A Report on Inclusive Education Training Course

Inclusive Education

Bashir Ahmed

Introduction

Inclusive education is defined as a process of addressing the diverse needs of all learners by reducing barriers to, and within the learning environment. Inclusive education is “about enabling schools to serve all children (UNESCO, 1994). In other words, inclusive means creating schools which welcome all learners, regardless of their characteristics, race, disadvantages or difficulties. Inclusive education should be viewed in term of including traditionally excluded or marginalized groups making the invisible visible.

Background

Inclusive education is a developmental approach seeking to address the learning needs of all children, youth and adults with a specific focus on those who are exclusion. The principle of inclusive education was adopted at the World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality (Salamanca, Spain, 1994) and was restated at the World Education Forum (Dakar, Senegal, 2000). The idea of inclusion is further supported by the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities proclaiming participation and equality for all. Since the Dakar World Education Forum in April, 2000, Education for All (EFA) has become the main thrust of Education Sector. As per goals of the Dakar Framework for Action, education for the vulnerable children should be an integral part of the overall school system throughout world. Inclusive Education, as a crosscutting area, needs to be the fundamental philosophy of the EFA follow-up efforts, so that the goal of ‘Education for All’ can be achieved holistically.

Professional Development Centre North (PDCN) has therefore, given significant space in the project for teachers’ professional development through short courses and long courses. In the field of Inclusive Education, Educational Development and Improvement Program (EDIP) had organized one week training course from July 02, 2012 to July 6, 2012 for the teachers of EDIP project schools. The purpose of this training course was to develop teachers’ understanding about their role in creating an inclusive school. The cohort consist 21 course participants from six districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. Out of 21 course participants, 8 were males while 13 were females who attended the training course.

This report includes aims/objectives, themes, teaching and learning methods, analysis of quantitative and qualitative assessment and evaluation of training course. The report also consists of achievements, challenges, recommendations and conclusion of the training course.

Aims of the training course

The training course had four main aims:

·         To provide teachers with key facts about various impairments, disabilities and handicap and how to overcome the most common learning disabilities that result from them.

·         To inform teachers what they can reasonably do to adapt the classroom and school environment to overcome the barriers to learning faced by children with impairments.

·         To describe strategies teachers can use to respond to the diversity of children in their classrooms and show some ideas how the curriculum can be adapted to individual needs.

·         To encourage teachers to work with families and with other personnel in health and social services and in the community.

Objectives of the Course

Objectives are the intended outcomes of any training course. The course facilitators expected that by the end of the training, course participants will be able to:

•      Define Inclusive Education in a broader perspective

•      Differentiate impairment, disability and handicap.

•      Define learning disability and enlist any other three disabilities

•      Describe and design an IEP with its components

•      Plan and implement learning activities that provide equal learning opportunities for all children in classroom

•      Use appropriate language for students and people with disabilities in the society

•      Identify challenges and find solutions for sustainable inclusive classrooms.

Themes Covered During the Course

Following topics/themes were covered during the sessions. Weekly plan is also attached with the report (See annexure A)

• ·         Definitions of inclusive education
• ·         Success stories in inclusive education
• ·         Challenges in inclusive education with respect to Gilgit-Baltistan
• ·         Introduction to learning disabilities
• ·         Instructional strategies to deal with issues surrounding learning disabilities
• ·         Definition of impairment, disability and handicap
• ·         Correct language used in inclusive education
• ·         Definition and components of Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• ·         Developing an Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• ·         Microteaching to a child who has a learning disability

Teaching Strategies Used During the Training Course

The course facilitators used effective training and learning methods to share the content of the training course. The bellow list shows some of the instructional strategies used during the training course.

• ·         Brainstorming before every new topic
• ·         Group discussion
• ·         Case-studies
• ·         Individual and group presentations
• ·         Multimedia presentations
• ·         Microteaching
• ·         Group work
• ·         Movie on inclusive education
• ·         Lecture/talks
• ·         Questions/answers

Quantitative Analysis

The course facilitators assessed the learning of course participants before and after training course to gauge the worth of the training. In pre-test the course participants scored very low marks. Majority of the course participants left the questions without answers. The highest score in pre-test was 35% whereas in post-test mostly course participants scored more than 50%. There is a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores. The table of pre-test and post-test score is attached in the appendix (See annexure B). The graphic comparison of pre and post test scores is presented in the following diagrams.

Qualitative Assessment

Written and oral reflections were used to assess the worth of the training course. The course facilitators encouraged CPs to assess the sessions freely and openly without mentioning their names on the reflection paper. There was also a time slot on each session where CPs were asked to reflect on their learning in form of whole class discussion and critically assess their learning with its implication in the classroom context. Through these reflective sessions, course facilitators got an opportunity to assess their last day activities and CPs’ understanding. However, informal discussion at tea time and lunch time was also used as tool for qualitative assessment. Majority of the course participants found the training course very useful and effective. They also found the training course was full of learning and methodologies used were also very effective. The following lines show the description of their comments on significant learning shared by course participants during their daily reflections.

Course participants appreciated the methods of teaching used during the training course and timely feedback by the facilitators, as they reflected, “Trainers were very friendly, they used effective activities during the training and told us process of inclusive education. We liked trainers’ positive and friendly attitude, they spoke in soft vices which provides us ample opportunities to share our ideas and issues openly with them.”

