Addressing Diverse Learning Needs 414:
Lecture 1 Notes – Term 1
- [Main theory that underpins education = the sociological ecological model by Uri Bronfenbrenner]
- [Need to understand inclusive education before we can truly support learners]
Clearing a path for ‘people with special needs’ clears the path for everyone:
This is inclusive education
What Is Inclusive Education? (TEST – 10 marks) [ ] = extra class notes
- [Inclusive education is difficult to define because it’s a complex process, so it’s difficult to give a
singular definition – we’ve all had different experiences of inclusive education]
- [People have their own meaning of inclusive education]
Main principles of inclusive education:
- Giving access to all learners to the schooling system.
- It’s about embracing and respecting human difference, to value diversity.
- It’s about providing quality education to learners to be able to make good progress – thus
accommodate learners’ diverse learning needs.
- Increasing participation of learners in the curriculum, class activities, school community, etc.
[^ therefore adaptations are necessary]
- Both a process and outcome.
- [Access doesn’t just mean physical access to a physical seat in a class.
- [It means access to the curriculum, to what is taught, to the school climate, extra murals and
learning materials]
- [Human difference is a given in society so inclusive education is about accepting this.
- [We speak different languages, we are of different races and genders, etc]
- [Quality education = don’t see child as the problem but rather see the system as the problem and
we endeavour to change the system → adapting curriculum and learning materials]
- [Want children to progress academically, but also holistically and personally]
- [Not just about supporting child academically → also about supporting them emotionally]
,Only For Enrichment: (can add this to “what is inclusive education?)
• Putting inclusive values into action. [things like respect. to value diversity, etc]
• Supporting everyone to feel that they belong.
• Increasing participation for children and adults in learning and teaching activities, relationships
and communities of local schools.
• Reducing exclusion, discrimination, barriers to learning and increasing participation.
• Restructuring policies and practices to respond to diversity in ways that value everyone equally.
• Learning from the reduction of barriers for some children to benefit children more widely.
• Viewing differences between children and between adults as resources for learning.
• Acknowledging the right of children to education of high quality in their locality.
• Improving schools for staff and parents/carers as well as children.
• Emphasising the development of school communities and values, as well as achievements.
• Fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and surrounding communities.
• Recognising that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society.
Paradigm Shift:
- [A paradigm is what professionals would use to explain their behaviour / thoughts / beliefs / how
they conduct themselves]
- [Early 1990’s, the emphasis in education was mainly on the medical model]
- [It focused a lot on what is wrong with the child; diagnosing children; looking at pathology; so the
child is ADHD; he has autism, etc; about diagnosing and treating children individually]
- [Medical model is still used today and still has a place in society]
Continuum Medical deficit model Social ecological model
Intention Segregation and exclusion Integration and inclusion
Actions Changing the individual Changing the system
About “Fixing” the child to “fit in” – rehabilitation, Developing different systems to
medication support the child
Interventions by specialist personnel Collaboration between all role players,
including specialist personnel
Special placement [placing them in Mainstream placement as far as
‘special schools’ or ‘special classes’ possible
Discourse Medical deficit, individualist, tragedy Social-critical, bio-ecological
Power Systems and professionals Parents, learners, school and DBST
- So, a shift happened
- [Socio-ecological model allows for a more comprehensive multidimensional view of a learner &
obstacles they face in a school context → look at learner more holistically & comprehensively]
- [Intention with this model = to integrate and include learners; and rather change systems to
include the child → how can we change the system and not the child]
- [Socio-ecological model AKA bio-ecological model]
- [Just because education system adopted socio-ecological model, we still need the medical side]
, Paradigm Shift (Additional Table):
Medical Model Socio-Ecological Model
- Identify the difficulty/fault/deficit - Identify the learners’ strengths
- Assess the child in isolation, removed from - Take the learners’ environments and
their daily lives communities into consideration
- Refer to specialists and/or special classes/aid - Don’t separate screening and identification
classes of special schools for treatment and from teaching and learning
education - The classroom is the best place to offer
- Factors such as the home environment, support
socioeconomic circumstances, diseases, - Teachers are the key role players in
LoLT, teaching methods and materials, screening, identification, assessment and
inflexible curricula, etc are not considered support
- The teacher needs to be reflective –
reflecting on his/her teaching styles,
methodologies, and strategies
- Systems need to be in place to support
teachers
Terminology:
- [Terminology came under scrutiny in 1990s]
- [Certain terminology changed]
Barriers to learning / risk factors Special educational needs
Learning support Remedial education
System changes and individualised support for all Changes with the individual
Learning with impairments / learners with Impaired/disabled
disabilities (person first language)
Let’s Take A Look At This Picture:
→ Think about what is being “said” by the different
sections in the picture alongside.
→ 1st pic = equal access
→ 2nd pic = different forms of support
→3rd pic = inequity was addressed
Justifications For Inclusive Schools:
1) Human/Political reasons: Human right treaties.
2) Educational reasons: Mainstream schools have to develop ways of teaching that respond to
individual differences that will be to the benefit of all learners. Children need to reach their full
potential.
3) Social reasons: Inclusive schools are able to change attitudes towards diversity and form the
basis for a just and non- discriminating society. Human variations and differences are a
naturally occurring and valuable part of society, it should be reflected in schools.
4) Economic reasons: It is less costly to establish and maintain schools that educate all children
together than set up a complex system of different types of schools, for different groups of
children.
