudes, subjective norms, prototype perceptions, perceived behavioural control, and self-efficacy on intentions and willingness. Willingness predicted positive (speaking with a teacher) and negative (doing nothing) intervention in less serious violence. Self-efficacy predicted negative intervention in more serious violence. Subjective norms positively moderated the attitudes-intentions relationship. Overall, the results suggested that reactive (willingness) more so than deliberative (intention) decision-making account for intervention when young people witness gender-based violence. Additionally, the findings highlight the complexity of bystander intervention decision-making, where adding control perceptions, bidimensional attitudes, and moderators have independent contributions. Furthermore, self-comparison to the typical bystander who positively intervenes (prototype perceptions) was the strongest predictor of intentions and willingness, highlighting in a novel way the importance of image and group membership on decision-making.

Teachers’ Beliefs About Inclusive Education and Insights on What Contributes to Those Beliefs: a Meta-analytical Study

Teachers’ belief systems about the inclusion of students with special needs may explain gaps between policy and practice. We investigated three inter-related aspects of teachers’ belief systems: teachers’ cognitive appraisals (e.g., attitudes), emotional appraisal (e.g., feelings), and self-efficacy (e.g., agency to teach inclusive classrooms). To date, research in this field has produced contradictory findings, resulting in a sparse understanding of why teachers differ in their belief systems about inclusive education, and how teachers’ training experiences contribute to their development of professional beliefs. We used meta-analysis to describe the level and range of teachers’ beliefs about inclusive education, and examine factors that contribute to variation in teachers’ beliefs, namely (1) the point in teachers’ career (pre-service versus in-service), (2) training in special versus regular education, and (3) the effects of specific programs and interventions. We reviewed 102 papers (2000–2020) resulting in 191 effect sizes based on research with 40,898 teachers in 40 countries. On average, teachers’ cognitive appraisals, emotional appraisals, and efficacy about inclusion were found to be in the mid-range of scales, indicating room for growth. Self-efficacy beliefs were higher for preservice (M = 3.69) than for in-service teachers (M = 3.13). Teachers with special education training held more positive views about inclusion than regular education teachers (d = 0.41). Training and interventions related to improved cognitive appraisal (d = 0.63), emotional appraisal (d = 0.63), and self-efficacy toward inclusive practices (d = 0.93). The training was particularly effective in encouraging reflection of beliefs and, eventually, facilitating belief change when teachers gained practical experience in inclusive classrooms. Six key findings direct the next steps.

"It feels like sending your children into the lions' den" - A qualitative investigation into parental attitudes towards ASD inclusion, and the impact of mainstream education on their child

BACKGROUND

Increasing numbers of autistic children are being educated in mainstream schools. The success of inclusive education is dependent upon multiple factors, including key stakeholders (i.e., teachers and parents). Research has tended to focus on teachers' experiences of inclusion with limited focus on parents.

AIMS

The study aimed to qualitatively investigate parental attitudes and experiences of inclusive education. As such, the research question was: What are attitudes towards, and experiences of, inclusive education for parents of autistic children?

METHODS AND PROCEDURE

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents of autistic children. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

four themes were identified; 1) Feeling Unheard; 2) Implementation of Inclusive Strategies; 3) Social Exclusion; 4) Mental Health and Wellbeing Impact. Findings suggested that parents felt their child struggled socially in mainstream school, with such experiences negatively impacting upon their child's wellbeing. The detrimental impacts were a result of parents believing school staff dismissed their concerns and thus appropriate strategies for their child were not always implemented.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This highlights the need for school staff and parents to work together to enhance inclusivity both academically and socially for autistic children.

Influence of Social Support on Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is at the heart of educational policy world-wide. Teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education, which are often associated with the success of the policy, have been studied extensively. Various factors related to teachers, students with special educational needs (SEN) and different specific contexts have been identified. In the current study, we explored the influence of social support on teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In a pilot study implying teachers, we replicated, in the French context, previous results showing a correlational link between social support and attitudes toward inclusion. Specifically, we showed that the more social support they perceived with regard to their attempts to include students with SEN, the more positive the teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In an experiment involving 314 teachers we then explored the causal link between these variables. Results showed that highlighting the support teachers receive improves their attitudes in comparison with highlighting a lack of support or a control condition in which support is not mentioned. These studies show the importance of supporting inclusive education in the schools. This support can be provided in different ways (emotional, informational, instrumental, etc.) and by different actors (colleagues, supervisors).

The Role of Flexibility in the Realization of Inclusive Education

This study focused on associations between teachers’ flexibility and their use of evidence-based strategies in inclusive education in a sample of N = 119 teachers. Flexibility showed direct effects on teachers’ attitudes towards the achievement of mainstream students and students with learning difficulties, attitudes towards social benefits of inclusion for students with emotional and behavioral disturbances, and on teachers’ self-efficacy regarding the support of students’ social skills. Furthermore, indirect effects of flexibility on intentions and behavior regarding the support of social skills were found. The findings emphasize the importance of teachers’ flexibility in the realization of inclusive education.

