Inclusive EducationUniversity of Johannesburg

T. Makoelle

Why Inclusive Education

•Education for social justice•Human right issue•Access to economic viability •Responding to global commitments to make the world an equitable and inclusive society•Embrace diversity

Theoretical orientations to inclusive education practice• Curriculum approaches: view of curriculum as a barrier to

learning (Clough & Corbett 2000)• School Improvement strategy: view school organization as a

potential barrier to learning (Ainscow, Dyson, Goldrick & West 2012)• Disability: the physical or psychological attributes of the

learner render him/her a victim of exclusion e.g. a hard-hearing learner• Pedagogic approach: stemming from the medical model in

terms of which teaching and learning are designed to address the perceived learner medically diagnosed shortcomings (according to this model there is something to fix on the learner

Theoretical orientations to inclusive education practice• Social ecological model: was developed as a critique

to the medical deficit model: the learners social context forms the core of accepting diversity and allowing participation of individuals regardless of the differences (Reindall 2008, Cesar & Ainscow 2006, Makoelle 2012

Discourses of inclusion

• Full inclusion: typically children and those perceived to be having additional needs participate fully in an educational programme that caters for all. This means inclusion focuses on the transformation of school cultures and pedagogic practice to enhance access, ensure the acceptance of all and widen the participation by all• Cluster inclusion: learners with additional needs are catered

for in an additional programme alongside a mainstream programme• Reverse inclusion: learners with additional needs are catered

in the programme that caters largely for this type of learners

Discourses of inclusion

• Social inclusion: learners with additional needs are catered for in special settings and come together with typically developing learners at times for social experience (Kennedy, McLoughlin, Moore & Forster 2011)

Inclusive pedagogy

Inclusive pedagogy: totality of teaching, learning, beliefs and attitudes to facilitating the process of knowing in childrenCharacteristics of inclusive pedagogyEmancipatoryEmbraces differencesSeeks to empowerNon- judgmentalAll learners can learn but differently

Approaches in inclusive pedagogy

Special needs approachAssumption: view inclusion as limited to those diagnosed with a special need usually derived from medical deficit modelPractice: application of procedures, techniques, strategies (proven to

remedy or fix the need (Farrell 1997, Rief 2006)Characteristics: usually prefers separate pedagogic setting

:the focus is on the learnerCritique : usually humiliating, subjugating and disempowering

Approaches in inclusive pedagogy

Inclusive approach to pedagogyAssumption: all learners are accommodated regardless of differencesPractice: usually rely on creativity and apply different strategies in

respond to the diverse needs of learners in an inclusive settingCharacteristics: a more inclusive setting is preferred

: focuses on the teacher, resources, learnerCritique: emancipatory and seek to change beliefs and attitudes about

differences

Two views teaching which influences the teacher’s approachProcess-product (Behavioristic) view of teachingDerived from positivistic view of epistemologyRole of the teacher: master of knowledgeAim: objectives are set by the teacher (aimed at changing the

behavior of the learnerContent: prescriptive and transmissionLearning: reproduction of factsAssessment: memorization of factsTeaching style: mostly deductive

Characteristics of behavioristic approachApply stimulus and response aimed at changing the behavior of the

learnerView human in a mechanistic wayDoes not recognize the learner’s prior knowledgeNot culturally relevantTeacher is in power (teacher-centred)Ignore the context of learningPace drivenDoes not take into account the voices of learners

Dominant methods of teaching

Methods are mostly teacher-centred• Narrative/telling• Demonstration• Question and answer• Drill method• Experimental • Textbook method

Implications for inclusive education

Ignores the potential insights into learner’s understanding of teaching and learning process

Authority vested in the teacher could be potentially abused( exclusive tendencies)

Does not encourage free space for innovation and critical thinkingLearners may develop dependency learning habitsLimit knowledge to that which the teacher knows

Two views teaching which influences the teacher’s approachConstructivist view of teachingDerived from post-positivistic view of epistemologyRole of the teacher: facilitates process of knowingAim: objectives are set jointly by the teacher and the learner (aimed at

allowing the learner to construct own knowledgeContent: non-prescriptive and discovery learningLearning: understanding principles Assessment: application of knowledge rather than memorizationTeaching style: mostly inductive

Characteristics of constructivist approachApply learning through discovery View humans as constructing and reconstructing knowledge recognize the learner’s prior knowledge, beliefs, atitudes and

conceptions about knowledge culturally and socially relevant in approachEqual share of power between learner and teacher (learner-centred) context of learning is prioritized Not Pace driven takes into account the voices of learners

