Instructional Strategies for Inclusive Education
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To ascertain whether interactive Instruction strategy help in inclusive education
- To ascertain whether experiential learning strategy help in inclusive education
- To find out whether independent Study strategy help in inclusive education
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Inclusive Education
The term inclusive education, used throughout this textbook, considers an understanding of inclusion as an approach to education for all children. At the core of inclusive education is the human right to education. Various international documents specify the principles of inclusion for guiding the states towards their efforts to introduce rights-based approach to education. According to UNICEF, an education system is inclusive if it “includes all students, and welcomes and supports them to learn. No-one should be excluded. Every child has a right to inclusive education, including children with disabilities” (UNICEF, 2017). This statement is very much in line with UNCRPD General Comment n.4 regarding inclusive education as “a fundamental human right of all learners” and “a principle that values the well-being of all students, respects their inherent dignity and autonomy, and acknowledges individuals’ requirements and their ability to effectively be included in and contribute to society” (the United Nations, 2006). UNESCO views inclusion as “a dynamic approach of responding positively to pupil diversity and of seeing individual differences not as problems, but as opportunities for enriching learning” (UNESCO, 2005). It is important to consider inclusion as a continuous process of systemic reform that envisages changes in teaching and the curriculum, school buildings, classrooms, play areas, transport, policies and strategies in education with a vision to provide all students of the relevant age range with an equitable and participatory learning experience and the environment that best corresponds to their requirements and preferences. Therefore, the move towards inclusion is not simply a technical or organizational change, but also a movement with a clear philosophy. For inclusion to be implemented effectively, countries need to define a set of inclusive principles together with practical ideas to guide the transition towards policies addressing inclusion in education (UNESCO, 2005). Recognizing that educational inclusion is a broader concept that applies to all groups of children, the authors focus on children with disabilities as one of the major groups that remain excluded due to prevailing social, cultural, and attitudinal barriers. In addition, throughout teacher education in Armenia, inclusion needs are still an optional topic in preservice teacher training courses (mainly related to special education), state-funded teacher trainings, and donor-funded training initiatives. A considerable gap exists between preservice and in-service teacher training programs, especially in terms of a holistic approach based upon the bio-psycho-social model of disability.
Instructional Strategy
According to Richardson (2001), besides the studies of early progressivism, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner and Albert Bandura studied on instructional strategies and they had created new theories. Cognitive psychology and constructivist approaches placed instructional strategies in the center of the curriculum such as exploration and research-based teaching activities. Instructional strategies point the ways and approaches followed by the teachers, to achieve the fundamental aims of instruction. Strategies are defined in various ways in the related literature. Sources called them as “teaching strategies” or “instruction strategies.” In fact, it’s hard to say flatly, that there is the existence of a concept of unity about the strategies. Nevertheless, because of our view about the concept of instruction, as mentioned previous section (Nature of Instruction), we named them as “instructional strategies”. When the related literature is examined, it is seen that many researchers try to create a conceptual framework for instructional strategies. It could be stated that the conceptual frameworks include instructional organizers and arrangers as well as instructional strategies and tactics. Instructional organizers put forward practical ideas regarding the application of instructional activities. For instance, instructional organizers could be said to be carried out to organize instructional goals of Bloom’s taxonomy or Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence. The instructional behavior that instructors have long tended to apply could also be regarded as instructional tactics. These are essential activities which are most common in the instructional process and which limit the instructional strategies of instructors. Behaviors such as directing an appropriate question, checking learners’ understanding, giving examples, making visual presentations or contributing to both parties of a discussion could be given as examples of instructional tactics. Tactics have resulted from experienced instructors’ practices (Richardson 2001 in Erişti and Akdeniz 2012). Marzano (2003) states that instructional strategies influence learners’ achievement and let teachers diversify the instructional applications. According to Marzano, the effectiveness of instruction can be achieved mainly by preventing the random or mysterious occurrence of this process. The instructional process should be structured, applied and evaluated in a purposeful, planned, and systematic way.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine instructional strategies for inclusive education. Selected primary schools in Uyo form the population of the study.
SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION
A study sample is simply a systematic selected part of a population that infers its result on the population. In essence, it is that part of a whole that represents the whole and its members share characteristics in like similitude (Udoyen, 2019). In this study, the researcher adopted the convenient sampling method to determine the sample size.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain instructional strategies for inclusive education. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of instructional strategies for inclusive education
. Summary
This study was on instructional strategies for inclusive education. Three objectives were raised which included; To ascertain whether interactive Instruction strategy help in inclusive education, to ascertain whether experiential learning strategy help in inclusive education and to find out whether independent Study strategy help in inclusive education. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected primary schools in Uyo. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
An effective instructional strategy is a series of activities that are expected to be able to be carried out by teachers and students to achieve instructional objectives. The use of instructional methods, instructional media, and the time that has been designed in the instructional process are indicators that must be designed by teachers with diverse student characteristics. The teacher must be able to fulfill all needs despite having different characteristics, weaknesses, and strengths. Some of the problems faced by teachers in designing and using instructional strategies in inclusive classrooms include the lack of mastery of personality competencies, pedagogic competencies, and professional competence of teachers. Teachers have difficulty in determining instructional methods, instructional media, instructional strategies used are still not optimal, difficulty in determining the sequence of learning; teachers are always focused on cognitive and emotional aspects of learning.
Recommendation
The study recommended that government should provide necessary instructional strategies materials to school for easy educational understanding of student
Government should employ qualified teacher that handle students well
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