British Journal of Special Education最新文献

In England, a vertical equity model of inclusive schooling has been increasingly visible in both educational policy and school practices since the 2019 education reforms. Within this mixed model of provision, alongside and in complementarity to mainstream schooling, alternative provision (AP) and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) settings offer schooling for disabled or excluded children. Within this national context, teachers across mainstream, AP and SEND schools were interviewed in a 2021-2022 study about their views and experiences of training for inclusive pedagogies. The findings reveal that teachers across the sectors face similar problems, such as a lack of time for further training in inclusive pedagogies and the difficulty of meeting all pupils' needs (both those with and without SEND). Teachers in both mainstream and specialised settings favoured in-house training to promote specific skills, while those working in the AP and SEND sectors also wanted more sharing of best practices through inter-school networks. Both mainstream and specialised settings further identified a place for university-based training in supporting teachers' understanding of diversity and inclusion, in addition to schools-based professional development. Teachers' views suggest that initial teacher training insufficiently prepares teachers for working with diverse pupils, and it is only by real-world practice that effective skills are developed.

This article analyses the decisions and motivations that led 30 graduates with disabilities from Italy and Spain to pursue university studies, choose their degrees, and select their universities. Using a phenomenological approach, through semi-structured interviews and inductive data analysis, several reasons for graduates' university access were identified, such as vocation, the search for job opportunities and the desire to pursue an academic education. The results showed that both personal factors (disability or personal interest) and external factors (family, partners, friends and teachers) played a role in their choice of studies. Regarding university selection, participants considered proximity to their homes, the services offered, and the possibility of having an experience outside of their hometown. This article highlights the relevance of previous educational experiences, collaboration between secondary education institutions and universities, and the importance of providing information about the support and services available for students with disabilities during their university careers.

Structured motor play is crucial to the motor and social development of children with disabilities. However, many teachers report that including children with disabilities in motor play is challenging, especially during virtual learning. The purpose of this interview study was to explore 26 preschool teachers' perspectives on engaging children with disabilities in motor play in virtual environments and the strategies they used to involve students. Teachers believed that including children with disabilities in virtual motor play activities is important for their physical development, sense of belonging, and exploration of potential. Teachers also indicated that understanding the motor abilities and interests of children with disabilities and making adaptations to support each child during virtual motor play is important. Additionally, seeing therapists as resources for motor play ideas and sharing resources with parents were strategies suggested by participants to facilitate the engagement of children with disabilities in motor play during virtual learning. Findings suggest that an interdisciplinary approach to teaching motor play is crucial for children with disabilities regardless of the service delivery model.

Even though inclusive education is one of the significant concerns of a wide-ranging civil rights agenda, many teachers and administrators have serious hesitations about promoting the extensive placement of learners with disabilities or special educational needs in mainstream schools. However, there is widespread rhetorical commitment to inclusion, as several countries, including Pakistan, are signatories to many international documents that demand its implementation. This research study aimed to use a qualitative research method to explore the strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results (SOAR) factors that could optimise the teaching and learning process for children with special educational needs in the context of an inclusive school located in Karachi, Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using a case study research design. The research reveals that the school prioritises social bonds to create an inclusive environment, fostering acceptance of children with special needs. The integration of daily living activities into an inclusive classroom presents a valuable opportunity for training children with special needs and enhancing their functional abilities. The school serves as a commendable example by not only adopting inclusive pedagogical practices but also cultivating a supportive environment that fosters the acceptance and inclusion of children with special needs. The results suggest that an inclusive school caters to the strengths of children with special educational needs and allows them to sustain themselves in this setting. Moreover, the study also reveals how aspirations toward becoming an inclusive school motivated teachers to adopt pedagogical practices to facilitate teaching and learning for children with special educational needs.

Through a focus on the work of the additional learning needs co-ordinator (ALNCo) and their collaboration with others, this article examines the policy–practice intersection, specifically focusing on inclusive education and practices to support additional learning needs in primary schools in Wales in response to recent educational reform. Our study gathered data from three focus groups of ALNCos across south Wales, with three participants in each group. Our findings explore ALNCos' sense of connectedness within the system and the conditions that supported the development of certain educational practices, some of which align with the new policy agenda and others which have their roots in the previous system of supporting children with special educational needs. Four key themes are presented: compliance with mandated practice, non-compliance and resistance to reform, the importance of accountability within local systems, and challenges of the ALNCo role.

This research identifies new approaches to education health and care plan (EHCP) provision since the start of the Covid-19 (C-19) pandemic (March 2020 to March 2021). This qualitative research was conducted after the C-19 pandemic and used online questionnaires to identify the perceptions of 64 SENCos recruited from mainstream primary and secondary schools across southeast London and Essex in England. Thirteen of the 64 participants then consented to be interviewed. The findings show that where SENCos had the autonomy to act strategically, they could enact change for pupils with EHCPs as well as SEND. Furthermore, aspects of practice relating to staff SEND knowledge and understanding of SEND provision were enhanced during the pandemic, as was the SENCo's ability to adapt and allocate resources effectively.

This article investigates whether the use of instruments providing quantifiable force feedback in manual skill learning can assist students with learning difficulties. Under the same theoretical teaching model, one group (intervention group, n = 10) received education with quantitative force feedback for manual skills, while the other group received traditional teaching methods (control group, n = 18). After conducting Levene's test to assess homogeneity of variances, t-tests were performed to compare point grades, and Mann–Whitney tests were used to compare rating grades between the groups. There is a significant difference in the point grades of the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05), and also a significant difference in the rating evaluation grades (p < 0.05). Under the guidance of teachers, the application of feedback instruments providing a ‘time-force profile’ allows for the quantification of manual skill force, reinforcing students' practice of ‘force control’, leading to an enhancement in the manual skill proficiency of students with learning difficulties.