Inclusive Education Archives

What’s missing in ITE? Preparing teachers to address poverty in mathematics education

by Dr. Nejla Tugcem Sahin Bayik | NW 10 Teacher Education Research

In Scotland, as in many parts of the world, child poverty presents a significant barrier to educational attainment and well-being. The impact of poverty on academic achievement, including lower attainment in mathematics, is well-documented and framed as the poverty-related attainment gap within education policies in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2023).

This blog post argues that child poverty should be explicitly addressed within ITE programmes, particularly in mathematics education, to help student teachers make clearer connections between issues of social justice and the teaching of mathematics, rather than addressing poverty under the broad terms of inclusion or the poverty-related attainment gap.

Why poverty matters in mathematics education

Mathematics has long been seen as a “gatekeeper” subject. Doing well in mathematics often decides who can progress to higher education and to better job opportunities, and who gets left behind (Douglas & Attewell, 2017; Durrani & Tariq, 2012; Martin et al., 2010). Yet mathematics is too often treated as if it were neutral, separated from inequality. In reality, however, children growing up in poverty are more likely to face lower expectations, be placed in low-ability groups, and receive simplified tasks that limit their chances to succeed (Hoadley, 2007; Jorgensen et al., 2014; Oakes, 1990; Schoenfeld, 2002).

These practices reinforce the idea that only some students are “naturally good” at mathematics, while others are left with fewer opportunities. Because of its central role in shaping opportunities in life, mathematics education is a crucial context to tackle questions of social justice.

This blog post is based on my PhD research, which revealed that student teachers often compartmentalise the idea of social justice and teaching mathematics, treating them as separate concerns. This disconnection presents a significant challenge to preparing student teachers for equitable practice.

The key question is: what within ITE can potentially help to make this connection clearer.

What has been done in an ITE context in Scotland?

The ways we do work should involve providing options and developing flexibility and valuing diversity applying any context. Having said that, I do think the design that we use with the student teachers is a crucial part of improving outcomes for people who live in poverty. It is just we don’t label it that way. We do not say, this is how we are going to tackle poverty, we will do this. Because actually all children can benefit from it.

This reflection comes from an ITE tutor in the research context. As this and other reflections illustrate, in ITE settings child poverty is generally addressed under the broader umbrella of inclusion and rarely directly addresses mathematics teacher education. While this approach indeed reflects a degree of awareness amongst student teachers, it may fail to engage with the lived realities of children growing up in poverty.

What’s missing in ITE?

Valuing diversity in education may require not only offering flexible teaching but also paying closer attention to what that diversity in a classroom actually entails. Poverty, for instance, can shape children’s mathematical learning through the resources and early experiences (Ellis & Sosu, 2015; Greaves et al., 2014; James-Brabham et al., 2023; Marks et al., 2006) they have access to, as well as the confidence they bring into the classroom. At the same time, children living in poverty often demonstrate resilience, benefit from targeted interventions, and thrive with parental and school support (DePascale et al., 2024; Sheehan & Hadfield, 2024). If these aspects remain unspoken, teachers may find it harder to create socially just practices that respond to culture, recognise strengths, and address limitations.

Nancy Fraser’s (1999) multidimensional conception of social justice (encompassing redistribution, recognition, and representation) offers a useful framework for understanding and addressing issues related to injustices in education. Fraser argues that neither redistribution, understood as the fair allocation of resources and opportunities, nor recognition, understood as the acknowledging and embracing of diverse identities of the learners, is sufficient on its own to address injustice.

Representation, understood as ensuring that all learners have a genuine voice and the ability to participate in the classroom, is equally essential. Ultimately, achieving social justice requires the integration of all three dimensions: redistribution, recognition, and representation.

The idea that all children benefit from inclusive pedagogies aligns with the redistribution principle – according to the tutor cited above, the key mission of ITE programmes is to teach student teachers to provide all children with opportunities to succeed. To do this, they need flexibility in their mathematics teaching practice, and a general idea of valuing diversity. However, this does not always recognise how non-school knowledge (for example, budgeting with limited resources, navigating public transports or household tasks) could be meaningfully connected to classroom mathematics.

Equally, redistribution was under-addressed in this context, discussions of equitable access rarely touched on the material and structural factors that affect how children learn mathematics, such as availability of mathematical manipulatives, after-school programmes, or adequate funding at schools in high-poverty areas.

Social justice requires more than providing fair opportunities for the learners; it involves understanding and embracing differences and empowering students to be active participants of the learning environment while considering carefully what they might need to achieve this. However, this was largely absent within the research context, with children’s participation framed as teacher-directed rather than as opportunities for learner agency in shaping mathematical learning. Without stronger attention to these dimensions, student teachers may leave ITE with a limited understanding of how mathematics education itself can either reproduce or challenge social justice issues linked to poverty.

