An Investigation of Attitudes and Experiences of Implementing Inclusive Education in Bhutan: Perspectives of Teachers, Principals, and Past Students
Inclusive education in Bhutan is in the beginning stage of development. This investigation is the first known empirical study of attitudes and experiences of Bhutanese teachers, principals, and past students with visual impairment (VI) towards inclusive education. The thesis is by journal format, and reports on the mixed method research design. The findings are presented across six journal format papers.
The first chapter sets the context of the study by providing a very brief overview of the Bhutanese education system, a description of the conceptual framework that has guided the overall investigation, the aims and significance of the investigation, the overall research design, the definition of key terms, and the format of the thesis.
The second chapter is a peer reviewed book chapter that outlines the history of inclusive education in Bhutan. Bhutan's commitment to international conventions and initiatives, such as the Education for All and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which align with the national goal of Educating for Gross National Happiness, aims to ensure all children are in school, and has recently become a priority for the Royal Government of Bhutan. Currently, there are 12 public schools that provide for the education of students with disabilities. Two of these schools are special schools with specialised services for students with visual and hearing impairment, and the remaining 10 are regular mainstream schools. Despite the intention, inclusive education efforts in Bhutan has many challenges, including teachers' needs for professional learning, a rigid curriculum, teacher-centred instructional pedagogy, lack of resources, inaccessible infrastructure, and the lack of policy and legal frameworks.
The third chapter is a journal article published in the peer reviewed Bhutan Journal of Research and Development. It presents a critical discussion of disability and inclusive education based on a review of relevant literature. A clear and shared understanding of the concepts of disability and inclusive education is crucial to ensure that efforts towards inclusion are designed and implemented in line with Bhutanese values and ethos. Some prominent models of disability and key benefits of inclusive education are discussed to inform planning for inclusion in Bhutan. To position this discussion in the Bhutanese context, inclusive education is related to the Educating for Gross National Happiness (GNH) reform initiative, which is an attempt to infuse the principles of GNH into everyday classroom instruction and learning in schools.
The fourth chapter reports on the findings from the investigation of teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education. This was conducted through an online survey via Qualtrics. Respondents included 145 teachers (70 male and 75 female) from the eight SEN integrated schools located in eight different districts in Bhutan. Data were analysed using Rasch latent trait scaling techniques (Proquest) to ascertain the face validity of the newly constructed instrument. Infit mean squares for cases and items were at acceptable levels and the reliability index provided confirmation that there was good fit of the data to the model. Case estimates were subsequently applied to the R statistical environment. Significant differences were detected in the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education based on gender (Pr(Chi)=0.031), teachers' qualification (Pr(Chi)=0.005), and experience of teaching children with special education needs (Pr (Chi)=0.018). The overall attitude towards inclusive education measured by a 38-item questionnaire resulted in a mean average score of 3.965 for a six-point scale (1 being Strongly Disagree and 6 Strongly Agree). Levels of satisfaction of teachers in addressing the needs of children with special needs were predominantly positive (73%). Those teachers less satisfied mentioned the need for safe playgrounds, accessible toilets, less crowded classrooms, and the need for additional staff and material resources. This paper is currently under review.
The fifth chapter reports the attitudes of the school principals towards inclusive education. To examine the attitudes of principals towards inclusive education, 20 principals from the eight SEN integrated schools completed an online survey via Qualtrics. Due to the small sample size, descriptive statistics were used to analyse the principals' responses to the survey. Although the results revealed that principals show positive attitudes (mean average score of 3.905 on a six-point scale) towards inclusive education in general, they were quite doubtful and uncertain of including children with high support needs, such as socio-emotional, cognitive, and behavioural difficulties. The most noteworthy finding of this study was that principals' religious beliefs do not have any negative influence on their perception of disability and inclusive education. This study has a number of significant implications, as it highlights the need for adequate training of principals, the need for resource support and the need for national policy and legal frameworks to support inclusive education.
