The masculine face of science

This paper considers the contemporary debate about inclusion and inclusive education as this affects children with special educational needs/disabilities. It addresses the continuing question of the relative contributions of value and evidence based considerations in making policies and developing practices. The main point of the paper is to argue that we cannot avoid dealing with these questions and that there is a need for a constructive synthesis of value, conceptual and empirical matters to resolving questions about inclusion. Though this may seem uncontroversial, it is argued that there are hard decisions to be made, or dilemmas surrounding how we address differences which arise from potentially conflicting values — the values of inclusion and individuality. The paper also discusses the contribution of empirical research evidence in the context of these dilemmas. The paper concludes with a rejection of the values/rights versus ‘what works’ positions and opts for the challenge of recognising different values, how they can conflict and how this tension needs to be resolved and the role of evidence in finding a resolution.     

A follow‐up study of one group of achievers and underachievers four years after high school graduation

A four‐year follow‐up study comparing gifted achievers and underachievers examined college attendance, academic performance, involvement in campus activities, type of institution attended, number of declared majors, career direction, and satisfaction with life developments since high school. All achievers attended college, were more sure of career direction, completed more years of college, and were more involved in campus activities than were underachievers, but did not report more satisfaction. Of the 87% underachievers who attended college, 52% had attended for four years and 41% had performed better academically in college than they had in high school. Qualitative analysis of narrative responses concerning adjustment found themes related to developmental, academic, and other concerns.     

School-based parental involvement: a comparative assessment of predictors of satisfaction in South-East Europe

Exploring a unique region concerning educational reforms in the past 20?years, the present study empirically investigates the attitudes towards parental involvement in school life in a comparative perspective of south-eastern European (SEE) countries for the 2008/2009 school year. Based on a multiple regression model for nine different countries, the research examines the predictors of satisfaction with school–parent partnerships from the parents’ perspective in the SEE context. The 2009 Cross-National Survey of Parents provided detailed evidence of attitudes and practices in educational setups in the Balkans for a representative sample of parents with one or more children enrolled in primary or secondary education. The findings indicate that the most reliable explanatory variable for the parents’ satisfaction with ways of getting involved in school life is the attribution of school–parent roles, with effects knocking on to all the other factors, including the understanding of the need to participate and the feeling of being a stakeholder in the educational process.     

Primary school websites in Ireland: how are they used to inform and involve parents?

Online sources are increasingly the most likely starting place when seeking information about any topic. Parents of prospective students may access school websites in advance of enrolling their child. Parents of current students are likely to access a school’s website for information about the school’s current activities or to learn more about the teaching and learning taking place in their child’s classroom. With a few notable exceptions, there is limited research on the quality of school websites internationally, particularly at primary level. For this paper, the online presence of 100 Irish primary schools was examined. Of the 90 schools for whom some web presence was established, information provided to parents of current students and parents of prospective students was examined. Findings show that primary school websites do not comprehensively address the information needs of either group of parents and highlight areas of potential improvement.     

Predicting pre-service teachers’ preparedness for inclusive education: Bangladeshi pre-service teachers’ attitudes and perceived teaching-efficacy for inclusive education

This study reports on the second phase of a larger study, which investigated the preparedness of pre-service teachers to teach in inclusive classrooms in Bangladesh. Phase 1 employed two standardised scales that were used with 1623 pre-service teachers from 16 teacher education institutions to measure their attitudes and perceived teaching-efficacy for inclusive education. The findings of Phase 1 indicated that the level and length of training, along with gender, influenced both teacher attitudes and teaching-efficacy. In Phase 2, semi-structured interviews with six administrative heads of the pre-service teacher education institutions were conducted in order to better understand these findings. Outcomes of Phase 2 indicated that curriculum, teacher-related and a number of contextual variables may explain the differences in the findings of this study that were in sharp contrast to those from previous international research. Recommendations for policy and curriculum reform for pre-service teacher education are also made.     

Social Work Students' Attitudes About Working With Involuntary Clients

Social workers employed in areas such as public child welfare, substance abuse, and corrections often provide services to involuntary clients. These individuals do not seek social work services on their own volition and may be actively opposed to the services they are receiving. This study explores social work students' attitudes about working with involuntary clients. The article is based on a cross-sectional survey of social work students (N = 107) at a large Southeastern university. Participants answered questions regarding their experience, knowledge, and attitudes about involuntary clients. Findings and implications for social work education and practice are discussed.     

Peter’s story: reconceptualising the UK SEN system

This paper addresses the broad question of whether or not the UK SEN system works from the perspective of the parent and the child, at the moment when a need first becomes apparent. The sparse literature on this topic suggests parental experiences may differ substantially, but there is growing evidence from small‐scale studies that parents are unhappy with the situation and children’s needs are not being met. The findings of a longitudinal participant observation study are presented. It is argued that current conceptualisations of the SEN system are located exclusively or primarily within the educational domain and fail to take into account the full complexity of the system. To access support via the SEN system, a child and his/her parents have to interact within three distinct domains: educational, legal and medical, and in each of which the child occupies a qualitatively different space as “pupil”, “case” and “patient”. There is scope for errors and failings to occur within each domain, at multiple levels, and in the interstices between domains. Furthermore, at all levels, the system has both formal and informal dimensions. We argue that this alternative “whole systems” perspective on the SEN system transcends current conceptualisations and that existing “solutions” proposed to improve the SEN system will not work unless they take into account these complex dynamics.     

Inclusion: developing an effective whole school approach

There is very little research that specifically looks at how autism spectrum disorders are perceived in various communities. This qualitative research was conducted with parents who had children on the autistic spectrum belonging to four different ethnic communities (White British, Somali, West African and South Asian – 63 in total) and living in the UK. The study found that the importance that the parents give to various social skills varied on the basis of their cultural background and the gender of the parent. This is an important aspect to consider while providing support and services to individuals on the autism spectrum and their family members if the services have to be appropriate for their needs. This consideration would also enable the individuals on the autism spectrum to develop appropriate social skills required within their cultural groups. This is a preliminary study and further research on the topic is required.     

A response to Padeliadu: can student attitudes exist outside the school climate?

The present study explored typically developing children’s understanding of, and attitudes towards, the inclusion of children with physical disabilities (PD) in mainstream settings. The 60 children who participated in the study attended sixth grade in two mainstream primary schools (30 in contact with a child with PD and 30 without such contact). They filled in a questionnaire to measure understanding of disabilities and one to explore attitudes towards inclusion. Analyses revealed that children in contact with a child with PD had a better understanding of the emotional and social problems associated with the presence of PD than the comparison group. Moreover, children in contact with a child with PD expressed more positive attitudes towards the inclusion of children with PD in relation to children without such contact. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of contact in the formation of more positive attitudes towards the inclusion of children with PD.