Problem-based learning (PBL) is widely recognized as a pedagogical approach across disciplines. However, the relevance and application of PBL in psychology has received limited attention. Therefore, this article presents a PBL-based master degree programme for psychologists. The article is divided into three sections. First, we present the…

The Australian Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) require education providers to make reasonable adjustments in educational assessment so that students with disability can participate on the same basis as other students and be able to demonstrate what they know and can do. Reasonableness is governed by a determination of the balance of…

With the increasing number of students enrolling in distance education, there is a need to consider the accessibility of course materials in online learning environments. Four major groups of disabilities: mobility, auditory, visual, and cognitive are explored as they relate to their implementation into instructional design and their impact on…

The state's commitment to educating all children can be framed as a matter of human capital development, or the economic benefits accrued to individuals and society as a result of educational attainment; it can be framed as a matter of capabilities, or the development of functionings that enable human flourishing; and it can be framed as a matter…

This paper attempts to illuminate a central concept and idea in special education discourse, namely, "special needs". It analyses philosophically what needs are and on what grounds they are defined as "special" or "exceptional". It also discusses whether sorting needs into ordinary and special is discriminatory. It is argued that individualistic…

This paper begins with an exploration of the history of the international Education for All (EFA) programme and its tendency to overlook some marginalised groups of children, in particular those seen as having "special educational needs" or impairments and disabilities. The exclusion from "mainstream" education programmes of the estimated, though…

The authors support role changes for educational practitioners who work with children and youth with disabilities as they make important transitions. Principles from critical pedagogy and disability studies are summarized to provide a new theoretical framework to support role changes. Rather than needs-based services that focus on helping those…

This paper first identifies four assumptions that it argues underlie special education and then suggests there are 10 ideas that undermine special education, including: (1) structured curricula impede true learning; (2) teaching discrete skills trivializes education and ignores the whole child; (3) students must be internally motivated to learn;…

The birth of a child with a disability entails the revision of roles and a consideration of the partners' tasks and activities, the reallocation of financial resources, and a whole range of new behaviors to cope with the needs of the newcomer. It is important to analyze the quality of life experienced by parents and families of children with…

The "Code of Practice," developed in the United Kingdom in consultation with key organizations concerned with students having special educational needs, is discussed in terms of effects of implementation efforts. Positive aspects such as its emphasis on individual programs are identified along with challenges, including lack of resources…

The aim of the educational system in Victoria, Australia, is the integration of all students, both disabled and nondisabled, into regular classrooms, while the United States' aim is placement in the least restrictive environment. These different guiding principles create differences in policy implementation and educational practices. (Author/JDD)

A survey of 27 Russian students and educators enrolled in a defectology course found that most respondents were knowledgeable of and supported inclusion practices advocated in the United States and Western Europe, although belief in traditional practices of segregation of individuals with disabilities was also evident. The survey also addressed…

This study surveyed educators involved in mainstreaming students with disabilities into regular elementary classrooms, to determine their perceptions of the necessary characteristics of a successful mainstreaming program. Their responses were used to formulate a model for a mainstreaming program. The study began with a review of the literature and…

This article analyzes implementation of the "Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs" by special schools in England and Wales. A survey of schools, including 73 special schools, concluded that the Code's potential universality is being lost through an overemphasis on implementation of procedural…

This report presents six core principles of inclusive assessment and accountability systems with a brief rationale and specific characteristics that reflect each principle. The principles are: (1) All students with disabilities are included in the assessment system; (2) Decisions about how students with disabilities participate in the assessment…