Jessica Toste & Dana Salter McGill University, Faculty of Education

1. Teacher Acceptance and Implementation of Inclusive School Practices: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog? Jessica Toste & Dana Salter McGill University, Faculty of Education

2. Overview • Current challenges • What is inclusion? • Identifying barriers to inclusive practice • Where does change begin? • Teacher education • Structured discussion • Overcoming barriers

3. I didn’t sign up to be a special ed teacher. I think the best approach is a combination between inclusive and special education. I believe in inclusion, but don’t you think that it isn’t always the best setting for every student? Let’s be honest...inclusive education really leads to disruptive classrooms. You have one kid with ADHD, one kid with dyslexia, one kid with something else, and then the normal kid is just going to be left out. It would be better for some kids to be pulled out so they get the special attention that they need. How can I make 30 lesson plans for everything I teach? It sounds great in theory, but it just doesn’t work in practice.

4. What is inclusion? Inclusion in education involves the processes of… • increasing the participation of students in and reducing exclusion from the cultures, curricula, and communities of local schools. • restructuring the cultures, policies, and practices in schools so that they respond to student diversity. • reducing barriers to learning and participation of all students, not only those who are categorized as having “special educational needs”. Index for Inclusion (2006)

5. Identifying barriers to inclusion • [5 minutes] In small groups, discuss the following question and be prepared to report back. • Through your observations or experiences, what do you believe to be the barriers to successful inclusive education?

6. Identifying barriers to inclusion • lack of coordination among government, school boards, and schools • structure of our schools does not meet the needs of diverse learners • one-size-fits-all curriculum • inflexible assessment and teaching methods • rigid examination systems • lack, or uneven, distribution, of resources • lack of support staff • inaccessible buildings • lack of conceptual understanding • inadequate training of teachers • attitudes, beliefs, and values related to disability and inclusion Carrington & Robinson (2006); Mitchell (2006)

7. Where does change begin?

8. Structured discussion • In pairs [2 min] • Brainstorm. List skills that pre-service teachers need to gain in order to instruct in inclusive settings. • Groups of 4 [5 min] • Share your lists • Narrow down to top 5 skills that teachers need • Groups of 8 [8 min] • We can assume that pre-service teachers are learning some of these skills, but why is there still resistance to inclusive education? • Share with large group

9. Teacher education • How can we re-imagine the way we approach issues of inclusion in teacher training?

10. Is the tail wagging the dog?

11. Overcoming barriers • acceptance • implementation ATTITUDES – BELIEFS – VALUES

12. School attitudes • School interactionshave a significant effect on the experiences of students with disabilities. • The risk inherent in having a disability does not necessarily cause negative outcomes; instead, one’s vulnerability to future problems is related to how the disability is experienced in the broader context of the environment (Morrison & Cosden, 1997). • Researchers have shown that teachers who are most able to manage inclusive classrooms are those who have personal beliefs that all students can and should be included, as well as have the supports of administrators and policies that enforce this belief (Stanovich & Jordan, 1998).

14. Challenge of changing attitudes • Wyer and Lambert (1994) define "person perception" as the process by which people form impressions and make judgments about the traits and characteristics of others. • Person schemas are formed where we then attempt to fit an individual into some pre-existing stereotype we have about the population in question. • These schemas play a large role in determining the way we behave toward certain individuals.

15. Thank you! For further information: [jessica.toste@mcgill.ca] or [dana.salter@mcgill.ca] To continue the discussion: http://inclusiveabv.wordpress.com

16. References Ainscow, M. (2000). Developing inclusive schools: Implications for leadership. National College for School Leadership. Baglieri, S., & Knopf, J. H. (2004). Normalizing difference in inclusive teaching. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(6), 525-529. Carrington, S., & Robinson, R. (2006). Inclusive school community: Why is it so complex? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(4-5), 323-334. Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education. (2006). Index for inclusion. Mitchell, D. (2006, October 23). Inclusive education: A formula for success. Mail & Guardian. Morrison, G. M., & Cosden, M. A. (1997). Risk, resilience, and adjustment of individuals with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 20, 43-60. Stanovich, P. J., & Jordan, A. (1998). Canadian teachers’ and principals’ beliefs about inclusive education as predictors of effective teaching in heterogeneous classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 98, 221-238.