Final thoughts

This study is based on interviews with ITE tutors and therefore reflects their perspectives on programme design and pedagogical intentions rather than the full complexity of classroom practice. As a result, the everyday realities of teaching may reveal stronger forms of recognition and representation than those captured in this analysis, as well as additional ways in which student teachers engage with children’s lived experiences of poverty.

Acknowledging this limitation is important when interpreting the findings. Nevertheless, the interviews with tutors provide valuable insight into how poverty is currently conceptualised and addressed within ITE, offering an important basis for considering how ITE might be strengthened.

Building on this, to more effectively prepare student teachers, ITE programmes could move beyond broad commitments towards inclusion to instead offer more concrete preparation for working with children in poverty. Central to this shift is the need for ITE to explicitly embed the three pillars of social justice: redistribution of resources, recognition of diverse identities, and representation of student agency. Although ITE programmes already take on a wide responsibility when it comes to diversity – covering areas such as gender, race, immigration, and more – these aspects of diversity often overlap, and by addressing one dimension thoughtfully, we also contribute to the others.

Key Messages

To effectively prepare student teachers to address poverty in their teaching practice, ITE programmes could move beyond broad commitments to inclusion and offer more concrete preparation for working with children in poverty.
Valuing diversity in education may require not only offering flexible teaching but also paying closer attention to what that diversity in a classroom actually entails.
Achieving social justice requires the integration of all three dimensions: redistribution of resources, recognition of diverse identities, and representation of student agency
Social justice requires more than providing fair opportunities for the learners; it involves understanding and embracing differences and empowering students to be active participants of the learning environment while considering carefully what they might need to achieve this.

Dr. Nejla Tugcem Sahin Bayik

Directorate of Basic Education at the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in Türkiye

Dr. Nejla Tugcem Sahin Bayik is an Education Specialist in the Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Directorate of Basic Education at the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in Türkiye. She is also a part-time lecturer at TED University. She earned her PhD in Education from the University of Aberdeen and holds an MA Degree in Mathematics Education from University College London. Having lectured at the University of Aberdeen, she has also contributed to various research projects as a researcher in the UK and in Türkiye. Her main research interests are social justice issues in education, inclusion, diversity, and children’s rights.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nejla-tugcem-sahin-bayik

Personal Blog: https://tugcemsahinbayik.blogspot.com/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nejla-Sahin-Bayik

References and Further Reading

DePascale, M., Bustamante, A. S., & Dearing, E. (2024). Strengths-Based Approaches to Investigating Early Math Development in Family and Community Context: A Conceptual Framework. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584241302059

Douglas, D., & Attewell, P. (2017). School Mathematics as Gatekeeper. 58(4), 648–669. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2017.1354733

Durrani, N., & Tariq, V. N. (2012). The role of numeracy skills in graduate employability. Education + Training, 54(5), 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400911211244704

Ellis, S., & Sosu, E. (2015). Closing poverty-related attainment gaps in Scotland’s schools: What works? From:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/54123/15/Ellis_Sosu_IPPI2015_closing_poverty_related_attainment_gaps.pdf

Fraser, N. (1999). Social Justice in the Age of Identity Politics: Redistribution, Recognition, and Participation. In L. Ray & A. Sayer (Eds.), Culture and Economy after the Cultural Turn (pp. 25–52). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446218112.n2

Fraser, N., & Honneth, A. (2003). Redistribution or Recognition? A Political-Philosophical Exchange. Verso.https://books.google.com.tr/books?id=IJxT6pxjO7YC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

Greaves, E., Macmillan, L., & Sibieta, L. (2014). Lessons from London schools for attainment gaps and social mobility. Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission. From: https://socialmobility.independent-commission.uk/app/uploads/2024/07/London_Schools_-_FINAL.pdf

Hoadley, U. (2007). The reproduction of social class inequalities through mathematics pedagogies in South African primary schools. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 39(6), 679–706. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220270701261169

James-Brabham, E., Loveridge, T., Sella, F., Wakeling, P., Carroll, D. J., & Blakey, E. (2023). How do socioeconomic attainment gaps in early mathematical ability arise? Child Development, 94(6), 1550–1565. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13947

Jorgensen, R., Gates, P., & Roper, V. (2014). Structural exclusion through school mathematics: Using Bourdieu to understand mathematics as a social practice. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 87(2), 221–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-013-9468-4

