{"title":"Using participatory and inclusive methodologies to explore inclusive education in Africa.","authors":"Mary Wickenden","doi":"10.4102/ajod.v13i0.1486","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This paper presents researchers' experiences using participatory, inclusive research methodologies to explore aspects of inclusive education, with children with disabilities, parents, and teachers in Nigeria and Kenya.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objective is to describe working with children and adults with disabilities, as research collaborators, alongside local INGO staff and OPD partners.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In Kenya we worked with 9 peer researchers with disabilities to run focus groups and interviews with children with disabilities, parents and teachers about inclusive pre-school education. In Nigeria we ran participatory workshops with children with disabilities, and their parents discussing what makes school and community settings inclusive, to inform the design of a Wellbeing and Inclusion checklist. The studies were based in pilot primary schools and Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE or pre-school) classes in Nigeria and Kenya respectively. The data produced were recordings and notes from focus group discussions, interviews and activities and reflections from the peer researchers. Data analysis was an inclusive participatory process of thematic analysis carried out in person and online.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>These innovative approaches demonstrate that with careful planning and support, both adults and children with disabilities can be involved very directly in research processes not just as participants but as researchers.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We argue that using participatory, disability-inclusive approaches helps to make the findings more nuanced and genuine and the data and outputs generated uniquely grounded in people's realities and perspectives.</p><p><strong>Contribution: </strong>These methods can potentially inform the mainstreaming of a disability inclusion approach into international development debates and activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":45606,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Disability","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11538365/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Journal of Disability","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v13i0.1486","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: This paper presents researchers' experiences using participatory, inclusive research methodologies to explore aspects of inclusive education, with children with disabilities, parents, and teachers in Nigeria and Kenya.
Objectives: The objective is to describe working with children and adults with disabilities, as research collaborators, alongside local INGO staff and OPD partners.
Method: In Kenya we worked with 9 peer researchers with disabilities to run focus groups and interviews with children with disabilities, parents and teachers about inclusive pre-school education. In Nigeria we ran participatory workshops with children with disabilities, and their parents discussing what makes school and community settings inclusive, to inform the design of a Wellbeing and Inclusion checklist. The studies were based in pilot primary schools and Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE or pre-school) classes in Nigeria and Kenya respectively. The data produced were recordings and notes from focus group discussions, interviews and activities and reflections from the peer researchers. Data analysis was an inclusive participatory process of thematic analysis carried out in person and online.
Results: These innovative approaches demonstrate that with careful planning and support, both adults and children with disabilities can be involved very directly in research processes not just as participants but as researchers.
Conclusion: We argue that using participatory, disability-inclusive approaches helps to make the findings more nuanced and genuine and the data and outputs generated uniquely grounded in people's realities and perspectives.
Contribution: These methods can potentially inform the mainstreaming of a disability inclusion approach into international development debates and activities.
期刊介绍:
The African Journal of Disability, the official journal of CRS, AfriNEAD and CEDRES, introduce and discuss issues and experiences relating to and supporting the act of better understanding the interfaces between disability, poverty and practices of exclusion and marginalisation. Its articles yield new insight into established human development practices, evaluate new educational techniques and disability research, examine current cultural and social discrimination, and bring serious critical analysis to bear on problems shared across the African continent. Emphasis is on all aspects of disability particularity in the developing African context. This includes, amongst others: -disability studies as an emerging field of public health enquiry -rehabilitation, including vocational and community-based rehabilitation -community development and medical issues related to disability and poverty -disability-related stigma and discrimination -inclusive education -legal, policy, human rights and advocacy issues related to disability -the role of arts and media in relation to disability -disability as part of global Sustainable Development Goals transformation agendas -disability and postcolonial issues -globalisation and cultural change in relation to disability -environmental and climate-related issues linked to disability -disability, diversity and intersections of identity -disability and the promotion of human development.