Search Results (295)

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, or Queer (LGBTQ) students with disabilities face unique challenges in the educational environment, and educators must provide support based on intersectionality. However, research on LGBTQ students in special needs education is limited, and the extent of educators’ awareness and support is not well documented. Therefore, this study explored the awareness, knowledge, and support practices of special needs school educators regarding LGBTQ students. We conducted a nationwide survey of educators in special needs schools in Japan, and 2024 valid responses were analyzed using multiple correspondence and cluster analyses. The results revealed that many educators lacked an understanding of basic LGBTQ terminology and may have been unaware of their discriminatory behaviors. Additionally, most educators had never encountered LGBTQ students with disabilities, potentially hindering these students’ opportunities to seek support. Furthermore, educators who had received LGBTQ training reported higher awareness and being more proactive in supporting LGBTQ students than those who had not. Thus, training may be associated with support-related attitudes. This highlights the need for ongoing training programs that address LGBTQ identity and disability, considering their intersectionality. These preliminary findings suggest the potential for creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ students with disabilities; nevertheless, structural barriers remain. Full article

Providing inclusive education and engaging all students in reading and writing activities presents an ongoing challenge for teachers, not necessarily resolved by implementing digital technology. This study addresses the need to better understand teacher competencies within the digitally infused classroom, specifically in relation to inclusive education and reading and writing practices. The study investigates the competencies and supportive strategies of middle school teachers who perceive themselves as successful in this area. The study employs the Delphi technique, using iterative surveys through which these teachers describe and rate aspects of their competencies and strategies. The results are analyzed through a modified version of the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, with particular attention to how teachers support students using their content knowledge and digital competency. Findings reveal a range of strategies and competency aspects related to both proactive accessibility and reactive individualization, using a variety of digital tools and text modalities. The teachers describe a dual orientation in their ability to curiously explore digital tools while simultaneously being able to critically appraise their usefulness. The findings contribute insights on what can support teachers when collaboratively developing knowledge of local practices and their agency in relation to available digital tools. Full article

Inclusive education emphasizes the right of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to access equitable learning opportunities in mainstream classrooms. This study presents the implementation and evaluation of a school-based intervention within the BATTIE (Bottleneck Analysis and Teacher Trainings for Inclusive Education) project in Greece, aiming to enhance inclusion through differentiated instruction (DI) and a whole school approach. The intervention was conducted across 26 schools and involved 116 educators and 130 students with SEND. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing structured classroom observations, field notes, and semi-structured interviews with teachers. The data were thematically analyzed using NVivo 11. Findings indicated notable improvements in student engagement, academic participation, and classroom collaboration, especially among students with SEND. Teachers reported enhanced professional confidence, better understanding of inclusive strategies, and improved collaboration with special education staff. However, limitations in interdisciplinary cooperation—particularly with school psychologists—were identified. This study concludes that sustained professional development, school-wide collaboration, and differentiated instruction are essential for fostering inclusive practices. It underscores the potential of structured, whole school interventions to improve learning environments for diverse student populations and provides insights for educational policy and practice reform. Full article

This study explored the experiences of Hungarian minority parents of children with severe disabilities from Romania. Examining individual life paths and becoming a parent is difficult in all aspects, but the issue of parental responsibility for raising a child with a severe disability suggests a much more complex approach. Participants were parents (female = 8; male = 3) who were purposively sampled from an urban setting (Bihor area) and whose children attended SEN schools in the same area. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and were thematically analysed. It turned out from the interviews that the challenges parents of children with severe disabilities encounter at home, school, and in society are accumulated emotional stress and exhaustion; however, they also face material challenges. The analysis also revealed that the parents were unsure of what was expected of them in making educational or habilitation–rehabilitation decisions on behalf of their children. The parents’ difficulty with decision-making and their unpreparedness put them under serious stress, often characterized by depressive life stages. The findings reveal the need for ongoing professional development and the establishment of organizational–community networks. Parents of children with disabilities face serious, unresolved challenges that are difficult to overcome. In order to overcome these challenges, we need to develop policies that take the needs of parents into consideration. Full article

