Inclusive Education in Eastern Europe: A Current State of Research and Future Directions

Author(s):

Inna Stepaniuk(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2017

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 02 B, Looking at Inclusive Education within Countries

Paper Session

Time:

2017-08-22

15:15-16:45

Room:

W6.16

Chair:

Carol-Ann O'Siorain

Contribution

Globalization intensifies the exchange and integration of ideas around the world. We need transpolitical tools to secure peace and make the world a welcoming place for all people regardless of their differences. Inclusive education is becoming one of the global tools that holds promise for overcoming discriminatory attitudes about differences leading to a more democratic and open society (Ainscow, 2005; Artiles & Kozleski, 2016). Its role is to transform schools into inclusive platforms of excellence and equality for all students.

This presentation aims to summarize the current state of inclusive education research in Eastern European countries and the former Soviet states and identify conditions that might be necessary for education system to be inclusive. This presentation discusses: (a) the concept of inclusive education as a key to the development of democratic and civic society, (b) conceptualizes how historical contexts affect societal attitudes and values towards differences and disability, and (c) explore the extent to which available research captures the current state of inclusive education in Eastern Europe.

Method

The presentation “Inclusive Education in Eastern Europe: A Current State of Research and Future Directions” summarizes results of comprehensive literature review. Two methods were used to identify relevant studies for this review: (a) online search of electronic databases (Google Scholar and ERIC), and (b) archival search. The search terms used were “inclusive education in Eastern European countries,” “inclusive education in Eastern Europe”, and “inclusive education in [name of the Eastern European country]”. Studies were included for further review only if they: (a) reported as an empirical research on inclusive education conducted in one of the Eastern European countries (formerly post-Soviet states or the Balkans); (b) were written in the English language; and (c) were published in peer-reviewed journals between 2005 and 2016. Articles that reported: (a) opinion papers and/or literature reviews, (b) were written in a language other than English, or (c) described inclusive education in one of the other than Eastern European countries were excluded from the literature review. Fourteen articles met the inclusion criteria were included in the collection and the coding procedure was applied to determine the current state of inclusive education research in Eastern Europe.

Expected Outcomes

The development of Eastern Europe has been shaped primarily by constant political, economic, social and cultural upheaval (Bideleux & Jeffries, 1998). It is crucial to identify circumstances that caused segregation and prescribed discriminated attitudes, unequal educational opportunities and injustice outcomes for people with disabilities. By examining the context that shaped how citizens from Eastern and the former Soviet states value disability and differences, the findings of this presentation identify conditions that might be necessary for the education system to be inclusive and outlines future directions for research, policy and practice.

References

1. Ainscow, M. (2005). Developing inclusive education systems: What are the levers for change? Journal of Educational Change, 6(2), 109-124. 2. Artiles, A. J., & Kozleski, E. B. (2016). Inclusive education's promises and trajectories: Critical notes about future research on a venerable idea. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 24(43). doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.24.1919 3. Bideleux, R., & Jeffries, I. (1998). A history of Eastern Europe: Crisis and change: London and New York: Routledge. 4. Fukuda-Parr, S. (2004). Millennium Development Goals: Why They Matter. Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, 10(4), 395-402. doi:doi:10.5555/ggov.2004.10.4.395 5. Macpherson, C. B. (1977). The life and times of liberal democracy (Vol. 83): Oxford [Eng.]: Oxford University Press. 6. Rasell, M., & Iarskaia-Smirnova, E. (2013). Disability in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union: History, policy and everyday life (Vol. 94): Routledge. 7. Skrtic. (1995). Disability and Democracy: Reconstructing (Special) Education for Postmodernity. Special Education Series: Teachers College Press, Columbia University. 8. Unesco. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for action on special needs education: adopted by the World Conference on Special Needs Education; Access and Quality. Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 June 1994: Unesco.

Author Information

Inna Stepaniuk (presenting / submitting)

University of Kansas

Special Education

Zhytomyr

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