Furthermore, in daily reflections majority of the course participants shared that inclusive education is new for them. Before that training course they were familiar with special education. They felt that special education is the teaching and learning of special children. In their opinions, special children were burden on the parents as well as on society. In the particular training course, they transformed their understanding about the notion of special children. They believed that all the children are different from each other and every child has his own needs and interests. They shared that any child who cannot utilize their full potential due to various reasons. However, some of the course participants shared that “every child has a potential. Being a teacher it is our responsibility to polish their potentials and provide them maximum opportunities to learn and develop their abilities”. Their reflections showed that the course participants were sensitized about the inclusive education and they realized that all children have abilities to learn and grow. It is important to provide an opportunity to learn and grow together because children learn more in an inclusive class.

During the training, CPs were oriented with different learning disabilities. One of the course participants shared that “I did not notice that every child has different needs and interest. I teach children in one method, I found some students were struggling with learning activities in the classroom. Sometimes, I was harsh to them and said I taught in same way, where were you? Now, I realized that some students have learning disabilities and they need different kind of learning activities. I should prepare various learning activities to cater the learning of my students”. This shows that course participants have reflected their practices and they are ready to modify their practices.

Moreover, the course participants developed an Individualized Education Plan during the training course. They found this exercise very useful and essential for a teacher to learn how to develop an individualized education plan for students with learning disabilities. Some of the course participants mentioned that they were aware with the process of lesson planning but Individualized Education Plan is new for them. They felt that for a teacher it is very important to learn about learning disabilities and how to overcome those difficulties. However, they felt that it is very challenging and time consuming because it is out of our routine work. However, they realized that it is important process therefore; they will do their best to help the children who have learning difficulties.

Course Evaluation

To gauge the effectiveness of the training course, the course participants were given an evaluation sheet at the end of the course. The course participants filled the evaluation forms and marked one option to show their level of agreement or disagreement from each day session. The following table shows the level of agreements and disagreements of the course participants from every session.

Descriptive Statistics
	Number of participants	Minimum	Maximum	Mean	Std. Deviation
Inclusive Education	21	3	5	3.57	.598
Learning Disability	21	2	4	3.62	.590
Impairment, Disability, Handicap	21	3	5	3.57	.676
Session on IEP	21	2	5	3.52	.680
Practical work on IEP	21	2	5	3.43	.746
Microteaching to a child with Learning Disabilities	21	3	5	3.52	.602
Mean_all	21	3.17	4.17	3.5397	.31138

Key: Poor = 1, Fair = 2, Good = 3, Excellent = 4 and Outstanding = 5

The above table shows that majority of the course participants strongly agreed that the training course was very useful. Overall, the cumulative mean (CM=3.53) reveals that majority of the course participants found that the training course was excellent. This shows that the training course has achieved its objectives at the end of the course.

Achievements of the Training Course

·          The course participants enhanced their understanding about inclusive education

·         The course participants learned different terminologies used in inclusive education

·         Developed an in-depth understanding on learning disabilities and how to find a child with learning disability

·         Identified and list down various instructional strategies used for teaching to a child with learning disabilities

·         Enhanced the understanding  of course participants about the process and step of Individualized Education Plan

·         The course participants developed Individualized Education Plan

·         During the training course, CPs’ developed various activities to teach a child with learning disability 

·         Increased confidence level of course participants while implementing learning activities to a child with learning disabilities

Challenges of the Training Course

During the course, some challenges were faced. Some of the noteworthy challenges are as under

·         The course participants had very low level of understanding on inclusive education

·         It was difficult of transform their understanding from special education to inclusive education

·         The material for training course was in English, therefore it was difficult to explain the terminologies in Urdu medium

·         The duration of the training course was very short, it was very difficult to develop an in-depth understanding on inclusive education in one week

·         Drinking water was not available in the classroom, therefore, course participants frequently left the class for drinking water

·         The training course was designed for 30 course participants but due to vacations at school only 21 course participants attended the training course

·         As staff were busy in various training courses, it was very difficult to conduct the training course by one facilitator

Recommendations

On the basis of challenges faced during the training course, following suggestions are recommended to improve such training courses in future.

·         The course participants with an average level of understanding on inclusive education should be invited for the training course

·         The training course should be consisted of two successive weeks so that course participants would develop an in-depth understanding on inclusive education

·         A field visit would be more effective to relate the theoretical knowledge with real life experiences

·         Some material in Urdu would be more useful to explain the terminologies used in inclusive education

·         Some basic necessities should be available in the class such as drinking water

·         Following-up of the training course is important to ensure the implementation of learned knowledge in the real context by course participants

Conclusion

The training course came to an end successfully and all the objectives were achieved. The course participant considerably changed their perceptions, perspectives and beliefs about inclusive education in schools. Prior to this training course, majority of the course participants viewed that inclusive education as special education. Course participants thought how it is possible to teach a special child with a normal child in the classroom. Variety of strategies and activities boarded the perspectives of course participants about inclusive education. They realized that inclusive education is very important in school because all children have potential for learning. Only they have different needs and a teacher must identify the learning needs of their children. Finally, the course participants developed an individualized education plan. They promised to implement their IEP in their schools and share their learning with other colleagues.