Prelims

Half Title Page

Instructional Collaboration in International Inclusive Education Contexts

Series Title Page

International Perspectives on Inclusive Education

Series Editor: Chris Forlin

Recent volumes:

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International Perspectives on Inclusive Education Volume 17

Instructional Collaboration in International Inclusive Education Contexts

Edited by

Sarah R. Semon

University of South Florida, USA

Danielle Lane

Elon University, USA

And

Phyllis Jones

University of South Florida, USA

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2022

Editorial matter and selection © 2022 Sarah R. Semon, Danielle Lane and Phyllis Jones. Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Individual chapters © 2022 by Emerald Publishing Limited

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Contact: permissions@emeraldinsight.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83982-999-4 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83982-998-7 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80043-000-6 (Epub)

ISSN: 1479-3636 (Series)

Dedication

To Dr Phyllis Jones who reminded us daily to “Trust the Process” and whose caring, thoughtful mentorship made all the difference. You are a true light in the world.

About the Editors

Dr Sarah R. Semon is a Program Planner/Analyst and Co-Principal Investigator for the Leadership in Literacy Intervention Grant in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of South Florida. She teaches masters and undergraduate courses in the Exceptional Student Education program and previously taught high school special education and fourth grade general education. Her current scholarship focuses on research-based instruction to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, improving the preparation of special and general educators to serve students with disabilities, and job-embedded professional development to support inclusive education. Her most recent publications include articles related to job-embedded professional development to support inclusion, funding for inclusion in IDEA and ESSA, and teacher education and school reform to improve postsecondary outcomes. She has extensive experience coordinating state and federal research and special education personnel and leadership preparation grants.

Dr Danielle Lane is an Assistant Professor of Education at Elon University in North Carolina where she teaches courses in special education and educational research at the undergraduate level and serves as a university supervisor for preservice teacher candidates. She earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in special education as well as a graduate certificate in qualitative research from the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on global understandings of disabilities in various cultural contexts. Specifically, she is interested in centralizing the importance of inclusive practices in educational provisions that are provided to students with disabilities. Dr Lane's most recent collaborative publication, What's in the Budget?: A Look at Funding for Inclusive Initiatives in ESSA and IDEA, was published in Resourcing Inclusive Education (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 15). Dr Lane also serves as the editor for the International Journal of Whole Schooling.

Dr Phyllis Jones is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of South Florida. Phyllis taught and was a deputy head in schools in the United Kingdom for 15 years before she entered teacher education. She came to USF in 2003. She is the author of Curricula for Students with Severe Disabilities: Narratives of Standards-Referenced Good Practice, Inclusion in the Early Years: Stories of Good Practice, coauthor of Collaborate Smart and lead editor of A Pig Don't Get Fatter the More You Weigh It: Balancing assessment for the classroom, Leading for Inclusion, Creating Meaningful Inquiry in the Inclusive Classroom, Pushing the Boundaries: Developing Inclusive Practices through Integration of Insider Perspectives, coeditor of The Routledge Companion to Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and the Foundations of Inclusive Education Research. She is coeditor of the International Journal of Whole Schooling, sits on the editorial board of Disability & Society, and is a regular reviewer for the British Journal of Special Education, Journal of Child and Family Studies, International Journal of Inclusive Education, Journal of Teacher Education, and International Review of Education. Internationally, she has worked in England, Ireland, New Zealand, Thailand, and Mexico.

About the Contributors

Dr Khalid Abu-Alghayth is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at King Khalid University. Dr Khalid's research interests include teacher collaboration, professional development, lesson study, and assistive technology in inclusive and mainstream education. He has a doctorate in special education from the University of South Florida, a master's degree in special education focusing on severe intellectual and developmental disabilities from Ball State University, and a bachelor's degree in special education from King Saud University. Khalid worked as a teacher of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Saudi mainstream schools. Dr Khalid is the author of a book chapter titled “Assistive Technology in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” and other recent articles on teacher collaboration, lesson study, and assistive technology.

Dr Joseph Seyram Agbenyega is an Associate Professor and Research Chair at Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi, UAE. His research focuses on macro- and micro-exclusion in education and quality teacher education in inclusive education systems. Previously, Joseph worked at Monash University in Australia for more than 10 years and held the post of Director of Graduate Research, Education and Chair of Board of Examiners for Graduate Research in the Faculty of Education.

