Inclusive education in progress: policy evolution in four European countries

This paper seeks to compare the evolution of inclusive education policy in the four countries of an EU-funded research project (QualiTYDES) operating under the shared policy environment of the UN, EU and European Commission. A shared policy cannot of course be assumed to result in common legislative or provisional outcomes at national level. The different sociocultural, political, historical and economic contexts in each country shape its journey towards ‘compliance’ with an international convention (both pre- and post-ratification), and neither the route nor the destination can be assumed to be shared, given the scope for different interpretations of the same texts. This paper places the implementation trajectories of four European countries side by side as they attempt to move towards ‘inclusive’ education systems. Following a brief overview of the international education policy environment relating to the education of people with disabilities, we describe the national education policy responses in Ireland, Austria, Spain and Czech Republic in recent decades, including both legislation pertaining to special educational need and implementation of policies in practice. The comparison highlights the different manifestations of inclusive education current in each country, and also explores the challenges which have arisen as individual countries attempt to align international policy with provision in existing education systems, each with their own legacy interests, pressures and priorities. Examples of ‘gaps’ in this alignment are where learners with disabilities/SEN are likely to be failed, and represent the critical points at which barriers to fully inclusive education arise and negatively impact opportunity over the life course.The QualiTYDES research project was supported by the European Science Foundation [grant number 09-ECRP-032]; Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [grant number I343]; Irish Research Council (IRC, formerly IRCHSS) [grant number IRCHSS 09-ECRP-032]; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) [grant number EUI-2010-04,213]; and Czech Science Foundation [grant number P407/11/2009].Peer reviewe

Special and inclusive education in the Republic of Ireland: reviewing the literature from 2000 to 2009

Provision for pupils with special educational needs in Ireland has undergone considerable change and review in the first decade of the twenty first century. In response to international demands for a more equitable education system which recognises diversity and considers how schools might address the needs of pupils who have been previously marginalised, Irish legislation has focused upon the development of inclusive schooling. Researchers during this period have endeavoured to understand how responses to the demand for greater inclusion have impacted upon the perceived need for change. This paper reviews the research literature for this period and identifies four key themes under which research has been conducted. The literature pertaining to these themes is explored and a possible agenda for future researchers identifie

Respecting the Voices of Individuals from Marginalised Communities in Research—“Who Is Listening and Who Isn’t?”

Internationally, Governments have signed up to the principles of ensuring that they support the development of greater equity and inclusion in education. However, despite some progress many individuals and communities continue to face discrimination and remain on the margins of society. This collection of papers draws attention to the many challenges faced by persons who are perceived to be different from the majority population in their communities. This labelling of individuals has served to exclude many from engaging fully with those social and educational opportunities that the majority take for granted

A sense of belonging: childrens’ views of acceptance in “inclusive” mainstream schools

In recent years, international initiatives such as the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (UNESCO, 1994) and the Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations General Assembly, 2015) have encouraged educational researchers to focus their attentions on those conditions that enable schools to become more inclusive. Much of this research has focused upon teacher attitudes and expectations (Unianu, 2012), the development of inclusive pedagogical approaches (Florian & Black Hawkins,2011), and aspects of assessment and classroom management (Erickson & Davis, 2015). Less attention has been given to the experiences of children with special educational needs as learners in mainstream classrooms. In this paper, drawing upon data from interviews conducted with children during a four year longitudinal study, (Project Iris - Inclusive Research in Irish Schools), we consider the relationship between acceptance and belonging as critical factors in defining what it means to be included in school. In addition to presenting data from children in 24 schools across Ireland, we will discuss the challenges of undertaking fair analysis that ensures that the researchers’ interpretation of pupil voices can be seen as trustworthy and informed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the principles that might inform the ways in which researchers can work with children in order to ensure them fair representation in research that investigates critical aspects of their lives

Experiences of Social Disconnection in a Bereaved Community Sample from Ontario, Canada

Lower perceived social support is a known risk factor for problematic grief reactions, but specific facets such as social disconnection may play a critical role in shaping grief responses. This study utilized the Oxford-Grief Social Disconnection Scale (OG-SD) to examine the demographic, loss-related, and psychological correlates of its three core dimensions, as identified in previous research: Negative Interpretation of Others’ Reactions to Grief Expression, Altered Social Self, and Safety in Solitude. Participants were a non-probability sample of N = 1171 bereaved adults living in Ontario, Canada. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the three dimensions of grief-related social disconnection identified in previous research. Correlation and one-way ANOVA tests explored demographic and loss-related correlates of these dimensions, while associations with symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), depression, and anxiety were assessed through correlational analyses. CFA results confirmed that the OG-SD was best reflected by a correlated three-factor model comprising Negative Interpretation of Others’ Reactions to Grief Expression, Altered Social Self, and Safety in Solitude latent variables. Distinct associations between the core dimensions of social disconnection and loss-related variables were identified, and significant associations between all three dimensions and scores on measures of PGD, depression, and anxiety were also observed. Findings from this study not only provide additional support for the validity and reliability of the OG-SD in a general population sample of Canadian adults, for the first time, but also identify demographic, loss-related, and psychological factors associated with social disconnection