Marks, G. N., Cresswell, J., & Ainley, J. (2006). Explaining socioeconomic inequalities in student achievement: The role of home and school factors. Educational Research and Evaluation, 12(2), 105–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803610600587040

Martin, D., Gholson, M., Leonard, J., Martin, D. B., Gholson, M. L., & Leonard, J. (2010). Mathematics as gatekeeper: Power and privilege in the production of knowledge. Journal of Urban Mathematics Education, 3(2), 12–24. https://doi.org/10.21423/jume-v3i2a95

Oakes, J. (1990). Multiplying inequalities: The effects of race, social class, and tracking on opportunities to learn mathematics and science. The RAND Corporation. From: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/reports/2006/R3928.pdf

Schoenfeld, A. H. (2002). Making Mathematics Work for All Children: Issues of Standards, Testing, and Equity. Educational Researcher, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X031001013

Scottish Government (2023). Pupil attainment: closing the gap – Schools. Retrieved May 15, 2025, from https://www.gov.scot/policies/schools/pupil-attainment/

Sheehan, J., & Hadfield, K. (2024). Overcoming socioeconomic adversity: Academic resilience in mathematics achievement among children and adolescents in Ireland. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 42(4), 524–545. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12512

The curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice

by Dr Nashid Nigar & Professor Alex Kostrogriz | AARE

In today’s multilingual world, with approximately 7,000 spoken or signed languages, at least half of the global population is bilingual. Reflecting this diversity, Australia’s population is remarkably multicultural, with 29.5% born overseas and nearly 250 languages spoken in homes. This linguistic richness calls for an educational framework that mirrors these realities. In response, the English as an Additional Language (EAL) curriculum in Australia is at a crucial juncture, where it must bridge monolingual norms (e.g., Standard Australian English) with the multilingual realities of classrooms.

Drawing on Deleuze, Dewey, and Bill Green’s “curriculum as practice,” our research introduces the concept of “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice”. This holistic, fluid, and processual approach, premised on the lived experiences of 16 immigrant EAL teachers, underscores the need for a more responsive and democratic educational framework.

Assembling Theory and Practice: A Democratic Approach

Origami artist sitting in studio folding colorful paper

In “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice”, John Dewey’s focus on experiential learning complements Deleuze’s concept of the “fold,” shaping a curriculum that is fluid, multifaceted, experimental, and responsive to linguistic and cultural diversity. Teachers use their lived experiences to shape a dynamic, evolving learning environment, akin to origami, where each fold represents collaborative interactions between students and educators.

Transcending Traditional Boundaries: Teachers’ Narratives

Incorporating the lived experiences of teachers from diverse backgrounds, our study highlights the transformative potential of a curriculum that transcends traditional, rigid frameworks. These educators, through their critical reflections and navigation of the complexities of language learning and teaching in various cultural contexts, offer invaluable insights into creating a responsive and inclusive educational environment. Their perspectives underscore the importance of embracing flexibility and cultural diversity to enhance the democratic educational experience for all students.

Jasha – bringing text to life with visualisation

For instance, Jasha’s early encounters with the English language were far from inspiring. Growing up in the USSR, she described her lessons as “boring texts to read, boring lessons on grammar, no listening and no speaking”. However, a transformative moment came when she volunteered to accompany a teacher to a bookshop when she was in year VIII and discovered Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. This book ignited her passion for English, leading her to adopt a more student-centred philosophy in her teaching in a transnational context.

Today, Jasha emphasizes fairness, equality, mutual respect and cultural responsivity in her classroom, recognizing the global diversity inherent in the English language onshore and offshore. She uses a method called visualisation, encouraging students to see a text and be part of the story. This makes English more relatable and memorable. For example, with the “boring, Eurocentric lesson on railway journeys” in “Language Leader”, she asks students to imagine being on a train, recalling scenes from “Harry Potter”, and enjoying the “view”:

And suddenly the most boring reading (and it is really really boring!!!) comes alive. (Jasha)

This approach brings the text to life and fosters lively class discussions about cultural concepts of a “journey” and “destination”.

Janaki – including cultural elements in student engagement

Janaki transformed a curriculum-mandated employment project into a charity event that raised over $1,000 for the Save the Children Foundation through activities like a garage sale and morning tea. While these are common in Australia, Janaki encouraged her refugee students to incorporate cultural elements from their home countries into the event’s planning and execution. Reflecting on this, she remarked, “This experience showed me how capable the student cohort is when it comes to collaborating across cultural differences to achieve impactful results”. The initiative not only fostered student deep engagement but also promoted intercultural identity development through profound experiential learning.

