Legislation, Policy, and Practices that Support Inclusive Education within the European Union (work in progress) Evangelia Zaimi, ABD ([email protected])

Legislation, Policy, and Practices that Support

Inclusive Education within the European Union(work in progress)

Evangelia Zaimi, ABD ([email protected])

Janet S. Gaffney, Ph.D.([email protected])

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA

For further information or permission to cite, please contact either author.

ISEC 2005 Zaimi & Gaffney 2

Background

Quality citizenship for people with disabilities Barrier-free educational opportunities 2003 European Year for People with

Disabilities (EYPD) Activities in Member and Candidate States

Media and Communication products Events ⁙Research Training ⁙Advocacy

Inclusive educational practices


Inclusive Educational Practices

They are evident through: The environment in which

education takes place The academic and social activities

in which students engage The interactions among teachers

and peers


Influences on Inclusive Educational Practices

EU-related factors policy, recommendations, initiatives

State-related factors culture and history, legislation, policy,

funding, advocacy groups, decentralization, and globalization

School-related factors school organization, policies, rules, resources,

curricula, peer- and colleague-relations Classroom-related factors

teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and dispositions, and collaboration


Purpose of the Study Understand teachers’ interpretations of

layers of legislation and policies Filtered through EU, Ministry of Education,

Education Department, school, and teacher education

Identify educational practices illustrative of inclusive education in schools

Study SettingsFrance (Member State) Malta (Candidate

State)


Method and Procedures In-classroom observations Interviews with teachers, school

administrators, governmental and non-governmental officials, university professors involved in research and teacher-education programs, and EU professionals

Document analyses Qualitative Analysis with Nvivo based on

framework of factors which affect inclusive educational practices


Trustworthiness

Multiple sources of information Triangulation of information Primary data: transcripts and fieldnotes Educational practices weighted against

school/state/EU recommendations and policies

Member checks: reflections on narratives summaries/lists of major points

Composite portraits of inclusive edu. practices


Preliminary Findings: France

Special schools: the Feeders General education schools: the Satellites Prerequisite: student’s ability to access

curriculum Special ed. teachers: Responsible for inclusion Reform in 2004 because of the EYPD:

Schools: inclusive towards everyone Teachers’ attitudes and preparedness Align law, teacher education, and school practices

Decentralization -> “Distant Proximity” Professionals in large/member states: well-

settled in their practices


Preliminary Findings: Malta

General edu. schools > special edu. schools Special education facilitators (1:1)

Material adaptation/instructional methods/awareness of legislation, policies, and practices

Teacher/student dependence on facilitators Focus Group on Inclusive Education

Leadership in inclusive education Evaluation of inclusive environments based on

indicators Accountability/responsibility

Centralized ed. practices -> “Proximal Distance” Small/Candidate States look out towards the EU

and international trends for legislation/policy/practice


Implications for Inclusion Implementation of Inclusion

Interpretation, Preparation, & Experiences Range of attitudes, efforts, perceptions, feelings Consistency among countries Teacher preparation vs. teacher reflexivity

Collaboration: Shared Responsibility Ability to negotiate policy into practice and vice versa Relationships among and between teachers and

policy makers -> Bi-directionality

Inclusive Education = Personal Education


Implications for Research

Internationalization of research Cross-fertilization of ideas and practices Cooperation of insiders/outsiders to

educational systems Language, context, culture enhance

understandings of educational practices Flexibility in data collection

Incorporate emerging sources of information Reshape inapplicable data collection

procedures Illustrations of effective inclusive

education are universal

12Zaimi & GaffneyISEC 2005

Selected BibliographyArmstrong, F. (1995). Special education France: ‘Passé historic’ or ‘futur simple’.

In C. O’Hanlon (Ed.), Inclusive education in Europe (pp. 24-38). London: David Fulton.

Bartolo, P. A. (2001). Recent developments in inclusive education in Malta. Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies, 6(2), 65-91.

Daunt, P. (1995). Introduction: Integration practice and policy for children with special needs in Europe. In C. O’ Hanlon (Ed.), Inclusive education in Europe (pp. 1-8). London: David Fulton.

Diamantopoulou, A. (2003). “Getting on board: Official opening of the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003”. Retrieved July 25, 2003, from http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/diamantopoulou/speeches_en.html.

European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education (2003). Inclusive education and classroom practices: Summary Report. Brussels, Belgium: Author.

Ministry of Education and Research in France (2003). L' enseignement pour les élèves à besoins éducatifs spécifiques. Retrieved July 27, 2003, from http://www.education.gouv.fr/thema/special/default.htm.

Ollikainen, A. (2001). European education, European citizenship? European education, 32(2), 6-21.

Taylor, S., Rizvi, F., Lingard, B., & Henry, M. (1997). Educational policy and the politics of education. London: Routledge.

Documents

Legislation, Policy, and Practices that Support Inclusive Education within the European Union (work in progress) Evangelia Zaimi, ABD ([email protected])