Inclusive Education

This study investigates Chinese general education teachers’ perceptions of teaching assistants’ (TAs) support for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). We administered open-ended questionnaires to 358 participating teachers and interviewed eight participants. The results showed that teachers perceived behavioural and emotional adjustment among students with IDD as a significant benefit of TA support. Students with IDD also benefited in social development, academic gain, and functional skill development. However, while most teachers were satisfied with TA support, they had concerns about limited independence, decreased social interaction, stigma, behavioural problems, and limited access to professional academic support for students with IDD. The findings highlight the urgent need to enhance the effectiveness of TA support by clarifying TAs’ responsibilities, providing systematic training, and improving the one-on-one support model in Chinese elementary schools

Grounded in the belief that children educated together learn to live together, inclusive education is a major aspiration, with teachers’ attitudes serving as a pivotal indicator of its successful implementation. Based on their importance, this study aimed to investigate for the first time, factors that shape these attitudes of primary school teachers in Kosovo. The examined factors examined included gender, age, prior experience with students with special needs, and training in inclusion. A total of 204 respondents (49 males and 155 females) completed the ‘TAIS’ questionnaire by Salovitta (2015). Hypotheses were tested using t-test analysis. The results revealed significant differences, albeit small, between teachers who had received training in inclusiveness and those without such training, with the former displaying more favourable attitudes. These findings reaffirm the critical role of teacher training in the successful integration of children with special needs into regular classes. In contrast, the results indicated no significant differences in attitudes based on age, gender, or prior experience with students with special needs. This, essentially, is a positive sign, as it suggests that teachers, regardless of their age, gender, and previous experiences, have a solid foundation on which to build positive attitudes towards inclusion through training.

This study evaluates the Individual Strengths, Collective Power! program in fostering students' use of strengths vocabulary and improving classroom relationships in an inclusive education setting in Switzerland, where students with and without special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) attend school together. The study involved 179 students, ages 8 to 12, divided into an experimental group that received specific training and an active control group that had access to program resources, regardless of their SEND status. The study used the Strengths Use Scale (SUS) and the Gratitude Questionnaire to measure students' awareness of their strengths and gratitude. In addition, a sociometric measure, the Peer Acceptance Index (PAI), was developed to assess classroom dynamics. Results indicate that strengths-based interventions significantly expanded students' vocabulary of strengths and increased positive discourse, particularly among girls. Time and age were the main predictors of positive peer commentary, rather than the interventions themselves, which had no significant effect on PAI scores. The study suggests that strengths-based tools, even without guided use, can positively influence students' language about strengths, although they did not change classroom relationships within the 9-week period. Further research is recommended to explore the specific effects and mechanisms of strengths-based interventions in inclusive settings.

Learning to spell poses significant challenges for young learners with dyslexia, who often encounter difficulties with phonological awareness and orthographic processing. This study explores the effectiveness of a structured, two-stage intervention aimed at enhancing spelling skills among 25 primary school students in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, whose native language is Tamil. In the initial four-week phase, participants engaged in remedial activities focused on developing phonological and orthographic awareness, essential foundations for accurate spelling. This phase targeted the students’ ability to recognize sound patterns and understand letter-sound associations, providing a base for further learning. In the following sixteen-week phase, the intervention expanded to include compensatory strategies designed to reinforce initial learning and foster a more comprehensive understanding of spelling. This phase incorporated the multimodal learning, combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic techniques, as well as task-oriented exercises, play-based activities, and gamified methods to make the learning process more engaging and enjoyable. These varied approaches aimed to enhance students’ spelling skills while maintaining their interest and motivation. The study’s findings demonstrated that both the remedial and compensatory interventions had a positive impact on students' spelling abilities. However, while the phonological and orthographic methods helped build essential skills, they required a longer duration to ensure retention beyond the intervention period. Conversely, the integrated, multimodal approach introduced in the second phase resulted in faster and more substantial improvements. This outcome highlights the benefits of a dynamic, interactive approach in supporting dyslexic learners who are acquiring English as a second language, promoting both skill acquisition and engagement.

Children’s right to play remains underexplored in French mainstream schools. France’s inclusive education policies aim to include children with disabilities in mainstream classrooms, but this transition can create challenges hindering meaningful play opportunities. This highlights the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of children’s experiences of play in school playgrounds. Aim: This study explores children with disabilities’ experiences and perspectives on their outdoor play in French mainstream school playgrounds. Material and Methods: Walking and Talking tour interviews were conducted with thirteen children with various disabilities across six mainstream schools in western France. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: (1) ‘I can(not) play’: Environmental Barriers and Opportunities; (2) ‘I have an idea’: Children’s Preferences for Enriching Play and Inclusion; (3) ‘Learn to Hear Me Out’: Strengthening Children’s Participation in Everyday School Practices including Playground Redesign. Conclusions and Significance: This study highlights the barriers children with disabilities face in French mainstream school playgrounds. It emphasises the need for collaborative co-design to create inclusive and playful environments. Findings have implications for occupational science, inclusive education, school-based occupational therapy, and urban design. Future participatory research should explore the co-design of school playgrounds, involving all relevant stakeholders.

This paper deals with the experiences of parents participating in meetings or other discussions at schools where their children’s support for learning is planned. In inclusive education, cooperation between school and home should be a confidential relationship. Despite intentions to develop legislation and practices for home–school collaboration, the system does not appear to be robust because in the realization of the support varies between schools and districts. In this study, phenomenographic approach was used to reveal how the experiences of the interviewed parents varied. The context of research is Finnish elementary school attended by students aged 7–15. Altogether, 11 interviews with parents of students with need of support were conducted. In this study, we present four types of experiences of parental involvement: equal partners, satisfied followers, active opponents, and cynical defendants. The parents reported experiences of fluent cooperation situations and confidential relationships with school personnel, but the quality of cooperation was not consistent. This finding indicates that attention should be paid to developing the practices to enhance collaboration and interactional skills among school personnel working with parents so that reciprocal confidence can be reached.