Chilean Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education, Intention, and Self-Efficacy to Implement Inclusive Practices

Teachers play an important role in the success of inclusive practices for diverse learners in regular classrooms. It is, therefore, important to examine their beliefs and preparation to teach in inclusive classrooms. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the attitude of active Chilean teachers (n = 569) towards inclusion, their self-efficacy regarding inclusive practices, and their intention to teach in inclusive classrooms. Our secondary objectives were to explore the relationship between their attitudes and self-efficacy and to determine the influence of demographic and professional variables on these two constructs. A positive and significant relationship between teachers’ attitude and self-efficacy was found. Teacher qualification was not significantly related to attitudes towards inclusion but was negatively associated with their self-efficacy beliefs concerning inclusive practices. Secondary education teachers reported lower teaching efficacy beliefs for inclusion than pre-school, primary, and special education teachers. The type of school emerged as a significant predictor of teachers’ attitude and self-efficacy beliefs. The implications of this research and need for additional teacher and in-service training to improve educators’ attitudes and self-efficacy are discussed.

Development, psychometrics and feasibility of the School Participation Questionnaire: A teacher measure of participation related constructs

BACKGROUND

We report development of the SPQ (School Participation Questionnaire) a teacher-completed measure of participation related constructs for schools. The SPQ was developed to support participation-related assessment, interventions, and research in the inclusive school context.

METHODS

Several iterative steps were undertaken. An international panel of experts reviewed content validity. A 66-item pilot questionnaire was administered in schools. Mokken and Rasch model analysis were applied. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Analyses were conducted on associations with teacher and child demographic variables. Feedback was sourced from users. Participants were teachers of 101 children (5-12 years old) with a range of disabilities, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties.

RESULTS

Four participation-related dimensions of the SPQ were confirmed. Rasch person and item reliability were good, and 2-4 strata were confirmed per scale. Internal consistency was good (all scales, Cronbach α > 0.8). Mean administration time was 11.7 min. Mean SPQ scores were independent of teacher characteristics. A significant effect of school support level, eligibility for free school meals and gender was found. Through synthesising analytic results and feedback, a new 46-item tool was obtained.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study provide evidence of acceptability, practicality and validity. The SPQ is the first tool developed to assess participation related constructs in schools, and it contains novel information not given by other assessments. The SPQ may be used by practitioners and researchers to understand and improve the participation of children with a range of disabilities in schools.

How the Psychology of Education Contributes to Research With a Social Impact on the Education of Students With Special Needs: The Case of Successful Educational Actions

One current challenge in the psychology of education is identifying the teaching strategies and learning contexts that best contribute to the learning of all students, especially those whose individual characteristics make their learning process more difficult, as is the case for students with special needs. One main theory in the psychology of education is the sociocultural approach to learning, which highlights the key role of interaction in children's learning. In the case of students with disabilities, this interactive understanding of learning is aligned with a social model of disability, which looks beyond individual students' limitations or potentialities and focuses on contextual aspects that can enhance their learning experience and results. In recent years, the interactive view of learning based on this theory has led to the development of educational actions, such as interactive groups and dialogic literary gatherings, that have improved the learning results of diverse children, including those with disabilities. The aim of this paper is to analyze the social impact achieved by a line of research that has explored the benefits of such successful educational actions for the education of students with special needs. National and European research projects based on the communicative methodology of research have been conducted. This methodology entails drawing on egalitarian dialogue with the end-users of research - including teachers, students with and without disabilities, students' relatives and other community members - to allow an intersubjective creation of knowledge that enables a deeper and more accurate understanding of the studied reality and its transformative potential. This line of research first allowed the identification of the benefits of interactive learning environments for students with disabilities educated in mainstream schools; later, it allowed the spreading of these actions to a greater number of mainstream schools; and more recently, it made it possible to transfer these actions to special schools and use these actions to create shared learning spaces between mainstream and special schools. The improvement of the educational opportunities for a greater number and greater diversity of students with special needs evidences the social impact of research based on key contributions of the psychology of education.

Behavior Modification Maintenance with Long-Term Blood Glucose and Weight Management in Prader-Willi Syndrome Complicated with Diabetes: Team Management Approach Combined with Pharmacological Treatment

The patient was a 40-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) at 1 year of age and type 2 diabetes at 27 years of age. At 34 years of age, she was hospitalized to start insulin therapy and receive guidance on treatment. During the next 6 months and through regular once-monthly outpatient clinic visits, the blood glucose level was relatively stabilized although body weight gradually increased. Two years following discharge, the blood glucose level became unstable, and she was hospitalized again to receive guidance on treatment. A team medicine-based approach was established upon hospitalization. The basic treatment was unchanged (insulin, diet, and exercise). The approach taken by the team included understanding the characteristics of PWS by all team members, clear definition of treatment goals, positive evaluation of the patient, and maintenance of the patient's motivation for treatment. Anxiety and stress related to mother's illness dampened motivation and adherence to treatment, but the addition of appropriate pharmacological treatment helped in rapid recovery of motivation to adhere to the treatment protocol. At 3 years after discharge, HbA1c is maintained at around 6%, and body weight continues to fall. Our protocol of the combination of a team medicine approach with appropriately timed pharmacological intervention could probably be applied to not only type 2 diabetes in PWS but also the management of patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

Prototypes reflect normative perceptions: implications for the development of reasoned action theory

The reasoned action approach is one of the most successful behavioral theories in the history of social psychology. This study outlines the theoretical principles of reasoned action and considers when it is appropriate to augment it with a new variable. To demonstrate, we use survey data collected from a 4 to 17 year old U.S. adolescents to test how the 'prototype' variables fit into reasoned action approach. Through confirmatory factor analysis, we find that the prototype measures are normative pressure measures and when treated as a separate theoretical construct, prototype identity is not completely mediated by the proximal predictors of behavioral intention. We discuss the assumptions of the two theories and finally consider the distinction between augmenting a specific theory versus combining measures derived from different theoretical perspectives.