The Fold of English Learning and Professional Becoming

Frida and Natalie – learning through playful interactions The journey of English language learning for these teachers often began with playful, informal interactions. Frida, from the Philippines, fondly recalled playing language games like “Pictionary” and “Scrabble” with her grandmother, which nurtured her love for English. She also immersed herself in reading borrowed books from “a neighbour” and “the local library”. Similarly, Natalie from Bangladesh was captivated by her father’s translanguaging storytelling, particularly his renditions of “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, especially the line, “জাগো, ওঠো না হলে চিরতরে পড়তে থাকো”, (“Awake, arise or be for ever fall’n”). These affective familial and cultural contexts served as rich, informal educational platforms, aligning with Deleuzian concepts of becoming and multiplicity, where learning evolves through diverse, non-linear pathways both within and beyond the learner.

Mahati –

In Australia, the personal and professional education of these teachers further shaped their understanding and practice of the curriculum. Mahati, originally from India, experienced a stark contrast between the rigid educational frameworks overseas what Australian curriculum and the more communicative, student-centred approach in Australia. During her TESOL teaching practice rounds at the Western English Language School, she embraced innovative teaching techniques that significantly differed from her experiences in India and Uganda, as well as from the monologic curricula in Australia. This exposure enabled her to critically reflect and further adapt her methods to better meet the multilingual and intercultural needs of her students, thereby developing her own hybrid professional becoming (identity). In this context, Mahati also intertwined her knowledge of English literature and grammar into her teaching practice. For instance, she often incorporated insights from T.S. Eliot, particularly his idea about the importance of recursive interpretation, to deepen students’ understanding of texts and their meanings.

“He said, every time I read something again and again, I find new meaning and new beauty in that.” (Mahati)

To enhance understanding, she connected this to the Urdu terms “ شاعر” (shayar/shaa’ir: poet) and “ “شاعری (shayari: poetry). This approach not only leveraged the full linguistic repertoire of the multilingual learners but also amplified their affective connection with the material.

Ling Ling and Becca –

Ling Ling, influenced by her Chinese, Japanese, and English background, emphasizes teaching both culture and language, stating, “I am teaching the ‘culture’ as well as the language”. Similarly, Becca interweaves grammar into communicative, student-centered methods, explaining, “Grammar is a tool for effective communication, not the main goal,” transforming traditional exercises into interactive, engaging and affective activities that enrich the learning process.

Summary

The personal journeys of these English teachers highlight the transformative power of a responsive EAL curriculum. By leveraging their lived experiences and adopting culturally responsive strategies, they have enhanced both the enjoyment and effectiveness of language learning, shifting from traditional to learner-centered practices. This underscores the role of ethical, dialogic teaching in enriching education.

Looking ahead, the concept of “curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice” provides a framework for fostering intercultural and cosmopolitan development – an ongoing, evolving process of shaping education through inclusive, differentiated and dynamic methods that interlace diverse perspectives and experiences, fostering democratic learning environments. By adapting to the diverse experiences of teachers and students, the curriculum can transcend traditional boundaries and create an inclusive, democratically engaged learning environment.

At its core, teachers’ narratives point to the potential for reform in Australia’s educational landscape. Drawing on Dewey’s democratic education and Deleuze’s philosophy, a non-linear, decentred curriculum can celebrate linguistic and cultural diversity, preparing students for global participation. This study offers transformative EAL approaches with broader implications, suggesting that curricula rooted in multilingual and intercultural principles can promote inclusivity and enrich education across disciplines.

Key Messages

Curriculum as ‘Folding’ Democratic Practice: The blog presents a flexible, evolving approach to EAL education that incorporates diverse linguistic and cultural experiences.
Teacher Experiences as Catalysts for Transformation: Multilingual immigrant EAL teachers’ lived experiences are central to shaping a more responsive and inclusive curriculum.
Bridging Monolingual Norms with Multilingual Realities: The blog advocates for moving beyond monolingual norms to reflect Australia’s multilingual classroom realities.
Combining Deleuzian and Deweyan Philosophies: Entwining Deleuze’s ‘fold’ and Dewey’s experiential learning fosters a democratic, fluid, non-linear, and culturally inclusive approach to curriculum design.
Promoting Cosmopolitanism and Intercultural Learning: The blog emphasizes EAL education’s role in fostering intercultural understanding and world outlook among students.

Dr Nashid Nigar

Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, Australia

Dr Nashid Nigar teaches at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, and has diverse experience in English language and literacy teaching, academic writing, and teacher education. Her recently completed Ph.D. thesis, focusing on language teacher professional identity at Monash University, was graded as Exceptional—Of the highest merit, placing within the top 0.1% to fewer than 5% of international doctorates. Her ongoing research interests include language teacher professional identity and language/literacy learning and teaching.