The sixth chapter outlines the experiences of principals implementing inclusive education. The result of this study draws on data gleaned from semi-structured interviews of six principals (4 males and 2 females) from the eight SEN integrated schools. Thematic coding and Leximancer text mining software (Smith, 2000) techniques were employed to analyse the data. The results show that principals are supportive of inclusive education. Within a very short period of implementing inclusive education programs in the schools, commendable progress has been achieved, especially in making appropriate accommodations and adjustments through the provision of additional teacher support, differentiation of classroom pedagogy, and modification in the assessment and evaluation of learning outcomes. One important finding of this study is that the principals show a great sense of faith and confidence in the resilience of their teachers and their own commitments to lead inclusive education efforts in schools. The results also identified constraints of deficient resources, rigid curriculum, inadequate infrastructure and facilities accessible to all children, and gaps in understanding and knowledge of parents and the Bhutanese society in general regarding the rights of children to a quality education.
The seventh chapter presents a retrospective view of past students with visual impairment (VI) regarding their experience in inclusive settings. Twelve past students (10 males and 2 females) with VI completed an online survey via Qualtrics. The survey consisted of a 37-item questionnaire and nine open-ended questions, which allowed the respondents to elaborate on their experience and views regarding inclusive education in Bhutan. Given the small sample size of participants, survey responses were analysed by employing descriptive statistics. The analysis of survey responses revealed that past students with VI view inclusive education favourably, with a total average mean score of 4.30 on a six-point scale and are, on the whole positive and satisfied with their experiences of schooling in regular inclusive settings. Manual coding and Leximancer analyses of the responses to the open-ended questions provided triangulation of results that supported this finding. The benefits of being able to make friends with sighted students, the opportunity to learn and interact with a wider circle of students, gaining wider perspectives and developing the self-confidence to manage their own lives independently were some of the highlights of their experiences in regular schools. The past students with VI cited the principals' and teachers' lack of knowledge and training regarding the needs of children with disabilities, limited resources, inaccessible infrastructure, social stigma, and negative attitudes as some of the barriers that need to be addressed if inclusion is to improve and succeed.
The eighth chapter presents the synopsis of all findings of the investigation with application to the conceptual framework. The implications of the findings of the study to policy and practices are outlined, and recommendations for future research and limitations of the investigation conclude the thesis.
Subhaga Daruwan: Identification of Gifted and Talented Children in Sri Lanka
This is a study to develop an appropriate model to identify gifted and talented children in Sri Lanka. The study focuses on Grade Four students in primary level schools of Sri Lanka, with a special emphasis on identifying intellectually gifted and academically talented students. The objectives of the study are to: 1. identify the group of intellectually gifted and academically talented students from the selected sample by means of achievement test scores, and 2. identify the group of intellectually gifted and academically talented students, including gifted underachievers and invisible underachievers, from the selected sample by means of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) test and dynamic testing 3. identify the group of intellectually gifted and academically talented students from the selected sample by employing Gagné's Peer, Teacher and Self-Nomination forms (PTSNFs). 4. identify the group of intellectually gifted and academically talented students from the selected sample by using Rogers' Parent Inventory for Finding Potential (PIP). 5. identify by means of above-level testing gifted and talented children, from the selected sample of Primary Grade level schools in Sri Lanka, who need further educational challenge beyond their Grade level. 6. to propose a model to identify intellectually gifted and academically talented students, appropriate for the Primary Grade level schools in Sri Lanka. About 450 Students from the Colombo district of the Western Province of Sri Lanka, from all school types and including children from diverse socio-economical backgrounds, were included in the sample. Achievement test scores, a non-verbal IQ test, Gagné's Tracking Talents Forms A & B (which cover teacher, peer and self nominations), Rogers Parent Inventory for finding Potential, an above level test, and dynamic testing (developed specifically for the Sri Lankan context) were the instruments and procedures administered in the study. The quantitative data were supported by qualitative data in the form of interviews of selected students, parents and teachers. The findings suggest that all the instruments and procedures, used in collaboration with parents, teachers and peers, are appropriate for identifying intellectually gifted and academically talented students, but that none of them separately would identify such a heterogeneous group of gifted and talented children as those identified in this study. The study proposes a 360-degree assessment and feedback model to identify gifted and talented children. The application of this model to identify gifts in other domains, and talents in other fields, and to identify gifted and talented children in other cultural and educational contexts, is feasible, but should be subjected to further research.