Dr Joanna Anderson holds a PhD from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. Her main research interests are inclusive education and the contexts within which it operates, school leadership for inclusive education, inclusive education policy, and behavior and inclusive education. Joanna works as a Lecturer in learning and teaching (inclusive education) within the School of Education at the University of New England. As part of this role, she has worked to support the implementation of inclusive practices in Nauru. Previously, Joanna worked for more than two decades in primary educational settings across Australia and New Zealand, as both a teacher and a school leader.

Michel P. Basister received a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education major in Mathematics (Cum Laude) from Bicol University (Legazpi City); Master of Public Management at the University of the Philippines (Open University); and Master of Arts in Education major in Special Education at the University of Nueva Caceres (Naga City). He was a Monbukagakusho scholar at Hiroshima University (Japan) and studied Japan's educational practices for gifted and struggling students in mathematics. Recently, Mr. Basister earned his Master of Science in Public Policy and Management under the CHED-CMUA scholarship at Carnegie Mellon University (Australia). He served as an Education Program Specialist for Human Resource Development of the Department of Education, Naga City division, Philippines. Currently, he is the Assistant Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and the College of Education of the University of Nueva Caceres and serves as faculty for the Master of Public Administration and Master of Arts in Education programs. His published articles focus on mathematics education as well as inclusive education.

Millicent Boaduo is the Chief Education Specialist, Department of Basic Education in South Africa. Millicent is an occupational therapist who worked as a district therapist in the North West Province for 6 years in the Inclusive Education unit. She was promoted to Chief Education Specialist to the national Department of Basic Education in Inclusive Education, where she currently oversees the development of policies and programs geared toward learners with disabilities in all schools. Her focus area is the support of learners in special schools and the use of assistive devices and technology to ensure access to education for all.

Dr Elisabetta Ghedin works at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy, and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. She is an Associate Professor of Inclusive Education, Vice-Director of the specialized course for special educational teachers, and a member of the Directive of Italian Special Education Society. Her research interests include the collaboration in mainstream school, the preservice and in-service teacher training on coteaching practice, the accessibility for all, the operationalization of the ICF biopsychosocial model, and the promotion of health and well-being in learning environments.

Elvira Hubert currently works as an Inclusive Education Advisor for the Department of Education in the Republic of Nauru. She is working toward her Master of Special and Inclusive Education with the University of New England, having completed her graduate diploma in teaching and then Bachelor of Education as part of an educational partnership with this university and the government of Nauru. Her position as Disability Manager with the education department involves working alongside University of New England staff to develop the training and processes for teachers within the Inclusive Education project that is currently in progress.

Dr Norimune Kawai is a Deputy Executive Director at Hiroshima University. He also is the Director of the Center of the Special Needs Education Research and Practice, and a Professor of Special Needs Education at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University. Although his original research topics are listeners' auditory perceptions of stuttering and speech motor activities of people who stutter, he currently conducts extensive research on communication disorders in general and inclusive education. Professor Kawai also spends more than 400 hours every year working with students and adults who have various kinds of speech, language, and hearing disorders in addition to his teaching and research hours.

Selina Kungwane is a Doctoral Student at the University of South Africa and Assistant Director of the Department of Higher Education and Training South Africa. Selina has been involved in the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities in various departments she has worked in. With a master's degree from Hiroshima University, she is currently pursuing doctoral studies focusing on disability support in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector. She obtained an opportunity to work at the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa, TVET branch, offering nonacademic support. Her focus area is support for students with disabilities in TVET Colleges.

Dr Birgit Lütje-Klose is Professor for Special und Inclusive Education at Bielefeld University, Germany. Her research area is the development of inclusive schools and the framework conditions for a positive development of students with learning and language impairments in inclusive settings. A special focus lies on multiprofessional cooperation and coteaching. Currently she is part of the leading team of the project “Bielefeld Training on Cooperation in inclusive Schools” (BiFoKi) and of multiple projects in in the field of teacher education for inclusion (https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/einrichtungen/biprofessional/projekt/ ). She is coauthor of several workbooks on learning impairments, and special and inclusive education.

Mamotjoka Joyce Morai is a Teacher at St Paul's School for the Deaf in Lesotho. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from the National University of Lesotho in 2014 and Master's Degree in Education majoring in special education and inclusive education from Hiroshima University, Japan, in 2020. Currently, her research interest focuses on instructional strategies for the deaf or hard of hearing learners in Lesotho to learn English writing composition skills.

Dr Phillip Neumann is a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Education at Bielefeld University, Germany. His research area is multiprofessional cooperation, special and inclusive education, and school development in inclusive settings. He did his doctorate on the subject of cooperation between general and special educators in inclusive primary and special schools. Currently he is part of the leading team of the project “Bielefeld Training on Cooperation in inclusive Schools” (BiFoKi).

Anne O’Donnell-Ostini is the University of New England’s Inclusive Education Advisor on Nauru. Leading from a rights-based, social model of disability, has ensured Anne’s partnership and collaboration roles in Nauru have developed in a socially just and culturally inclusive way. The unpacking of the Inclusive Education Policy and Guidelines (2017) and support of teachers in establishing inclusive and equitable classrooms has been central to Anne’s role. Anne works closely with Elvira Hubert and other Nauruan educational counterparts to ensure respectful and responsive relationships built on trust acknowledging Nauruan ways of being and pedagogy. Anne is an experienced teacher practitioner in a range of educational settings, including disability and early intervention contexts. Anne’s experience in lecturing within the UNE School of Education in areas of inclusive math classrooms, young children with exceptionalities, social justice and resilience and her related master’s research studies have been complimentary to this advisor role.

Zun Wai Oo is a master's student specializing in the inclusive education course of the International Educational Development program at the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan. She is an international student and a recipient of the Japanese government scholarship provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. Zun Wai Oo hails from Myanmar and has worked as a teacher at Sagaing University Education, Myanmar.

Dr Angela Page has worked as an Inclusive Education advisor to schools and governments in New Zealand and the Pacific region. Dr Page currently lectures in inclusive education and classroom management at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Prior to this position, she was employed as an inclusive education lecturer at the University of New England, where she first began working in the Inclusive Education project in Nauru. She has a particular interest in inclusive and special education practices within new or emerging contexts. As an educational psychologist, she has assisted in the development of inclusive education practices for teachers as well as in the guidance in case management policy and practice. Alongside other Pacific writers, Angela has published widely in the field of inclusive education in Pacific contexts as well as using indigenous frameworks. She has recently edited a book titled Inclusive Education: Global Issues and Controversies.

Sokunrith Pov is from the Office of Research and Policy Analysis in the Department of Policy, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in Cambodia. He has been involved in various educational research projects that inform educational policy development and implementation in Cambodia. His research interest involves several aspects of educational development issues, including inclusion, equity, access, and quality.

Professor Penelope Serow leads multiple education and development projects in the Pacific Region at the University of New England (UNE). Pep teaches Mathematics Education to preservice and in-service teachers within primary, secondary, and postgraduate programs. Research directions include mathematical concept development in both primary and secondary contexts; assessment for learning techniques; using technology as a teaching tool; culturally responsive professional development; curriculum development; building local teacher capacity in rural, remote, and developing contexts; international partnerships to promote equity in access and participation; and Aboriginal education. Pep is currently the Research Coordinator for the School of Education (UNE). Research Team awards have included Australian Rural Education Award (2016) for innovative strategies for improving equity in rural education in international settings, Australian College of Education HTB Harris Award (2017) in recognition of a significant educational program, and UNE Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2017).

Dr Gretchen L. Stewart is the Founder and Director of Smart Moves Academy, an innovative private K-8 school. She holds a PhD from the University of South Florida in the United States. Her research centers around inclusive education K-12 and educational neuroscience. Gretchen is a graduate of the American University Centers for Disability, Leader in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Trainee program at the Mailman Child Development Center, University of Miami. She holds a certificate in qualitative research and an MA in Special Education K-12 along with an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12. Gretchen has taught undergraduate courses in general and special education teacher education and has served as a graduate assistant for the SunCoast Area Teacher Training Education and Research Center in Tampa, Florida. Gretchen worked for 20 years in American public PK-12 education as a general and special education teacher, instructional coach, a school administrator, a state department technical assistance specialist, and an executive director of curriculum and instruction and professional learning. Her pronouns are She/Her/Hers.

