BRAC Primary School Teachers’ Teaching-efficacy, Attitude, Sentiment and Concern towards Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Regular Classrooms in Bangladesh

 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.03.1.4

 

 

 

Tanjilut Tasnuba

Deputy Manager, Social Innovation Lab, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Diana Tsokova

Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Special Needs in Primary Education, UCL Institute of Education, London, United Kingdom

(Received 15 February 2015, Final revised version received 31July 2015)

BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) is the largest non-governmental organisation in Bangladesh that is involved in the provision of education to 674,229 children, including 25,637 children with disabilities (BEP, 2014). The aim of the research reported in this paper is to explore BRAC Primary School teachers’ teaching efficacy, attitude, sentiment and concern towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular classrooms, in order to inform future efforts and developments with inclusive education. 400 randomly selected BRAC primary school teachers from 48 districts of 7 regions of Bangladesh participated in this research. The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) and Sentiments, Attitudes, Concerns regarding Inclusive Education-Revised (SACIE-R) (Sharma, Loreman, &Forlin, 2012; Forlin, Loreman, & Sharma, 2011) scales were utilities in this study along with a demographic questionnaire. The results show that BRAC teachers have relatively high level of overall teaching efficacy, moderately positive attitude and generally low concern towards inclusion of children with disabilities. The study found no significant relationship between the background and demographic variables used for this study and BRAC teachers’ teaching efficacy and attitude. The study also revealed a significant difference in BRAC teachers’ concern based on students’ disability type, and a significant positive relationship between teaching efficacy and attitude and concern. Based on the findings, the study suggests further collaboration between government and BRAC to create the conditions for higher teacher efficacy and positive attitude towards inclusion of children with disabilities, providing school support, resources, and extensive training opportunities.

Key words: BRAC, primary schools, teaching-efficacy, attitude, sentiment, concern, inclusive education, regular school, Bangladesh

The Effectiveness of the Inclusive Education Subject in the Pre-service Education Curriculum viewed from the Student Teachers’ Perspective

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.03.1.3

Jane K. Lartec

Faculty, Professional Education Department, Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines

Ronald B. Bustos, Daisylyn L. Carpio, Cazel D. Casiano, Almarraine Joy Y. De Guzman and Heidee Suzanne L. Tongyofen

Researchers, School of Teacher Education, Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines

(Received 10 June 2013, Final revised version received 30 May 2015)

Inclusive education is becoming a worldwide trend and because teacher training institutions play a significant role in ensuring the competence of pre-service education students towards catering the needs of increasing range of diverse learners, it is important to prepare them by shifting the pedagogy in line with inclusive education. This study has been carried out to view the perspective of the 142 student teachers in terms of the effectiveness of the Inclusive Education subject, a onesemester course in a comprehensive and multidisciplinary university in the Philippines that offers training on inclusive education practices to the pre-service education students. Guided by the administration of a validated questionnaire, the student teachers gave their own perspective on the effectiveness of offering the subject along the identified strands on the course objectives, course content, course strategies, the instructor and the goodness of the year level of offering. Findings revealed that the student teachers view the subject as generally very effective across the five strands identified. The results of this study are significant in the improvement of the curriculum and possible dissemination of inclusive education subject to other teacher education institutions.

Key words: pre-service education curriculum, perceptions, teacher education, inclusive education, effectiveness

General Education Teachers’ Perceived Self-Efficacy in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Oman

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.03.1.2

Jalal Haj Hussien

Ibrahim Al-Qaryouti

a Madison Metropolitan School District, Wisconsin, USA
b College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate Oman

(Received 07 April 2014, Final revised version received 06 November 2014)

The objective of this study was to determine general education teachers’ level of self-efficacy in teaching inclusive classrooms and to investigate whether general education teachers’ level of self-efficacy vary according to the domain of knowledge and skills. In addition, the current study examined the relationship between teachers’ gender, school level taught, teaching experience and their self-efficacy. Finally, this study explored the relationship between general education teachers’ self-efficacy and their attitudes toward inclusion. Seven hundred three general education teachers participated in this study. The mean scores of the teachers on the self-efficacy domains suggest that they had high levels of perceived self-efficacy in classroom management, moderate levels in collaboration and assessment, and low levels in special education. The findings also indicated that the perception of general education teachers as to their level of self-efficacy varied significantly according the domain of knowledge and skills. The findings also revealed that male teachers reported significantly higher levels of self-efficacy than female teachers. Moreover, the findings indicate that teachers’ teaching experience and school level taught had a significant relationship with their self-efficacies in some of the domains. Finally, the results showed significant positive correlations between teacher’s self-efficacy and their attitudes towards inclusion.

English Bridging Programme for Immigrant Children in Hong Kong: Inclusion or Exclusion?

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.02.1.2

Eddy Li

English Language Teaching Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

(Received 13August 2013, Final revised version received 24December 2013)

This paper reports on a study designed to examine how the school-based curriculum of a government-funded English bridging programme in Hong Kong respondsto the linguistic needs of newly arrived children with limited English proficiency. By a case study approach with multiple data collection methods, which includethe collection of documents, lesson observations, and interviews, this qualitative studyattempts to offer insight into how an inclusive curriculum is perceived and realized by language teachers in the cultural context. Recommendations on curriculum design and implementation are made, with the aim of better equipping immigrant students with essential linguistics skills and knowledge to participate and achieve in mainstream classrooms.

Key words: English bridging programme, inclusion, immigrant students, Chinese learners

Where Do I Send My Child with Disability? How Australian Parents Negotiate Their Kindergarten Placement Dilemmas

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.02.1.3

 

 

 

 

Joseph S Agbenyega

Monash University, Australia

 

Deborah Tamakloe

Washington State University, USA

 

 

(Received 11December 2013, Final revised version received 17April 2014)

Choosing a kindergarten for young children is a highly demanding process. For parents who have children with disabilities this process can be particularly challenging, given the choice between special and inclusive kindergartens. While there has been wide-ranging research on parental concerns of kindergarten practices involving children with disability, there is little attention paid to how parents who have children with disabilities negotiate kindergarten choice dilemmas. This qualitative case study focuses on four Australian parents who have children with disabilities and reports on their perspectives regarding how they negotiated choices in placing their child with disability in either a special or an inclusive kindergarten. Using the notion of „contact zone‟ as an interpretive framework, this article illustrates that kindergarten choice is difficult, involving complex considerations. For parents who have children with disability, choosing a school is hard work, in many ways a struggle to negotiate conflicting dilemmas in an attempt to find a school that can better shape the life courses for their children.

Key words: kindergarten, inclusive education, disability, contact zone, trust.

The Relationship Between Quality Early Childhood Programs and Transition Services in Inclusive Education of Young Children

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59595/ajie.02.1.4

Sunanta Klibthong, Lara Fridani, Kiiko Ikegami
and Joseph S Agbenyega

Monash University, Australia

(Received 09October 2013, Final revised version received 20April 2014)

The relationship between quality early childhood programs and transition services in inclusive education for young children has not received the needed attention in current literature. School transition services are important for all children but pose potential challenges for many young children with special needs. By connecting and integrating quality and inclusive education into transition programs, all children entering the school environment can have a positive experience. This paper discusses the significance and application of quality transition services within inclusive education and highlights four interactive components; relationships, wellbeing, involvement and an active learning environment. Various factors in the development of a quality early childhood inclusion program are also discussed. The paper concludes with some recommendations of how a quality inclusive transition can support children entering school happily and successfully.

Keywords: quality, transition, inclusive education