Professor Alex Kostogriz

Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Professor Alex Kostogriz holds the esteemed position of Professor in Languages and TESOL Education within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. He currently serves as the Associate Dean (International) within the faculty. Alex’s ongoing research endeavors are centered around the professional practice and ethics of language teachers, as well as the realms of teacher education and the early experiences of novice educators.

References and Further Reading

Nigar, N., Kostogriz, A., & Mhilli, O. (2024). Curriculum as ‘folding’ democratic practice: Integrating Deleuzian and Deweyan philosophies with the lived experiences of English teachers. Curriculum Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-024-00258-7
Nigar, N., Kostogriz, A., & Gurney, L. (2024). Becoming an English language teacher over lines of desire: Stories of lived experiences. Australian Educational Researcher, 51, 1749–1770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00662-4
Green, B. (2022). Understanding curriculum as practice, or on the practice turn(s) in curriculum inquiry. Curriculum Perspectives, 42(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-022-00160-0
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. The Macmillan Company.
Deleuze, G. (1993). The fold: Leibniz and the baroque. University of Minnesota Press.

Using nonviolence to reconceptualize inclusive education in the Global South

by Gaston Bacquet | NW 4 Inclusive Education, NW 7 Social Justice and Intercultural Education

My doctoral research has been exploring how developing a philosophy of nonviolence can help offset discrimination and exclusion in Chile, a country that has attempted to tackle the issue of inclusiveness through a Global North narrative that has focused primarily on disability and special needs. This blog post explores how nonviolence education can promote a sense of equality and inclusion not purely from such perspective, as has been the norm for the last two decades, but from one anchored in an understanding of cultural, economic, sexual, and ethnic diversity.

Previous assumptions on inclusivity

The very nature of my research project has inclusiveness at its core; not exclusively as a method often and primarily focused on students with special needs, but as a way to experience human relations rooted in an equitable view of others. It involved reading and discussing nonviolent perspectives in education, engaging in weekly contemplative practices such as developing empathy and practicing compassion, and peer-teaching. Participants were all pre-service teachers from Chile, a nation that in the last 4 years has been beset by social violence, much of which spilled over into educational establishments.

These participants’ previous assumptions on what inclusiveness is ranged from “I thought inclusiveness was only a way to adapt materials for special-needs students”, to “I used to think about inclusiveness from a technical perspective rather than understanding what makes a person different from another, or singular”, to “I used to believe inclusiveness was about including other people, but now I understand it as being aware of their differences, acknowledging and appreciating them”

This somewhat incomplete understanding of inclusiveness is hardly surprising, if one is to look at two factors. The first is the definitions and principles of inclusive education we find in research done by Chilean scholars and Chilean government documents; for while it is true that Law 20.845 on Inclusive Education from 2016 seeks the “elimination of discrimination and the approach to diversity”[1], it is also acknowledged that these efforts have focused on and been prompted by widening access primarily to people with disabilities. A report from the National Disability Agency states that inclusive education has been “driven towards the social participation of people with disabilities, their families and civil society, in order to implement the changes demanded by students and our society” (p.1). Research by Chilean scholars in this area (Iturra-Gonzalez, 2019; Manghi et al., 2020; Martinez and Rosas, 2022) on the other hand, tends to use the terms “inclusive education” and “education for students with special needs” interchangeably. There is, as I mentioned, a second factor that shapes this view of inclusiveness: a close inspection of available research done in Chilean education reveals that it draws heavily and almost exclusively on studies and sources from the Global North on this issue, and this is problematic: such research has in fact for decades focused almost exclusively on disability rather than on a holistic approach.

[1] In Spanish in the original: “eliminación de la discriminación y el abordaje de la diversidad”, translation by me.

An argument for what inclusive education should mean today

Given the above, I argue that the idea of inclusiveness I have described is both inaccurate and incomplete, and it is here that nonviolence educational philosophy brings a more holistic understanding of what inclusiveness should look like. To begin with, Judith Butler (2020) has argued that all lives have equal worth; violence in any dimension arises when we see others’ lives as having less worth. Inclusiveness from a nonviolent perspective comprises everyone who has been historically marginalized, excluded, and discriminated against. In other words, whose lives have been socially and culturally devalued. This is where we can establish a link to non-Western traditions (i.e., Ubuntu, BuenVivir, Buddhism, and yoga), which were explored during the study. What these traditions have in common is that they promote a sense of a mutually bound existence regardless of our faith, gender, ethnicity, beliefs, modes of life, ability, literacy or education.

