British Journal of Special Education最新文献

This study investigates the prevalence and distribution of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) among left-behind (LB) and non-left-behind (non-LB) children in rural China, adopting the UK's broader SEND framework to address the limitations of China's current classification system. Using quantitative data collected from 17 primary school teachers in seven rural schools, representing 593 children, this research explores the relationship between LB status and SEND. The results reveal that 22.8% of the children were identified with SEND. This rate surpasses currently available statistics based on China's narrow definition of disability, yet aligns with global estimates. Contrary to expectations, LB status was not significantly associated with the prevalence or type of SEND. Cognitive and learning difficulties were the most prevalent type of SEND in both groups. These results challenge deficit-based assumptions about LB children's vulnerability and suggest that under-identification, structural limitations in teacher training, and the cultural normalisation of migration may obscure actual patterns of need. The study highlights the potential of adopting more inclusive, needs-based SEND frameworks in under-resourced educational settings, while cautioning that successful adaptation requires consideration of local capacities and cultural contexts.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of parents of disabled young people in the UK regarding their participation (or non-participation) in the 2022 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Review public consultation. The consultation followed the UK Government's Green Paper on reforms to the SEND system. The study conducted interviews and focus groups with 21 parents to capture their responses to the SEND Review and understand the challenges they encountered during the consultation process. Findings revealed that parents considered the consultation to be both inadequate and inaccessible, alongside a broader finding relating to parents' compounded experiences of voicelessness in the SEND system. This study calls for future SEND reforms, and their associated consultations, to be more transparent, inclusive and genuinely collaborative with both parents and young people.

Considering the high dropout rates of autistic students and the recent Law No. 21545 which guarantees the rights of people with autism spectrum disorder in Chile, this study seeks to identify the facilitators and barriers that autistic students encounter in higher education. To do this, autistic students were interviewed about their higher education experience, with questions guided by the principles of activity theory. Using inductive thematic analysis, facilitators and barriers were identified. Among the facilitators, we identified the use of noise-cancelling headphones, having a social network, and the institution's efforts to foster an inclusive atmosphere. Regarding barriers, we identified a lack of knowledge about autism in the university community, frequently unguided group work, unclear assessment instructions, and the lack of procedures to ensure their rights to reasonable adjustments. It is expected that these findings will guide universities in Chile toward ensuring students on the autism spectrum receive fair opportunities in an inclusive environment where they can achieve success.

Local authority-authored graduated approach guidance fulfils an important role in supporting schools to make provision for pupils with special educational needs. In the absence of a national framework, the content of guidance documents varies between local authorities. Understanding how graduated approach guidances are constructed can help identify best practice, but research about what the documents should contain is scarce. This review examines how graduated approach guidance is conceptualised across English local authorities using a two-phase process (analysis of documents to detail key themes and produce a framework to evaluate guidances, and applying this framework to a representative sample of English local authority guidances). Findings are presented under the nine framework sections. The wide range of graduated approach conceptualisations have led to calls for a uniform strategy to meet the needs of learners with special educational needs and disabilities, to avoid provision being ‘bolted on’. Implications for policy and practice and future research opportunities are considered.

Although aquatic activities are commonly used in special education classes in Penang, Malaysia, there are no specific modules and training that can be used as guidance for the special education teachers conducting these activities. This drawback has contributed to teachers' low self-confidence when conducting their teaching and learning sessions, which can affect their students' level of comprehension and progress in their lessons. Therefore, this study focuses on the Aquaexplorers module to discover its effect on the self-confidence of special education teachers in Penang. A mixed-methods approach is used with 120 special education teachers on the implementation of the Aquaexplorers module. A pre-post test consisting of a questionnaire was given before and after the course to investigate the effect of module implementation on the participants' self-confidence in conducting water activities. A semi-structured interview was performed to acquire supportive qualitative data, analysed using NVivo. Results of a paired t-test showed that there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the pre- and post-test in participants' levels of self-confidence, and results from the analysis of the interview data using NVivo supported the quantitative findings, leading to our rejection of the null hypothesis.

This study aimed to develop and validate the Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education (TATIE) scale among pre-service teachers in Iraqi Kurdistan. The TATIE scale was adapted and translated into Kurdish. A sample of 455 pre-service teachers participated in the study. Data were collected via a structured survey. Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency reliability was determined through composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed robust factor loadings for the TATIE scale, confirming its construct validity. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency, indicating its reliability as a measurement tool. The TATIE scale exhibits strong psychometric properties, making it a reliable instrument for assessing pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education. This study highlights the necessity of cultural adaptation in educational research and provides a valuable tool for teacher training courses and policy development.

Nigeria is committed to implementing inclusive education. Because special schools are few and inadequate, many parents enrol their children with special needs in nearby regular schools. Teachers must therefore be trained to provide learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their individual learning needs. An effective way of training future teachers is to link theory with practical teaching experiences while studying teacher training at university. Consequently, all Nigerian student teachers must complete a 14–16-week teaching placement. During this placement, student teachers encounter inclusive classrooms for the first time, where they must teach learners with and without special needs. Despite the increasing emphasis on inclusive education in Nigeria, there is limited research on how student teachers experience and navigate inclusive classrooms during their teaching placement. To bridge this gap, this study examines the experiences of 20 Nigerian secondary school student teachers during their placement. Structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results reveal that the main challenge student teachers face in inclusive classrooms is how to address students' challenging behaviour. Notably, many student teachers associate challenging classroom behaviour primarily with learners with special needs, highlighting a need for deeper understanding and training in inclusive teaching strategies. They also clearly stated that they need more competence in managing students with special needs. In this vein, student teachers claimed that there is a need for better teacher trainers as well as more support in schools. The student teachers valued their placements for helping them develop their competencies in managing learners with special needs. The student teachers felt able to ‘accept’ students with special needs and limit their harshness. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing teacher training courses, particularly in equipping student teachers with practical strategies for managing diverse learning needs in inclusive classrooms.

Special educational needs and disability reforms were introduced in England in 2014 and further policy changes are imminent. Despite growing evidence of discontent with policy implementation, few peer-reviewed surveys have examined the involvement and satisfaction of young people and their parents/carers in special educational needs and disabilities assessment, identification and provision. In co-production with stakeholder groups, we developed an online survey to examine young people's and parents/carers' perceptions and experiences of special educational needs and disabilities identification, assessment and provision. Seventy-seven young people and 770 parents/carers from across all regions of England responded. Parents/carers reported predominantly negative experiences; most disagreed that key providers were supportive of special educational needs and disabilities identification or that the professionals had a good understanding of their children's support needs. The parents/carers' views about the inclusion of children's goals and aspirations in education, health and care plans were slightly more positive, but many disagreed that the listed support matched what their child received. Young people's perspectives were slightly more positive, but only 54% said their support allowed them to access the same classes as their peers, and fewer than half trusted either teachers or health professionals to make the right decisions about their learning support needs. Our findings contribute to the small body of literature about how special educational needs and disabilities processes are experienced, particularly as co-production of survey question anchors our findings in lived experience, the reporting of children and young people's experiences directly and questions addressing all agencies involved in special educational needs. Key providers may benefit from additional special educational needs and disabilities training, and parents/carers would value more support at the identification stage to ensure that young people receive timely and appropriate provision.