Multi-Subjective Assessment of the Inclusion Index of Educational Institutions in Belarus

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction. Long-term experience implementing integrated learning and education and ensuring the conditions for implementing the principle of inclusion in education have highlighted an important task for pedagogical science and educational practice: obtaining objective, reflective data on the content and outcomes of joint education for children with special needs and their typically developing peers, represented by different participants in the educational process. A clear deficit in scientific pedagogical knowledge is associated with the insufficient development of evidence-based criteria and tools for assessing the performance of educational systems and forecasting educational development. The objective of the study is to comprehensively assess the inclusiveness of the educational environment (inclusion index) in preschool and general secondary education institutions.Materials and Methods. The study involved 53,092 individuals from 1,116 preschool and general secondary education institutions implementing various models of joint education for children with special needs and their typically developing peers. At each institution, the inclusion index was assessed by four groups of respondents (administration, teaching staff, parents of typically developing children, and parents of children with developmental disabilities). A custom-designed questionnaire was used, with questions reflecting the inclusion index markers, represented by a set of criteria and indicators. Mathematical and statistical data processing was performed using the Statistica version 10.0 statistical package (one-way analysis of variance (Tukey’s post-hoc test).Results. Despite relatively high scores on the educational institution inclusion index, statistically significant differences were found in the marker assessments by different respondent groups. Moreover, the average score for the “Inclusive Practice” marker was statistically lower than the average scores for the “Inclusive Educational Environment” and “Inclusive Culture of Participants in the Educational Process” markers. The scores for all markers were statistically lower in the “parent (legal guardian) raising a typical child” respondent group than in the other three respondent groups. The aggregate scores for the educational institution inclusion index were determined from the perspective of each respondent group. Common “problem” areas were identified in the assessments of all respondent groups, requiring further study. The criteria for the markers with the lowest scores were determined.Conclusion. The obtained results supplement pedagogical science with information on the functioning of educational systems and The factors determining their development, the specific subject positions of different participants in an inclusive educational environment, formed within the context of implementing the principle of inclusion in education, and the expansion of the arsenal of diagnostic tools for educational practice. This article will be useful for education managers, faculty at secondary and higher education institutions providing training for teachers, and students at pedagogical colleges and universities.