Gender differences in first episode psychotic mania

Background : The aim of this paper was to delineate the impact of gender on premorbid history, onset, and 18 month outcomes of first episode psychotic mania (FEPM) patients. Methods : Medical file audit assessment of 118 (male = 71; female = 47) patients with FEPM aged 15 to 29 years was undertaken on clinical and functional measures. Results : Males with FEPM had increased likelihood of substance use (OR = 13.41, p < .001) and forensic issues (OR = 4.71, p = .008), whereas females were more likely to have history of sexual abuse trauma (OR = 7.12, p = .001). At service entry, males were more likely to be using substances, especially cannabis (OR = 2.15, p = .047), had more severe illness (OR = 1.72, p = .037), and poorer functioning (OR = 0.96, p = .045). During treatment males were more likely to decrease substance use (OR = 5.34, p = .008) and were more likely to be living with family (OR = 4.30, p = .009). There were no gender differences in age of onset, psychopathology or functioning at discharge. Conclusions : Clinically meaningful gender differences in FEPM were driven by risk factors possibly associated with poor outcome. For males, substance use might be associated with poorer clinical presentation and functioning. In females with FEPM, the impact of sexual trauma on illness course warrants further consideration

Mechanistic Investigations of the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Enamides with Neutral Bis(phosphine) Cobalt Precatalysts

The mechanism of the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral enamides by well-defined, neutral bis(phosphine) cobalt(0) and cobalt(II) precatalysts has been explored using(R,R)-iPrDuPhos ((R,R)-iPrDuPhos = (+)-1,2-bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-diisopropylphospholano]benzene) as a representative chiral bis(phosphine) ligand. A series of (R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co(enamide) (enamide = methyl-2-acetamidoacrylate (MAA), methyl(Z)-α-acetamidocinnamate (MAC), and methyl(Z)-acetamido(4-fluorophenyl)acrylate (4FMAC)) complexes (1-MAA, 1-MAC, and 1-4FMAC), as well as a dinuclear cobalt tetrahydride, [(R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co]2(μ2-H)3(H) (2), were independently synthesized, characterized, and evaluated in both stoichiometric and catalytic hydrogenation reactions. Characterization of (R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co(enamide) complexes by X-ray diffraction established the formation of the pro-(R) diastereomers in contrast to the (S)-alkane products obtained from the catalytic reaction. In situ monitoring of the cobalt-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions by UV–visible and freeze-quench electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies revealed (R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co(enamide) complexes as the catalyst resting state for all the three enamides studied. Variable time normalization analysis kinetic studies of the cobalt-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions in methanol established a rate law that is first order in (R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co(enamide) and H2 but independent of the enamide concentration. Deuterium-labeling studies, including measurement of an H2/D2 kinetic isotope effect and catalytic hydrogenations with HD, established an irreversible H2 addition step to the bound enamide. Density functional theory calculations support that this step is both rate and selectivity determining. Calculations, as well as HD-labeling studies, provide evidence for two-electron redox cycling involving cobalt(0) and cobalt(II) intermediates during the catalytic cycle. Taken together, these experiments support an unsaturated pathway for the [(R,R)-(iPrDuPhos)Co]-catalyzed hydrogenation of prochiral enamides

Changes in PTSD, depression, and generalized anxiety before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland

Background: : In this study, we compared the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic across nationally representative samples of Irish adults. Methods: : Participants were sampled in February 2019 (N = 1,020), April 2020 (N = 1,041), May 2020 (N = 1,032), and December 2020 (N = 1,100) using the same self-report measures. Results: : The prevalence of PTSD significantly increased from 12.5% in 2019 to 18.0% in April 2020, to 22.0% in May, and returning to 17.6% in December 2020. PTSD increases were most consistently observed in males, those aged 18–34 years, those without a university qualification, and those living in the Leinster region of Ireland, where the capital city of Dublin is located. There were no significant changes in the prevalence of depression or GAD. Limitations: : The 2020 samples were not completely independent of one another and while the analysis took this into account, this bias cannot be completely removed. Conclusions: : These findings show an increase in PTSD during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period and suggest specificity in mental health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic