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Foreign language teachers face challenges in teaching foreign languages to deaf students because they often do not have specific qualifications to teach these students. This paper considers Türkiye as a case and examines foreign language teachers’ ideologies of deafness and teaching practices that these teachers use in teaching deaf students at the K-12 level in the country. The study applies a qualitative approach and uses semi-structured interviews as a data source. In analysing data, the study considers ideology, linguistic human rights, and forms of capital as theoretical concepts for theoretical triangulation. The analysis of interviews with eight hearing foreign language teachers teaching deaf students shows contradictions between teachers’ ideologies of deafness as a disability and their effort in teaching deaf students by adapting instructional practices to teach these students. The results of the study suggest integrating an ideology of deafness as a culture in education policies and preparing foreign language teacher training programs to help foreign language teachers understand deafness as a different culture and teach foreign languages to deaf students accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a sound policy framework, the right of learners with disabilities in South Africa to inclusive and equitable quality education is not being met. A key reason hindering the realisation of this right is that there are very few teacher education programs focused on supporting learners with disabilities. Acknowledging the urgency of teacher education, in this paper we draw on qualitative data from 109 teacher participants and 39 course facilitators of a series of disability inclusion-focused teacher education short courses in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Based on their experience of the courses, we consider how teachers can be empowered to meet the diverse needs of their learners within an inclusive framework. Findings highlight that professional and personal growth facilitated a more empathic understanding of learners and the opportunity to collaborate with others, enabling teachers to find creative ways of solving problems faced in their workplaces. To support teachers in meeting the needs of their learners, teacher training should facilitate active reflection on the role they play in shaping the lives of their learners, and prepare teachers to respond to challenges strategically, taking advantage of the resources available to them within and beyond their school environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the potential impact of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) upon national-level disability policy in Saudi Arabia. As an initial step, this study provides a document analysis of the provisions of the CRPD and its implementation into Saudi disability policy by highlighting the amendments made to meet its requirement. Furthermore, to understand how the government and the private sector are responding to the CRPD, a set of semi-structured interviews was conducted with various stakeholders. Participants were chosen based on specific criteria that established their trustworthiness for this study. The data were validated by experts who are legal professionals, and data from the participants were analysed using content analysis of themes and sub-themes. The results indicate paradigms and practices of disability formed in the light of the CRPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the international research study conducted in selected Czech and Russian primary schools in 2020. This research was mainly focused on the issue of pupils' relationships with their classmates with special educational needs, who are inclusively educated in regular school classrooms. According to the research results, the attitudes of pupils towards their classmates with special educational needs are rather neutral or even slightly negative in primary schools in both countries. However, most teachers do not consider this a problem affecting the classroom climate at all, and it seems that they do not work effectively with this issue as they are not skilled in this area and do not master the appropriate techniques used in support of pupils' relationships and a quality classroom climate. Although there are some differences between the results in Czech and Russian primary schools, we can suggest the improvement in working with diversity, as well as the development of teachers' skills for teaching heterogeneous peer group in a school classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the research that has addressed the effect of inclusion of d/Deaf and hard of hearing students (d/Dhh) in general education classrooms. Three questions are addressed: 1) How do researchers' perceptions of d/Dhh students' inclusion differ? 2) To what extent are the research findings associated with d/Dhh students' inclusion consistent or inconsistent? and 3) What suggestions have been made to enhance d/Dhh students' inclusion? This study used a qualitative meta-analysis method and collected, summarised, and analysed 34 scholarly works from 1993 to 2020 on the topics of d/Dhh students' language and literacy, as well as their social and academic development of d/Dhh students in inclusive education classrooms. The paper discusses major findings, recommendations for practice, suggestions for future research, and limitations of the review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish legislation obliges the public administration to ensure equal opportunities and support for access to higher education for people with disabilities. This work has one central goal: to analyse and understand the causes for the potential inequality for people with disabilities in accessing higher education in Spain and the barriers they encounter during their academic life. This paper focuses on the differences in inclusive education between people with disabilities and people without disabilities by sex, age, and type of university. A mixed research design is used: qualitative research of two focus groups and fourteen interviews to sixteen students with disabilities; and statistical analysis of the Social Integration and Health Survey 2012, using two-way and multi-way cross-tables. There are significant differences between presence of disability and learning variables. Controlling by sex and age, almost every age-group is significant. Using sex as independent variable, and controlling by disability, there is no relationship with the variables relating to barriers to accessing education; therefore, the larger differences by sex are in the group of people without disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blended learning (BL) has been widely adopted across the higher education (HE) sector, with a growing body of literature exploring its impact on both students and faculty. However, to date, few studies have examined how students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) experience BL. This paper presents the results of a qualitative case study investigating the BL experiences of students with SpLDs in a British HE institution. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with six participants revealed five major themes regarding the BL experience of students with SpLDs: (1) clarity of purpose and instruction; (2) ease of use; (3) accessibility; (4) fear of 'getting it wrong' in online spaces and (5) interaction and staff engagement. The findings underscore the significance of addressing these areas in order to increase the efficacy of BL to meet the learning needs of students with SpLDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical and educational exclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities from effective and relevant education is a persisting issue in Chinese schools. To move beyond 'lazy inclusivism' and support authentic change towards inclusive education, this paper explores the wisdom of Chinese educators and investigates how inclusion can be interpreted and practised through a qualitative study in an inclusive urban school in East Coast China. The headteacher and eight teachers were interviewed. The findings give voice to teachers and highlight the importance of understanding inclusion in its broad sense as respecting and valuing all members of the school community. Specific strategies were also shared by participants such as parental involvement, teacher training, themed campus décor, emphasis on rich extra-curriculum activities, and the innovation of 'micro-semester'. Through analysing teachers' reported 'successful' experiences in inclusion, the discussions explore how these teachers exercise agency to actively promote inclusion despite structural constraints. The paper analyses teachers' interpretations and practical strategies in an inclusive school from the perspective of teacher agency and contributes to building up a strong base of empirical evidence that enriches the concept and facilitates the implementation of inclusive education in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focused on six adolescent Australian schoolboys with ADHD, their perspectives about managing and maintaining friendships at school and why the classroom environment was challenging for them. Utilising qualitative phenomenographical methodology, data were collected using semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. Findings suggested that these Australian adolescent boys experienced some difficulty making and managing friends in primary school but were able to maintain a small friendship group in secondary school. For them, the classroom was a challenging environment both in the primary and secondary school setting, but specific teacher/teaching strategies assisted each boy to better concentrate and focus on the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of technology in special education has increased over the last 20 years. Expedited by the introduction of Apple iPad and its implementation of touch-based input, the perception of technology has grown from a functional role for students with disabilities to a bridge in accessing general education curriculum. However, quality adoption of new technology within the classroom relies heavily on professional development of the special educator. This paper offers a discussion on the expansion of technology in special education, various attributes associated with quality educator training on technology, and the results of a five-year investigation on the formal training of special educators using iPad tablets. Results indicated longitudinal training focused on active learner experiences had a significant effect on the likelihood of special educator iPad tablet adoption and the resulting implementation in the classroom. Recommendations on educator professional training on iPad tablets follows results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]