Lecture 1 Notes – Term 1
- [Main theory that underpins education = the sociological ecological model by Uri Bronfenbrenner]
- [Need to understand inclusive education before we can truly support learners]
Clearing a path for ‘people with special needs’ clears the path for everyone:
This is inclusive education
What Is Inclusive Education? (TEST – 10 marks) [ ] = extra class notes
- [Inclusive education is difficult to define because it’s a complex process, so it’s difficult to give a
singular definition – we’ve all had different experiences of inclusive education]
- [People have their own meaning of inclusive education]
Main principles of inclusive education:
- Giving access to all learners to the schooling system.
- It’s about embracing and respecting human difference, to value diversity.
- It’s about providing quality education to learners to be able to make good progress – thus
accommodate learners’ diverse learning needs.
- Increasing participation of learners in the curriculum, class activities, school community, etc.
[^ therefore adaptations are necessary]
- Both a process and outcome.
- [Access doesn’t just mean physical access to a physical seat in a class.
- [It means access to the curriculum, to what is taught, to the school climate, extra murals and
learning materials]
- [Human difference is a given in society so inclusive education is about accepting this.
- [We speak different languages, we are of different races and genders, etc]
- [Quality education = don’t see child as the problem but rather see the system as the problem and
we endeavour to change the system → adapting curriculum and learning materials]
- [Want children to progress academically, but also holistically and personally]
- [Not just about supporting child academically → also about supporting them emotionally]
,Only For Enrichment: (can add this to “what is inclusive education?)
• Putting inclusive values into action. [things like respect. to value diversity, etc]
• Supporting everyone to feel that they belong.
• Increasing participation for children and adults in learning and teaching activities, relationships
and communities of local schools.
• Reducing exclusion, discrimination, barriers to learning and increasing participation.
• Restructuring policies and practices to respond to diversity in ways that value everyone equally.
• Learning from the reduction of barriers for some children to benefit children more widely.
• Viewing differences between children and between adults as resources for learning.
• Acknowledging the right of children to education of high quality in their locality.
• Improving schools for staff and parents/carers as well as children.
• Emphasising the development of school communities and values, as well as achievements.
• Fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and surrounding communities.
• Recognising that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society.
Paradigm Shift:
- [A paradigm is what professionals would use to explain their behaviour / thoughts / beliefs / how
they conduct themselves]
- [Early 1990’s, the emphasis in education was mainly on the medical model]
- [It focused a lot on what is wrong with the child; diagnosing children; looking at pathology; so the
child is ADHD; he has autism, etc; about diagnosing and treating children individually]
- [Medical model is still used today and still has a place in society]
Continuum Medical deficit model Social ecological model
Intention Segregation and exclusion Integration and inclusion
Actions Changing the individual Changing the system
About “Fixing” the child to “fit in” – rehabilitation, Developing different systems to
medication support the child
Interventions by specialist personnel Collaboration between all role players,
including specialist personnel
Special placement [placing them in Mainstream placement as far as
‘special schools’ or ‘special classes’ possible
Discourse Medical deficit, individualist, tragedy Social-critical, bio-ecological
Power Systems and professionals Parents, learners, school and DBST
- So, a shift happened
- [Socio-ecological model allows for a more comprehensive multidimensional view of a learner &
obstacles they face in a school context → look at learner more holistically & comprehensively]
- [Intention with this model = to integrate and include learners; and rather change systems to
include the child → how can we change the system and not the child]
- [Socio-ecological model AKA bio-ecological model]
- [Just because education system adopted socio-ecological model, we still need the medical side]
, Paradigm Shift (Additional Table):
Medical Model Socio-Ecological Model
- Identify the difficulty/fault/deficit - Identify the learners’ strengths
- Assess the child in isolation, removed from - Take the learners’ environments and
their daily lives communities into consideration
- Refer to specialists and/or special classes/aid - Don’t separate screening and identification
classes of special schools for treatment and from teaching and learning
education - The classroom is the best place to offer
- Factors such as the home environment, support
socioeconomic circumstances, diseases, - Teachers are the key role players in
LoLT, teaching methods and materials, screening, identification, assessment and
inflexible curricula, etc are not considered support
- The teacher needs to be reflective –
reflecting on his/her teaching styles,
methodologies, and strategies
- Systems need to be in place to support
teachers
Terminology:
- [Terminology came under scrutiny in 1990s]
- [Certain terminology changed]
Barriers to learning / risk factors Special educational needs
Learning support Remedial education
System changes and individualised support for all Changes with the individual
Learning with impairments / learners with Impaired/disabled
disabilities (person first language)
Let’s Take A Look At This Picture:
→ Think about what is being “said” by the different
sections in the picture alongside.
→ 1st pic = equal access
→ 2nd pic = different forms of support
→3rd pic = inequity was addressed
Justifications For Inclusive Schools:
1) Human/Political reasons: Human right treaties.
2) Educational reasons: Mainstream schools have to develop ways of teaching that respond to
individual differences that will be to the benefit of all learners. Children need to reach their full
potential.
3) Social reasons: Inclusive schools are able to change attitudes towards diversity and form the
basis for a just and non- discriminating society. Human variations and differences are a
naturally occurring and valuable part of society, it should be reflected in schools.
4) Economic reasons: It is less costly to establish and maintain schools that educate all children
together than set up a complex system of different types of schools, for different groups of
children.