Suhendri is a Teacher Trainer at the Ministry of Education, Indonesia. As a national teacher trainer for kindergarten and special needs schools, he has been training kindergarten and special needs schoolteachers all over Indonesia and is a speaker at international and national conferences and seminars. In 2013, he completed his master's degree with a focus on the education of gifted children at Flinders University, Australia. Currently, he is a doctoral student at Hiroshima University, Japan, majoring in inclusive education under the supervision of Professor Norimune Kawai.

Dr Deborah Tamakloe is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Millersville University in Lancaster, PA, USA. She researches assistive technologies for students with special education needs.

Maria Luisa S. Valenzuela received a bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Santo Tomas and is a licensed Occupational Therapist since 2008. She received her Master of Arts in Education major in Special Education from De La Salle University-Manila. Ms. Valenzuela is presently working toward a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Santo Tomas (Manila). She continues to serve clients as an Occupational Therapist handling CSNs and a Special Education Consultant; has been affiliated with De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute in Dasmarinas City, Cavite, since 2011; and has held numerous administrative positions in the Occupational Therapy Department under the College of Rehabilitation Sciences. Besides being a full-time faculty, she also serves as a Clinical Supervisor in different satellite centers – pediatric, physical dysfunction, and psychiatric/psychosocial settings.

Series Introduction

The adoption internationally of inclusive practice as the most equitable and all-encompassing approach to education and its relation to compliance with various international Declarations and Conventions underpins the importance of this series for people working at all levels of education and schooling in both developed and less developed countries. There is little doubt that inclusive education is complex and diverse and that there are enormous disparities in understanding and application at both inter- and intracountry levels. A broad perspective on inclusive education throughout this series is taken, encompassing a wide range of contemporary viewpoints, ideas, and research for enabling the development of more inclusive schools, education systems, and communities.

Volumes in this series on International Perspectives on Inclusive Education contribute to the academic and professional discourse by providing a collection of philosophies and practices that can be reviewed by considering local, contextual, and cultural situations to assist governments, educators, peripatetic staffs, and other professionals to provide the best education for all children. Each volume in the series focuses on a key aspect of inclusive education and provides critical chapters by contributing leaders in the field who discuss theoretical positions, quality research, and impacts on school and classroom practice. Different volumes address issues relating to the diversity of student need within heterogeneous classrooms and the preparation of teachers and other staffs to work in inclusive schools. Systemic changes and practice in schools encompass a wide perspective of learners to provide ideas on reframing education to ensure that it is inclusive of all. Evidence-based research practices underpin a plethora of suggestions for decision-makers and practitioners, incorporating current ways of thinking about and implementing inclusive education.

While many barriers have been identified that may potentially constrain the implementation of effective inclusive practices, this series aims to identify such key concerns and offer practical and best practice approaches to overcoming them. Adopting a thematic approach for each volume, readers will be able to quickly locate a collection of research and practice related to a topic of interest. By transforming schools into inclusive communities of practice, all children can have the opportunity to access and participate in quality and equitable education to enable them to obtain the skills to become contributory global citizens. This series, therefore, is highly recommended to support education decision-makers, practitioners, researchers, and academics, who have a professional interest in the inclusion of children and youth who are marginalized in inclusive schools and classrooms.

Volume 17 continues to bring some excellent articles that have a very timely focus. The issue of instructional collaboration has never been more relevant considering the international educational climate over the past 18 months. During this extended time frame all countries have had to adapt to “schooling” that has taken on a range of meanings as they have responded to the need for isolation to prevent the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus (COVID-19). In most countries this has resulted in prolonged absences from the physical school environment with the need for systems to offer distance learning through online or through other off-school options for educating all students. To achieve this has required extensive collaboration between teachers, education assistants, peripatetic staff, parents, other stakeholders, and the students themselves. Effective collaborative practices are particularly essential to ensure that learners with special educational needs are able to maintain their education without direct contact with their teachers. This can be quite problematic for many students given that the majority of their instruction is traditionally presented face-to-face, as without direct support success is limited.