When defining ubuntu, for instance, Desmond Tutu (1999) explains:

“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed, or treated as if they were less than who they are” (p.29)

He further adds that the ultimate goal of ubuntu is to achieve social harmony through shared human participation, and that in the end, we can only be human beings through other human beings; therefore, committing an act of violence against someone is an action of dehumanizing both the victim and ourselves.

These were concepts that were missing from the participants’ original interpretation of inclusiveness, and why they were exposed to these ideas early on in the project; for instance, one of the earliest assignments for participants was to watch a short video on the meaning of inclusiveness in education by Indian scholar Sadhguru. His vision, which I share, is that inclusiveness is not “an idea or a campaign”, but an individual experience of connecting to other human beings, and of bringing this connection into the whole range of activities we engage in, be it educational, economic or spiritual, in order to flourish. One participant explains:

“I really liked what Sadhguru mentioned in his speech about inclusiveness in education, “Survival cannot happen without inclusiveness”, as I think this is a point that many people tend to forget. For me, inclusiveness is about integrating different people into a group. However, this integration should not only be to include or accept a person into this group, this action also serves to see other people as equals” – P24

Perhaps the most important insight participants expressed concerned a paradigmatic shift that moved from an individualistic mindset to a more collective one, as can be seen from the observations below:

“I noticed the sense of community in which I work with others as “we”, but also as my own growth as an individual. Western people, on the other hand, are taught that the only thing that matters is the “ego”, ourselves, everything that surrounds us, we own it” – P1

“I am part of a network that should be constructed with love, understanding, and diversity. We are part of the same whole in humankind, but we are diverse. It is this diversity that configures this classroom. I am because you are: I wouldn’t be a teacher without the students and vice-versa”– P10

“In Indigenous knowledge, we are devoted to help others not for the sake of our own benefit but, more profound, for the sake of our humanity” – P20

“It is the relationship with others that makes us human. The interactions with people that surround us is what allows to be fulfilled, we thrive in communities but we also see our humanity when we come in contact with those towards whom we direct it” – P2

These insights speak of several dimensions worth highlighting; the first is the impact of Western epistemologies in creating an individual viewed as separate from other human beings, and which directly contradicts what an inclusive environment should be. Secondly, they emphasize the fact that human beings are in fact interdependent and not the participants of what Butler calls ‘the fantasy of our self-sufficiency’ (2020). They also speak of the realization of what non-Western wisdom traditions offer in this context: a philosophy that proposes a manner in which we as humankind should be living: not for ourselves but for each other. As this participant notes:

“Fostering this idea that we depend on our peers to learn is a big step in starting to create a non-violent environment. Stop competing, include those who have different ideas, want the success of my classmates for the good of everyone. These are ideas that the new generations will acquire and gradually reform the worldview of society”. – P5

Conclusion

In conclusion, what participants’ insights show is how the nonviolent perspectives offered throughout the project indeed helped them reconceptualize their conception of inclusiveness to one that encompasses the full diversity of our human experience, rather than a method focused on disability alone as an exclusionary/inclusionary dimension. Several of the realizations and comments offered here speak of an appreciation of individual differences, while at the same time embracing inclusiveness as a guiding moral value that recognizes our shared humanity.

I would also argue that this kind of inclusiveness constitutes the strongest form of opposition against any kind of Othering, and that to cultivate that, to generate the kind of love that Garvey (1923) suggested should infuse education so that it could ‘soften the ills of the world’ (p.17), we need to learn to see others not as Others but through an empathetic lens that rehumanizes everyone regardless of our differences. This in the end is the contribution that non-Western epistemologies can make in the formulation of a nonviolent pedagogical framework.

Key Messages

We need to review how we view ‘inclusion’ from primarily focusing on students with special needs
Inclusion must be anchored in an understanding of cultural, economic, sexual, and ethnic diversity
Non-violent education can promote such a sense of equality and inclusion
It is important to decolonial perspectives on inclusiveness

Gaston Bacquet

Associate Tutor / 3rd-year PhD student

Gaston Bacquet is a 3rd-year PhD student at the University of Glasgow. His research attempts to bring decolonial perspectives on nonviolence to teacher training within the Global South; said research draws from indigenous wisdom traditions such as ubuntu and Buen Vivir, as well as Eastern philosophy, and it aims at using the philosophy of nonviolence as a means to promote inclusiveness in all its dimensions. He also works as an associate tutor at Glasgow, where he teaches Qualitative Research Methods, Modern Educational Thought and supervises postgraduate students in the Educational Studies and TESOL programs. He is a guest lecturer for Education and Violence in the Education and Sustainable Development Master’s Program.

