ERIC Number: EJ1115241
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-6257
EISSN: N/A
Special Needs Education in Light of the Inclusion Principle: An Exploratory Study of Special Needs Education Practice in Belarusian and Norwegian Preschools
Hannås, Bjørg Mari; Bahdanovich Hanssen, Natallia
European Journal of Special Needs Education, v31 n4 p520-534 2016
The purpose of this study is to investigate possible practical consequences of the ideological principle of inclusion. In this article, we investigate, compare and discuss how employees of Norwegian and Belarusian preschools perceive their own, and their preschools', special needs education practices related to children with language difficulties. This study has a qualitative case design. The investigation contains 10 semistructured interviews of five employees from five preschools in each country. The analysis of the empirical material shows that the interviews primarily revolve around two topics: "competence" and "sense of mastery" and "self-understanding". Among the staff of the Norwegian preschools, perceptions of a relatively low average competence, unsatisfactory guidance from external professionals and a low sense of mastery are prevalent. The informants from Belarusian preschools perceive a high and more specialised competence, available special needs education competence and a high degree of sense of mastery. Despite different situations and contexts, this study suggests that the preschool sector in both countries face the same challenge; how preschools can implement a form of inclusive educational practice, without at the same time relinquishing valuable special needs education competence.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Inclusion, Preschool Education, Teacher Attitudes, Special Education, Language Impairments, Qualitative Research, Case Studies, Semi Structured Interviews, School Personnel, Cultural Differences, Cross Cultural Studies, Comparative Analysis, Teacher Competencies, Preschool Teachers
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Preschool Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Belarus; Norway
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A