The QuickSmart Program: Allowing Students to Undertake Higher-Order Mental Processing by Providing a Learning Environment to Improve Their Information Retrieval Times
Students who have problems with learning face a myriad of difficulties in accessing the curriculum in today's classrooms. These students often need intensive support to bring them 'up to speed' in basic skills such as reading fluency and the recall of number facts. Catering to the educational needs of these students poses a considerable challenge to classroom teachers. The research described here focuses on the role of automaticity in developing students' fluency and facility with basic academic facts. The program is described as a fourth-phase intervention. This follows the initial teaching of the content by the classroom teacher and subsequent attempts to address students' difficulties. The third phase occurs when the teacher receives collaborative support from a specialist within the classroom. The fourth phase refers to intensive focused instruction associated with the student being withdrawn from class for a number of periods a week over an extended time frame. The main aim of the QuickSmart research program is to investigate the effect of improved automaticity of basic skills on higher-order processes, such as problem solving and comprehension. One significant feature of the QuickSmart intervention is that it is directed towards students in their middle years of schooling where there has traditionally been a dearth of focused and intensive support available. The research program, conducted by University of New England's Dr Lorraine Graham and Professor John Pegg, and special education teachers, Ms Anne Bellert and Ms Jenny Thomas, has focused on students with learning difficulties in their middle years of schooling. Dubbed QuickSmart because quick in response speed and smart in strategy use is NN, hat the program encourages students to become, the initiative was funded during 2001 by federal Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) under its Innovative Programs in Literacy and Numeracy scheme and is currently supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery grant (2003-2005).
School leaders' attitudes to the implementation of inclusive education in Bhutan
An online questionnaire investigating the attitudes of Bhutanese school leaders towards inclusive education was conducted in 2016. The respondents were 20 school leaders, 16 males and 4 females, with an average age of 41 years, and teaching experience ranging from 8 to 32 years. Responses revealed that this group of school leaders had generally positive attitudes towards inclusive education; however, they were uncertain about including children with high support needs resulting from socio-emotional, cognitive and behavioural difficulties. Results confirmed that the school leaders’ religious beliefs did not negatively influence their perceptions of disability and inclusive education. The findings from this exploratory study highlight the need for a legal and educational framework to underpin inclusive education in Bhutan. Such a framework will guide the provision of adequate professional learning for school leaders, appropriate resourcing, and the implementation of further systemic support.
Learning Intervention: Educational Casework and Responsive Teaching for Sustainable Learning
This book explores what learning intervention means in inclusive classroom settings. It provides educational professionals with the knowledge and skills they require to reflect on, and respond to students’ individual learning needs, and enables them to choose, implement and evaluate evidence-based strategies for learning intervention. Taking an ecological perspective, and placing a capability framework at its core, the book considers how responsive teaching and educational casework combine to create intricate layers of learning intervention, and recommends tailored teaching and support strategies that can be used to address a wide variety of student learning needs. Learning intervention is thus understood in its broadest sense, and educational professionals are equipped with a range of interactive and adaptive strategies to support student learning. Chapters introduce and unpack numerous frameworks for practice, provide an extension to Response to Intervention models, and bring together key evidence-based ideas in an accessible format. Effective teaching in response to clearly defined learning needs is central to the achievement of all students. Learning Intervention will provide future and current educational professionals with the structures, knowledge, insight and skills they need to respond effectively to each and every student.