Transformational Leadership: Industrial, Military, and Educational Impact

Moral leadership: Getting to the heart of school improvement

This paper argues that inclusion is the major challenge facing educational systems around the world. Reflecting on evidence from a programme of research carried out over the last 10 years, it provides a framework for determining levers that can help to ease systems in a more inclusive direction. The focus is on factors within schools that influence the development of thinking and practice, as well as wider contextual factors that may constrain such developments. It is argued that many of the barriers experienced by learners arise from existing ways of thinking. Consequently, strategies for developing inclusive practices have to involve interruptions to thinking in order to encourage an exploration of overlooked possibilities for moving practice forward.

Developing inclusive education systems: what are the levers for change?

Including all children in education is the major challenge facing educational systems around the world, in both developing and developed countries. Drawing on research evidence and ideas from a range of international literature, this paper argues that leadership practice is a crucial element in gearing education systems towards inclusive values and bringing about sustainable change. In so doing, the paper considers the organisational conditions that are needed in order to bring about such developments, focusing in particular on the role of leadership in fostering inclusive cultures.

Developing inclusive education systems: the role of organisational cultures and leadership

Attitudes and concerns of pre-service teachers regarding implementation of inclusive education were examined. The participants consisted of 480 pre-service teachers enrolled in a one year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program at Pune University, in the state of Maharashtra. The results of the study showed that participants had somewhat negative attitudes and a moderate degree of concern regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in their classes. Participants with higher level of education (i.e. postgraduate degrees) were found to have significantly more positive attitudes compared to their counterparts. Perceived level of confidence in teaching students with disabilities was also associated with lower degree of concerns amongst participants. The results are discussed with possible implications for university educators and policy makers.

Attitudes and concerns of pre-service teachers regarding inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools in Pune, India

The issue of inclusion is high on the educational reform agenda in many countries. Set within the context of the United Nations organisation's push for ‘Education for All’, the aim is to find ways of increasing the participation and learning of pupils who are vulnerable to marginalisation within existing educational arrangements (World Education Forum, 2000).

In the United States, inclusive education is generally thought of as an approach to serving children with disabilities within general education settings. Internationally, however, it is sometimes seen more broadly as a reform that supports and welcomes diversity among all learners (Ainscow, 1999). The research reported in this paper adopts this broadened formulation. It presumes that the aim of inclusive education is to eliminate social exclusion and that is a consequence of attitudes and responses to diversity in race, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender and ability (Vitello & Mithaug, 1998). Children with disabilities and others seen as having special educational needs are part of this agenda.

The paper focuses specifically on the implications of these developments for leadership roles in schools. In particular, it uses evidence from case studies of leadership practice in three countries to address the question, what types of leadership practice foster inclusion in schools? The paper provides a theoretical framework that throws light on what is involved in such practices and presents illustrative examples. The aim is to provide an analysis that will be of direct relevance to practitioners, whilst at the same time adding to theory.

The examples of leadership that are examined were found in schools in England, Portugal, and the United States that serve culturally and linguistically diverse groups of children, including significant numbers from low-income families. In each of the schools, children with disabilities and others categorised as having special educational needs are taught in general education classrooms alongside their peers.

Judy Kugelmass

Papers

Leadership for inclusion: a comparison of international practices