Session Information
04 SES 08 A, Changing Attitude and Teaching
Paper Session
Contribution
Dr. phil. Dóra S. Bjarnason, professor
and Hermína Gunnþórsdóttir doctoral student
The University of Iceland
School of Education
v/Stakkahlíð
105 Reykjavík
Iceland
Email dsb@hi.is
Email hermina@unak.is
http://vefir.hi.is/dsb
http://vefir.hi.is/skolianadgreiningar (research institute on inclusive ed.)
Is your inclusion in school up to your mother? Report from the findings of two qualitative studies in Iceland, one looking at parents experiences[1], the other at teachers views.
Abstract:
Whether or not a disabled student is included or excluded from regular schooling, where the educational policy prescribes inclusive education as a general rule, appears partly dependent upon the student’s mother’s values and beliefs, her actions and presentation of self. This paper is based on data from two studies. One on “Social policy and social capital. Parents and exceptionality 1974-2007”, an extensive research into parents experiences of formal (including support from schools) and informal support. The other study is from a doctoral research in progress. That research is on Icelandic primary school teachers experience and understanding of teachers role in schools which work according to the inclusive education policy. The Icelandic data is analysed et. al. through the lens of comparable Dutch data. Both studies found that mothers of disabled students play a crucial role in whether or not a disabled student is included in schools, both from the parent perspectives and from teachers’ perspective. Both studies apply social constructionism and post structuralism and are based on interviews with parents and teachers. Findings: In both studies it emerged that mothers of students with disability or additional educational needs, play a significant role regarding their children presence and progresses in inclusive schools. This poses further questions such as; What limits there may be to school inclusion? How schools understand their role in the inclusionary processes and whether or not the “inclusive” learning community avoids responsibility?
[1] The research is supported by the Icelandic Science Fund.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
References Allan, J. (2003). Inclusion, participation, and democracy: what is the purpose? Dordrecht, Boston, London: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Berger, P. L. and T. Luckman (1967). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. London, Penguin Pub. Bjarnason, D. S. (2010). Social policy and social capital. Parents and exceptionality 1974-2007. New York: Nova Science Publishers Inc. p. 1-187. Bjarnason, D.S. (2008). Parents and professionals: an uneasy partnership? In J. Allan, J Ozga og G. Smyth (edt.) Social capital, professionalism and diversity. Rotterdam, Sense. p. 123-138. Bjarnason, D. S. (2004). New Voices from Iceland: Disability and Young Adulthood. New York, Nova Science Publishers. Bjarnason, D.S. (2003). School inclusion in Iceland; The Cloak of Invisibility. In Education; Emerging Goals in a New Millennium, B. T. Peck (editor), New York, Nova Science Publishers. p. 1- Bogdan, R. C. and Biklen, S.K.( 2003). Qualitative Research for Education. An Introductionto Theory and Methods. 4th ed. New York, Pearson Education grp. Cole, B.A. (2004). Mother-Teachers insights into inclusion. London: David Fulton Publishers. Ferguson, P. (2001). Mapping the Family. Disability studies and the exploration of parental responses to disability. In G. L. Albrect, K. D. Seelman and M. Bury (Eds.) Handbook of Disability Studies.Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications: 373-395. Foucault M. (1975). The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of Medical Perception (A. M. S. Smith, Trans.). New York: Vintage Books. Oakeley, A. (1979). Becoming a Mother. Oxford: Martin Robertson. Silverman, D. (2000). Doing Qualitative Reserach. A Practical Handbook. London, Sage Publications. Wolcott, H.F. (1995). The Art of Fieldwork. Walnut Creek, Alta Mira Press.
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.