Lesson 2 (Inclusive Education)

WHAT IS INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Inclusive education refers to placement of students with special educational
needs in mainstream settings., along with other students without disabilities (Artiles,
Dorn, and Christenses, 2006 as cited in Al-Shammari, Faulkner & Forlin, 2019)
According to the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization
(UNESCO) inclusive education is not a marginal issue but is central to the
achievement of high quality education for all learners and also determines appropriate
educational practices used in general education schools by offering a variety of
educational services to help all students with special needs best learn according toto
their abilities and needs (McLeskey, Hoppey, Williamson, & Rentz, 2004) defines
inclusive education as a philosophy that brings stakeholders together to create a
school environment based on acceptance and belonging within the school and
community.
Inclusive education means that all students attend and are welcomed by their
neighborhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn,
contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school. It is also about how
teachers develop and design schools, classrooms, programs and activities so that all
students learn and participating together. Inclusive education is intended to create a
learning environment in different schools that is center of learning and educational
systems as caring, nurturing, and supportive educational communities where the
needs of all students are met in accordance with their needs.
In addition, inclusive education is carried out in a common learning
environment that is, an educational setting where students from different
backgrounds and with different abilities learn together in an inclusive environment.
Common learning environment are used for the majority of the students’ regular
instruction hours and may include classrooms, libraries, gyms, performance theatres,
music rooms cafeterias, playgrounds and the local community. A common learning
environment is not a place where student with intellectual disabilities or other special
needs learn in isolation from their peers.
The following are the benefits of effective common learning environments. (1)
enable each student to fully participate in the learning environment that is designed
for all students and is shared with peers in the chosen educational setting; (2) provide
a positive climate, promote a sense of belonging and ensure student progress toward
appropriate personal, social, emotional and academic goals; (3) responsive to
individual learning needs by providing sufficient levels of support and applying a
student centered teaching practices and principles; and (4) designed to be delivered to
students of mixed ability and with their peer group in the community school, while
being responsive to their individual needs as a learner, and used for the majority of
the students’ regular instruction hours.
Therefore, Inclusion and participation are essential to human dignity and to the
enjoyment and exercise of human rights (Salamanca Framework for Action, 1994).
This involves changing culture of contemporary schools with emphasis on active
learning. Applied curriculum, appropriate assessment methods, multi-level
instructional approaches, and increased attention to diverse student needs and
individualization”.

BENEFITS OF INCLUSIVE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES

Effective inclusive education practices as stated by Al-Shammari, Faulkner and
Forlin, (2019) should incorporate ideas from different theories so that teachers can
successfully make curricular and instructional decisions for each student.
“Beheviourism-based inclusive education settings, which clearly appears in the
emphasis on student behavior and performance in manipulating stimulus materials”.
Accordingly, cognitivist focuses on the attributes of one’s thinking, memory, self
reflection and motivation to teach (Piaget, n.d). Cognitivism-based inclusive education
practices are implemented by applying different instructional approaches focused on
learning activities, such as note-taking (Boyle & Rivera, 2012), underlining (Swanson,
Orosco, & Lussier, 2014), summarizing (Wittrock & Alesandrini, 1990), writing to
learn, outlining and mapping, and use of the PQ4R method (Slavin, 2009). Lastly, in
the same study by Al-Shammari, Faulkner, & Forlin (2019), constructivism-based
inclusive education practices are the applications of constructivism in inclusive
education settings, which would involve instructional methods and strategies to assist
learners to explore complex topics actively.

TIES (Increasingly Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement, and State Support

Center (2018) enumerated different benefits of inclusive education:

1. Support to Civil Rights teachers believe that inclusion is a civil right. Like all
students, those with disabilities have the right to attend regular schools and
general education classes.
2. Integration in Community Life. Special education students need to belong in a
certain group of people.
3. Sense of Belonging and Acceptance of Differences. “An inclusive approach to
education challenges practices of separating students and their underlaying
assumptions. As educators become more successful implementing inclusive
practices, fewer students are at risk for experiencing segregation and its
potentially devastating effects on learning” TIES, 2018.
4. varies Learning Opportunities. Like other students, children should also enjoy
varied learning opportunities that fit their learning needs. All children should
grow encountering varied opportunities and challenges.
5. Use of Best Practices in Instructions. Teachers are trained with varied
strategies, modalities and individualized instruction approaches. The children
should have the best teacher with experiences.
6. Individualized Education in a Supportive Context the teachers are well-trained
in IEP making. “The nature flow of productive interactions and learning in
general education environment makes them ideal places in which to expect
active student participation and high levels of student accountability for their
performance, TIES (2018)
7. Relationship with Peers. Inclusive learning environments provide opportunities
for all children, teachers, parents community and other stakeholders to have a
very smooth relationship for the improvement of teaching practices.
8. Increased Instructional Support for All Students. Inclusion benefits the
students because when students with disabilities are educated in general
education classes, special educators and specialized instructional support
personnel provide support in those settings. This result in general education
teachers and students having additional expertise more available, TIES (2018)
9. Improving Schools through Team Building. Team effort and collaboration of all
students is essential in an inclusive learning environment.
10.Parental Involvement. The parents are greatly involved in all students’ activities.
Parent conferences are regularly conducted.

MAINSTREAMING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Another important concept in special education is mainstreaming. “Mainstreaming

has been used to refer to the selective placement of special education students in one
or more “regular” education classes. Rogers (1993) assume that a student must “earn”
his or her opportunity to replaced in a regular classes by demonstrating an ability to
“keep up” with the work assigned by the regular classroom teacher. Mainstreaming is
closely linked to traditional forms of special education service delivery”, (Rogers, 1993).
Mainstreaming refers to children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
attending a regular classroom for their social and academic benefit. Mainstreaming
involves placing students with disabilities in general education settings only when they
can meet traditional academic expectations with minimal assistance or when those
expectations are not relevant (for example, participation only in recess school
assemblies for access to social interactions with peers).

TASK 2.1. Identify 3 possible problems of inclusive education and then provide a
possible solution to such problem.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
PROBLEMS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Task 2.2. Instructions. Interview a regular school teacher who has students with
disabilities in their class and ask him/her about their classroom experiences. Write
your reactions in short bond paper. Be sure to write it legibly or you may encode if you
have computers and printers.
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Task 2.3. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do we need to have inclusive education in the Philippines?
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2. As a future teacher, what is your role in developing an inclusive education
setting?
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Task 2.4.
Watch the video entitled: “Lecture 4: Inclusive Education”, then answer the following
questions:
1. How does the speaker describe inclusive education?
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2. What are some tips in planning an inclusive education? Present it through
graphic organizer.

Task 2.5. I will ask the class leader to please group you into 6 and be able to do this. Try to surf the
different practices of inclusive education in the following countries and report salient features to the
whole class.

1. Group A- United States of America

2. Group B- Singapore
3. Group C- Canada
4. Group D- Spain
5. Group E- Australia
6. Group F- Saudi Arabia