Instructional collaboration is also a key mechanism for ensuring that school connectedness continues during prolonged absences. In Volume 13 in the series the focus was on the importance of promoting social inclusion and developing a sense of belonging for learners with special needs. It was continually affirmed throughout the earlier volume that without this many students may present with social, emotional, or behavioral issues that challenge the effectiveness and sustainability of inclusion. These do not lesson when education changes to an off-school situation, and indeed may be emphasized when students return to the regular classroom. Learning how to effectively collaborate for enabling instructional approaches that meet the needs of all students is critical to prevent further isolation and a breakdown in the positive methods that have become well established and need to endure to support inclusive education.

This latest volume in the series is, therefore, an especially important one as while addressing the need for, and ways to support, instructional collaboration in a traditional sense, it also provides a diverse range of approaches than can be utilized in both traditional schooling methods and adapted for other unique situations as they arise. This volume provides an excellent international perspective as it includes collaborative approaches from a wide range of systems with reference to 13 different regions. Together these provide extensive ideas, techniques, and collaborative styles for instruction, covering a broad range of sociocultural and contextually different situations. The chapters also include recent research, policy changes, and local advocacy methods that support inclusive education for learners at most risk.

Within each regional experience collaborative approaches are highlighted between teachers, therapists, government officials, and other stakeholders to encourage change that drives inclusion forward. While providing insights into the ways in which instructional collaboration varies between regions, the authors also discuss ways of addressing barriers and potential challenges to enabling effective partnerships to be established and maintained. Volume 17 provides a wealth of international approaches and practical and useful ideas for enabling effective instructional collaboration and will prove to be an extremely useful resource for everyone involved in the education of learners with special needs. It will be essential reading for those in the educational sphere for ensuring that all children and youth are included in consistently meaningful and effective ways. I highly recommend and endorse this book as an excellent addition to the International Perspectives on Inclusive Education series.

Chris Forlin

Series Editor

Foreword

I am honored to have the opportunity to write the foreword for this wonderful resource for educators on the topic of collaborative practices. I first met Dani and Sarah years ago while working on my doctoral degree at the University of South Florida. In that time, we grew to become friends, colleagues, and collaborators. Dani and I first met in a doctoral seminar course. Sarah and I met years later when we were assigned offices across the hall from one another. I have worked jointly with each of them on various projects including doctoral research projects, redesigning an online course for undergraduates, and more. During our time together, I have had the pleasure of collaborating with them both individually and collectively. Our collaborative work began as a weekly writing group designed to set goals, to hold each other accountable, and to provide each other with support and feedback on various writing projects we each worked on. We meet at least once a week to discuss our writing progress, provide feedback, and set new goals. Since joining this group, we have supported each other through multiple writing projects including a cowritten book chapter, various conference presentations, and most recently, my own dissertation, to name a few.

Beyond helping myself and one another, Sarah and Dani are both always looking to support others around them. Whether they are meeting with students, working on a team-related project, or mentoring doctoral students, they are so giving of their time and knowledge and constantly seek new opportunities for collaboration. They really live and breathe the foundations of this book in all aspects of their work.

As a former general education teacher in the elementary setting, I too, understand and value the importance of collaboration. In order to meet the variety of needs of a diverse student population, it is important to value the knowledge and experience of others to support inclusive education. It is befitting that collaborative practices for inclusive education be the topic of this book because we share the belief that all students deserve an education that meets their needs and challenges them to truly be the best version of themselves.

In this book, you will find detailed examples from around the world for how to use collaborative practices to support inclusive education for all students. I wish you well on your journey throughout these shared stories.

Nicholas Catania, PhD

University of South Florida

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, we would like to thank Dr Chris Forlin, the series editor, for the incredible opportunity to serve as editors of this volume.

To our authors, thank you for your tireless efforts and collaboration. Your passion and desire to increase inclusive opportunities for all is evident in the sharing of your knowledge of collaboration and inclusion with stakeholders across the globe.

Lastly, we thank our writing group for sticking with us through the process of editing this volume. Your insights and support were monumental in our ability to create a unique and comprehensive volume.