The purpose of this study was to explore the role of special education professionals in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden in light of educational policies and reforms. The study places emphasis on (a) the policy context of inclusion and special needs education, (b) the formal qualifications required of special education professionals, and (c)…

This study explores the desired future images of an inclusive school. In its policy documents, Finland has been committed to goals of inclusive education for decades; however, there are still challenges in its implementation. By utilising futures workshops, our research explores the factors envisioned by special education teacher students…

This article presents a comparative interview study (N = 45) with Swedish and German special educators working in inclusive school settings in order to gain an understanding of how inclusive education is operationalized by the provision of special education needs (SEN) support; and how both aspects are conditioned by nation-specific…

This book reports a systematic synthesis of research on teachers' use of adjustments to support students with special educational needs who are currently in their mainstream classrooms. It presents a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of both quantitative and qualitative data, including studies involving observation, artefact examination,…

Zombies are defined as ideas or persistent myths that should have died out but have not. Special education's biggest zombie is that only full inclusion brings about true social justice and the most effective education for students with disabilities. Three examples of specific zombies about full inclusion are presented. First, that full inclusion…

Jordan's 2017 Public Law No. 20, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act has given rise to a renewed focus on inclusive education. Using a qualitative comparative case study design, the purpose of this study was to examine factors impacting how schools in Jordan are defining, interpreting and enacting inclusion. Four shadow teachers working in…

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is alternative routes (ARs), which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to…

The researcher examined literature and data related to policies and organizational structures of special education case management within California public schools. A review of literature exposed issues related to special education teacher attrition, burnout, role ambiguity, and growing expectations all while lacking support. Previous studies also…

With this position paper, we advance the case for reformation of U.S. special education law and praxis. These have undergone mostly incremental changes over the five decades since their inception despite a substantial body of evidence amassed over this period, which points to a major gap between extant policy and praxis, and contemporary cultural…

Parental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where…

This article discusses special education teachers' initial training within public policies establishing teaching students with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Based on the question of how special education teachers' initial training in Chile is responding to inclusive education policy regulations, we describe…

As education policy in Saudi Arabia is beginning to implement a more inclusive classroom model which educates children with and without special needs side-by-side, teachers are struggling to find the best practices that can meet the needs of students with diverse levels of learning abilities. However, the government's Saudi Vision 2030 has…

Inclusive education is central to achieving high-quality education for all students and is a recognised commitment of the Australian government under international human rights law. However, Australia's lack of commitment to move away from segregation is reflected in its persistence in maintaining and funding segregated (special) settings.…

The objective of our study is to assess the integration of the concept of special educational needs (SEN) retrospectively and analytically within the Romanian legal framework and its consolidation as a fundamental component of national education policy. Concurrently, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of inclusive education for children with SEN…

The English mass state education system, developing over 150 years, has created subsystems for children and young people who had difficulty in functioning at or beyond 'mainstream' schooling, or whose behaviour was deemed inappropriate. While many descriptions and labels proliferated in the education system, by 1981 children notionally had been…