Dominant methods of teaching

• Self-activity• Heuristic or problem solving• Cooperative/ collaborative learning• Peer- tutoring • Group work• Group discussion • Project method• Programmed instruction

Developing an Inclusive Teaching strategy• Step 1 doing a situation analysis • The situation analysis is a doing firstly an in-depth inquiry into the current educative scenario by asking this

questions?• Who is being taught?• In order to analyze this appropriately, the following are significant• What is the learners’ cultural and economic milieu : this is important because the learner’s cultural background

influences the knowledge acquisition as influenced by the leaner’s socio-cultural background• What is the learner’s cognitive (intellectual), affective (emotional) & psychomotor level of development: This will

inform adapting the curriculum to respond to the appropriate level of the learner• What learning styles do learners feel comfortable learning with& what do learners already know: this will

influence the way curriculum will be presented and thus could influence the organization of pedagogic tasks and activities

• Which learners need additional support: the teacher s’ analysis of classroom settings e.g. needs interpreter, sign language etc.

• Which learners need assistive devices: the teacher analyses the need for assistive devices e.g. hearing aids/braille etc.

Developing an inclusive Teaching strategy • Who is teaching?• Belief and attitude towards inclusion: the first step towards teaching

inclusively is to believe that it could be done• Teacher’s personal qualities and teaching approach & style: this

together with the learning style of learners will inform the best approach to teaching • Subject competency of the teacher: teachers who are not well vested

in the subject could solicit collaborative or co teaching from their experienced colleagues.

Developing an Inclusive teaching strategy• What is been taught

• How is what is been taught related to what learners already know: knowing this will provide the basis for introducing new work • How what is been taught arranged in relation to learner’s learning

style: learners prefer different content arrangements e.g. printed, etc. • How what is been taught accessible and how will it be accessible to

all: learners access the material differently i.e. visual, auditory, braille etc.

Developing Inclusive Teaching strategy• What are social dynamics• How is what’s happening in the society influences what happens in

the classroom: what is been taught should take into account social, political and technological state of the society • How is the seating arrangement compatible to classroom diversity.

Developing Inclusive Teaching Strategy• Step 2: designing a pedagogic setting• Based on all in step 1 the following are done• Choosing a teaching and learning facilitation approach• Using behaviorist and constructivist approach to facilitation of

teaching and learning• Using teaching methods consistent with the approach inclusively

Developing Inclusive Teaching Strategy Process-product (Behavioristic) view of teachingDerived from positivistic view of epistemology Role of the teacher: master of

knowledge Aim: objectives are set by the teacher

(aimed at changing the behavior of the learner

Content: prescriptive and transmission

Learning: reproduction of facts Assessment: memorization of facts Teaching style: mostly deductive

Constructivist view of teaching

Derived from post-positivistic view of epistemology Role of the teacher: facilitates

process of knowing Aim: objectives are set jointly by the

teacher and the learner (aimed at allowing the learner to construct own knowledge

Content: non-prescriptive and discovery learning

Learning: understanding principles Assessment: application of

knowledge rather than memorization Teaching style: mostly inductive

Developing Inclusive Teaching Strategy

Characteristics Apply stimulus and response aimed

at changing the behavior of the learner

View human in a mechanistic way Does not recognize the learner’s prior

knowledge Not culturally relevant Teacher is in power (teacher-

centered) Ignore the context of learning Pace driven Does not take into account the voices

of learners

Characteristics Apply learning through discovery View humans as constructing and

reconstructing knowledge recognize the learner’s prior

knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and conceptions about knowledge

culturally and socially relevant in approach

Equal share of power between learner and teacher (learner-centered)

context of learning is prioritized Not Pace driven takes into account the voices of

learners

Developing Inclusive Teaching Strategy

Methods Methods are mostly teacher-centred

• Narrative/telling• Demonstration• Question and answer• Drill method• Experimental • Textbook method

Methods • Self-activity• Heuristic or problem solving• Cooperative/ collaborative

learning• Peer- tutoring • Group work• Group discussion • Project method• Programmed instruction• play

Developing Inclusive Teaching Strategy

Principles IndividualizationMulti-level teachingBrain-based Concept attainment/developdeductive

DifferentiationInteractive teachingMultiple intelligenceScaffolding inductive