Teachers’ expectations of children with Down Syndrome starting school in the United Arab Emirates or United Kingdom

Starting school has been shown to correlate with later school outcomes. Teachers working in early years’ settings either the UAE or the UK completed a questionnaire taken from Dockett and Perry (2004), asking them to rate the importance of 20 statements in answer to the question “How important are the following for deciding whether a child with Down Syndrome has had a successful first two terms of school?” Findings demonstrated a different pattern of expectations depending on where the teacher was working. Specifically, teachers in the UK placed more importance on academic performance and the relationship with the family. Some similarities in the rankings of the scales were also obtained. Teachers, regardless of the location, placed most importance on children’s happiness and knowledge of school routines in successfully starting school. Implications for children with Down Syndrome starting school in the UAE and the UK are discussed

The pedagogic beliefs of Indonesian teachers in inclusive schools

This research explores, for the first time, the pedagogical orientations of Indonesian teachers in the context of inclusive education. A mixed-method approach was used for an analysis of questionnaire data from 140 teachers and qualitative interviews from 20 teachers in four inclusive schools. The findings suggest that, in general, the implicit orientation of teachers is social constructivist. This orientation is also reflected in their reported classroom practices. Although less common, more directive pedagogical approaches appear to have an impact upon the flexibility of roles within two teacher inclusive classrooms. Whilst the number of disabled pupils within each class was a significant issue for interviewees, no pupils were deemed unteachable in their classrooms. Furthermore, what is described by the teachers as a “special pedagogy” typically entailed additional teaching time and modified assessments, and consequently could be framed as “good teaching for all”. The questionnaires also contained responses from student and special school teachers and support the view that teachers’ beliefs about inclusive pedagogy are mediated by experience and occupation

[In Press] Caregivers' accounts of school searches for children with cerebral palsy in a developing sub-Saharan African context

Objectives: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological condition caused by damage to the part of the brain known as the cerebral cortex and affecting the coordination and movement of individuals. The challenges faced by caregivers raising children with CP cannot be overemphasized. However, information regarding the accessibility of education for children with CP is scant or unreported. In this study, we investigated the experiences of parents in their efforts to enroll their children with CP in schools. Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with a cohort of 40 parents with children with CP who were observed for 5 years. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. Results: The results that emerged from the thematic analysis demonstrated the difficulties faced by parents in searching for a school for their children with CP. According to the study participants, both special and regular schools were inaccessible to children with CP, due to unfriendly school environments, transportation problems, and high costs, as well as a lack of resources, qualified staff, and human resources. Conclusions: The findings underscore the urgent need for policymakers in Ghana to consider or make provisions for the education of children with CP. Without this, children with CP and their families could be entrapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, deprivation, and dependence on others for their livelihoods