Research Gate link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gaston-Bacquet-2

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9802-7249

Staff profile: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/education/staff/gastonbacquet/

References and Further Reading

Brito-Rodriguez, S., Basualto-Porra, L., Posada-Lecompte, M. (2021). Perceptions of Gender Violence, Discrimination, and Exclusion among University Students. Revista Interdisciplinaria de Estudios de Genero de El Colegio de Mexico. Retrieved here: https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?pid=S2395-91852020000100209&script=sci_arttext

Butler, J. (2020). The Force of Nonviolence: An Ethico-Political Bind. Verso https://www.versobooks.com/books/3758-the-force-of-nonviolence

Garvey, M. (1923) In Amy Jacques-Garvey (Ed.) Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey, vol. 1.Atheneum.

Iturra Gonzalez, P. (2019). Dilemas de la educación inclusiva de Chile actual. Revista Educacion Las Americas8, 1-13. https://revistas.udla.cl/index.php/rea/article/view/7/6

Manghi, .D., Bustos Ibarra, A., Conejeros Solar, M.Aranda Godoy, I., Vega Cordova, V., Diaz Soto, K. (2020). Comprender la educación inclusiva chilena: Panorama de políticas e investigación educativa. Cadernos de Pesquisas 50(175), 114-134. https://www.scielo.br/j/cp/a/YsJW7Td5j8KkPxwrqHYTmrq/?lang=en

Martinez, C. & Rosas, R. (2022). Students with special educational needs and educational inclusion in Chile: Progress and challenges. Revista MedicaClinica Las Condes 33(5), 512 – 519. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0716864022001031

Rojas, M.T., Astudillo, P. and Catalan, M. (2020). Report: Diversidad y Educacion Sexual en Chile: Identidad sexual (LGBT+) e inclusion escolar en Chile. UNICEF. Retrieved at: https://www.mineduc.cl/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2022/03/DIVERSIDADSEXUALYEDUCACION_CHILE.pdf

Ryoo, J,, Crawford, J.,Moreno, D. & McClaren, P. (2009), Critical Spiritual Pedagogy: Reclaiming Humanity through a Pedagogy of Integrity, Community, and Love, Power and Education 1(1), 132-148

Tutu, D. (1999). No Future Without Forgiveness. Image Books

DE INCLUSIÓN ESCOLAR QUE REGULA LA ADMISIÓN DE LOS Y LAS ESTUDIANTES, ELIMINA EL FINANCIAMIENTO COMPARTIDO Y PROHÍBE EL LUCRO EN ESTABLECIMIENTOS EDUCACIONALES QUE RECIBEN APORTES DEL ESTADO https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1078172.

Equity in Education during COVID-19 and the Danger of “Microwave Equity”

by Seun Adebayo | NW 4 Inclusive Education, NW 7 Social Justice and Intercultural Education

The last two years have been quite challenging for the world and for educators. First, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world for a while, and many learning institutions were closed as a result of the pandemic.[1] At the same time, the increasing strength of the anti-racism movement from the United States and across the world has highlighted the importance of equity, inclusion, and equality in education in such a time as this. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closure globally led to 1.6 billion children [2]missing out on education, which has further amplified the inequalities inherent in many education systems. In many regions around the world, for example, in Europe, groups affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on education may include students of minority migrant background, new language learners, disabled students, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and others (LGBTQ+) students. My PhD research study on developing culturally inclusive teaching and learning environments in Ireland, funded by the Irish Research Council postgraduate scholarship and Galway Doctoral Research scholarship programmes, has caused me to reflect deeply on the concepts of equity, inclusion, and equality in education. Furthermore, my research and work with student-teachers, teachers, parents of minority migrant backgrounds, in Ireland and beyond, has further revealed the importance of an understanding that is all the more urgent in the context of the inequalities that will exasperate equitable and quality education for all learners in the era of COVID-19.

What is the difference between equality and equity?

The image to the left is a graphical representation of equality, while the image to the right represents equity
Image credit: Maryam Abdul-Kareem

It is quite challenging to unpack the concepts of equality and equity in education, particularly the differences between these two concepts. It is critical for teachers to know the differences between these two concepts to ensure equitable learning for all students, especially in a time of crisis.

In the left image, everyone is provided with equal support to watch the football game. In the right image, everyone is equipped with differential supports that allow equitable access to the game.

It should be noted that understanding the differences between equity and equality is not straightforward. It is layered with many complexities. Therefore, the above image provides a basic representation of the differences between equity and equality.

