Spaced Out: Policy, Difference and the Challenge of Inclusive Education

Abstract

SCOPE OF THE SERIESThis series is concerned with exploring the meaning and function of inclusive education in a world characterised by rapid social, economic and political change. The question of inclusion and exclusion will be viewed as a human rights issue, in which concerns over issues of equity, social justice and participation will be of central significance. The series will provide an inter-disciplinary approach and draw on research and ideas that will contribute to an awareness and understanding of cross-cultural insights and questions. Dominant assumptions and practices will be critically analysed thereby encouraging debate and dialogue over such fundamentally important values and concerns.

Burnout and teacher self-efficacy among teachers working in special education institutions in Turkey

“…The environmental conditions of the settings where professionals work might have an effect on the stress level of school staff (Friedman and Farber 1992;Leiter 1992;Wilhelm, Dewhurst-Savellis, and Parker 2000). Special education schools have often been criticised, with claims attributing exclusionary practices, unpleasant work environments and segregated locations to these schools (Armstrong 2003). We argue that there is need for special education schools to improve their physical conditions and develop powerful school systems in order to offer a welcoming environment to all stakeholders, meet professionals' work-related needs and reduce the risk of stress among them.…”

‘Sit in the corner and don’t eat the crayons’: postgraduates with dyslexia and the dominant ‘lexic’ discourse

“…Armstrong (2003) discussed the social and cultural significance of specific learning spaces and the implications for those who are removed to learn in spaces that are symbolically and culturally associated with 'others' who are less academically capable. She described these 'spatial markers' as physical locations where individuals become recognised as 'insiders' or 'outsiders'.…”

“Let’s not leave this problem”: exploring inclusive education in rural South Africa

“…Whereas the traditional model of policy-making is constructed by the techniques of governance set out across a range of top-down directives, we believe that an inclusive ethos, including inclusive policy-making, requires an alternative way of thinking and acting that sets in motion a new set of voices and forms of communication (Corbett and Slee 2000). Thus, while recognizing the broad array of policy interventions conducted in a hierarchical model, we join with Ball's (1990), Fulcher's (1993) and Armstrong's (2003) perspectives to state that educational policies are essentially constructed through the wider fabric of social practices, where individuals engage in the struggle to make their voice heard, to take social actions and to insert their moral and political values into the existing social relations of power. Following Ball (1990), we view policy-making as shaped at different levels of educational practices wherein particular discourses and views are selected and displayed.…”

“…Whose voice remains silenced by the selective and competitive nature of neo-liberal educational reforms? As Armstrong (2003) states, policy is about the struggles over the selection and representation of values and discourses that reflect a particular view of social relations. Research that raises the voices of all students, including marginalized and disadvantaged students, is a significant social action in informing inclusive policy-making processes purporting to bring about change by the cultivation of a collective sense of community engagement (Moletsane and Mitchell 2007).…”