Inclusive Education aims to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all students, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities, by promoting accessible teaching practices and supportive learning environments. Although its importance for fostering the academic and social development of diverse learners has been widely recognized in international policy and research, its practical implementation is still under investigation, particularly within the Greek primary education system. This study investigates (a) Greek primary school teachers’ perspectives, focusing on their attitudes, knowledge, challenges, and perceived needs in Inclusive Education for SEN students and (b) research trends relating to these perspectives, focusing on publication trends and methodological characteristics, through a systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology. The analysis revealed a shift in Greek primary teachers’ attitudes towards Inclusive Education for SEN students, trending towards neutral or negative responses, alongside limited knowledge, various challenges, and an absence of targeted support mechanisms. The analysis also highlighted chronological gaps between the identified studies in international journals and a variability in methodological approaches and sample characteristics. These insights point to a pressing need for further targeted and ongoing research on Greek primary teachers’ perspectives and professional development initiatives to enable effective and inclusive practices for SEN students in Greek primary education. Full article

Educational process data offers valuable opportunities to enhance teaching and learning by providing more detailed insights into students’ learning and problem-solving processes. However, its large size, unstructured format, and inherent noise pose significant challenges for effective analysis. Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a powerful tool for tackling such complexities. Despite growing interest, a comprehensive review of ML applications in process data analysis remains lacking. This study contributes to the literature by systematically reviewing 38 peer-reviewed publications, dated from 2013 to 2024, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The findings of this review indicate that (1) clickstream data is the most widely used processing data type, (2) process data analysis offers actionable insights to support differentiated instruction and address diverse student needs, and (3) ML typically serves as a tool for coding process data or estimating student ability. Persistent challenges, including feature extraction and interpreting results for practical applications, are also discussed. Finally, implications for future research and practice are discussed with a focus on enhancing personalized learning, improving assessment accuracy, and promoting test fairness. Full article

Inclusion is among the greatest challenges worldwide for educational systems. The present study examines the attitudes towards inclusion of parents of neurotypical children attending inclusive mainstream primary schools in Cyprus and Greece. Moreover, it addresses potential links between parental inclusion attitudes and different aspects of inclusive education, such as accommodation of different special educational needs (SENs), willingness to establish contact with children with SENs and their families, and knowledge of the strengths and difficulties of children with SENs. The participants were 202 parents from Cyprus and 166 parents from Greece who filled in a 74-item questionnaire. The results indicated that both Greek and Cypriot parents held good knowledge of the characteristics of children with SENs and positive attitudes towards the inclusion of children with SENs. Both groups of parents believed that certain disability categories can be more easily accommodated in mainstream schools. Parental beliefs towards inclusion were found to moderately predict attitudes towards the accommodation of SENs, willingness to develop and maintain social contact with the families of children with SENs, and ability attribution to children with SENs. This study suggests the importance of taking into account parental factors to improve attitudes and behaviors towards inclusion. Full article

Accountability in education is an important legal, professional and ethical consideration for all teachers in their practice, as it leads to deep reflections about educational outcomes for their students. However, in respect of inclusive education, a constellation of implementation barriers has led to difficulties with understanding and ensuring accountability of outcomes for students with special educational needs (SENs). Additionally, there is very little discussion or research about accountability in special and inclusive education (SIE) in many educational systems around the world. Drawing on extant literature, this paper explores the diverse disciplinary (e.g., policy making, organisational management) understandings of accountability to illuminate the field of educational accountability. It then proposes a model for inclusive education accountability—informed by human rights—that outlines the roles, obligations of policy makers, principals, teachers, and allied professionals to enable accountable practices and outcomes for students with SENs. The proposed model suggests accountability types and obligations at different levels that can be implemented in diverse practice contexts. Full article

Word problem posing is a critical component of student mathematics learning. This study examined the effects of a problem-posing intervention designed to improve mathematics performance and sentence-writing conventions. Using a multiple baseline across participants design, three third-grade students with mathematics and writing difficulties received one-on-one intervention delivered after school at a university reading center. Data were collected from baseline, intervention, and maintenance phases. Visual analysis and Tau-U statistical analysis indicated that all three students showed improvements in problem solving, problem posing, total words written, words spelled correctly, and correct writing sequence. Post-intervention data suggested that students maintained the improvement over baseline. Discussion and implications for future practice and research were provided. Full article

There is a need for teachers in 4–12th grade to possess strong foundational reading skills to support older students who persistently struggle with reading. The present study examined novice, 4–12th grade teachers’ knowledge of foundational reading skills and their perceptions of and beliefs about teaching reading using the Survey of Reading-Related Knowledge and Perceptions. Participating novice teachers (n = 333) included elementary general education teachers (n = 113), special education elementary teachers (n = 120), secondary general education teachers (n = 73), and special education secondary teachers (n = 27). Survey data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicated that novice teachers, on average, scored below 50% on reading-related knowledge items. Novice teachers, on average, self-reported higher scores for their beliefs and perceived ability to teach reading than their actual knowledge of foundational reading skills. Implications for supporting novice teacher knowledge related to foundational reading skills are provided. Full article

Inclusive education in early childhood is pivotal for fostering equitable learning opportunities and promoting diversity from a young age. Administrators play a key role in implementing inclusive practices effectively within educational settings. This systematic review synthesizes the attitudes of early childhood education administrators towards inclusion, examining how these attitudes influence the successful integration of inclusive practices and identifying the factors that impact these perspectives. A total of 18 studies were identified through a systematic search procedure and included in this review. The results reveal a generally positive attitude towards inclusion among administrators, tempered by notable challenges, such as insufficient training and inadequate resources. These challenges align with variations in administrators’ readiness to implement inclusive practices. This review also highlights variability in how administrators perceive their roles in inclusive education, ranging from instructional leaders to supportive facilitators. Although some studies identified influencing factors, such as gender, education level, and school location, these were more strongly associated with overall attitudes towards inclusion rather than role perception specifically. The implications for policy involve strengthening resource allocation and training for administrators to support inclusive practices effectively. For practice, there is a need to develop robust support structures and targeted professional development programs that address the specific needs of administrators in fostering inclusivity. Future research should expand to include diverse global perspectives and explore the nuances of administrative roles in different cultural and educational settings. Full article

Approximately 66% of students with disabilities spend most of their day in a general education classroom co-teaching has been the answer to providing inclusive instruction and support though co-teaching is a high-leverage practice for supporting students with disabilities, the effectiveness of the implementation is debatable. We aimed to better understand what influencers affect co-teaching systems, the resulting effects of those influencers, and what teachers identify as influential components to a successful system of co-teaching. This case study of two co-teaching partnerships was analyzed through the lens of dynamic systems theory using emergent qualitative coding methods. Data from classroom observations and a private semi-structured interview were analyzed. Implications on current practice, such as targeted coaching supports, and future research considerations, such as longitudinal studies of instructional changes for a partnership, are discussed. Full article

Teamwork is a critical component in implementing effective interventions for students who experience disability. Qualitative data from a five-year design-based research project were analyzed to identify challenges that education teams faced and strategies they used when designing and implementing a set of online tools to increase awareness and engagement in hidden STEM career pathways for students who experience disability. Common challenges were related to project-specific knowledge, administrative support, and the district’s existing curriculum. The strategies teams used to overcome these challenges included reliance on a team member, task avoidance, and working within the local context. As we examined the teams’ challenges and the strategies they employed, elements of group development theory were identified. Considerations for practitioners and further research are discussed. Full article

In recent years, studies analyzing how information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to the development of students with special educational needs (SENs) have gained interest. The proliferation of studies in this field has driven the creation of numerous digital resources that can be applied in science teaching. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the usefulness of ICT in teaching Natural Sciences in Primary Education to address diversity. The methodology used for this systematic review and meta-analysis followed PRISMA guidelines, drawing data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. A total of three documents were analyzed. The results indicated a favorable effect for the experimental groups (I² = 84; p = 0.002). These findings show that the use of ICT enhances participation and motivation among Primary School students with SENs in Natural Sciences. In conclusion, ICT positively influences learning in Natural Sciences by increasing motivation among Primary School students with SENs. This meta-analysis highlights the importance and positive impact of ICT on Natural Sciences learning in Primary Education, especially in support of student diversity. The reviewed evidence confirms that personalizing learning through adaptive systems, using methodologies based on individual learning styles, and employing innovative technologies significantly enhance academic performance, motivation, and student engagement. The effective use of ICTs for inclusion in primary school science relies on the design of instructional methods that link technology, emotions, and diversity. Full article