In summary, equity is based on needs, that is, responding to students’ individual or specific needs in our classrooms to ensure quality teaching and learning. In contrast, equality is based on fairness, which means being fair to all, without acknowledging the additional challenges faced by some.

UN Sustainability Goals and

the importance of equity and inclusion in education

Many education systems around the world are concerned with the issues of equity and inclusion in policy and practice. However, more work needs to be done in developing and implementing equity and inclusion policies and practices in education, particularly in the current COVID-19 crisis. Equity can be explained as providing students with personalised support that overcomes potential hurdles such as poverty and minoritised cultural backgrounds.[3]While inclusion in education implies that all students, irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds or disabilities, are accepted and fully catered to in mainstream school environments. In other words, ‘inclusion is about all students belonging’ in a classroom.[4] The concepts of equity and inclusion in education are not new. Global educational goals have long sought to advance the principles of equity and inclusion in education systems internationally. For example, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 requires countries worldwide to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. The SDGs were passed in 2015 by United Nations member states as a holistic approach to ensure that countries around the world achieve equitable and sustainable development in different sectors of society by 2030. [5] However, recent reports by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) tasked with tracking the world’s progress in achieving SDG 4 presented that it is unlikely for the world to meet the targets of SDG 4 by 2030.[6]Unfortunately, the current humanitarian emergency of COVID-19 has further validated the reality of the findings of this new report on the impact of the pandemic in achieving the SDGs[7]

The role of teachers in addressing equity and inclusion in their classrooms

Moving forward, teachers can begin to address equity and inclusion in education with support from other educational stakeholders to ensure equitable learning for all students and developing peer accountability systems. Secondly, teachers can build better working relationships with students and their guardians/parents. Third, they can commit to continuous professional development programmes. Finally, teachers can promote equity and inclusion in their classrooms during this COVID-19 pandemic and beyond by constantly checking ‘whether what they are doing enables or empowers the students to help improve them.’[8]

Avoiding the quick fix of ‘Microwave Equity’

Image credit: Twitter user Valentina Gonzales Cornelius Minor Twitter

Cornelius Minor, a US-based educator, coined the term ‘Microwave Equity,’ which means teachers and educators attempting to achieve equity quickly or overnight. Instead, he warns, the work on equity in education takes time and patience. In his book, We Got This, Minor argued that to be equitable and inclusive, teachers need to intentionally listen to kids in achieving equity in the classroom, decentralise power by empowering students’ voices, and do the self-work without blaming students.

The push to introduce more equity in education is badly needed, but it comes at a time when teachers are already facing significant challenges and additional responsibilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Equity and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic

Teachers are crucial to achieving equity and inclusion in education, and the current crisis has further affected teaching and learning. The pandemic has denied millions of learners access to equitable and quality education.[9] Teachers, to a large extent, are critical stakeholders in helping to manage the crisis. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has further changed the nature of teachers’ work, e.g., many teachers were expected to switch to online teaching quickly. The burden of additional responsibilities placed on teachers in a crisis is not new. Research has shown that all humanitarian emergencies have affected teachers’ work. For example, in post-conflict Liberia, teachers’ responsibilities included serving as second parents, humanitarians, role models, parents, counsellors, guardians, unifiers, and psychologists to help students affected with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). [10] From the case of Liberia and in similar contexts, teachers can be adequately supported and performance improved when education stakeholders possess a deep understanding of the factors that limit their capacity to function effectively.[11] Therefore, placing the responsibility for achieving equity and inclusion solely on teachers is problematic. Educational stakeholders and the entire education system must be involved to make equitable and quality learning for all students a reality, even in the current era of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, school leaders in the United Kingdom took proactive steps and initiatives to provide support for teachers and promote sustainable good practices during the global pandemic. The research study finds that school leaders developed effective and pragmatic approaches to engage other stakeholders such as parents, pupils and policymakers, allowing learning to continue during the pandemic.[12] It is hoped that more attention will be given to having discussions on what equity and inclusion in education really mean in different contexts and levels of education. For example, regional educational research associations such as European Educational Research Association (EERA) can engage existing platforms such as the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) conferences, within their network for educational researchers to continue to engage in discussion and research on issues of equity and inclusion in European education systems and globally. This knowledge and understanding will undoubtedly help concerned educational stakeholders working on equity and inclusion in education to address the challenges of ensuring an even playing field for all learners.

References and Further Reading

[1] UNESCO (2021). Education: From disruption to recovery. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse

[2] Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (2022). Prioritizing learning during COVID-19. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/114361643124941686/pdf/Recommendations-of-the-Global-Education-Evidence-Advisory-Panel.pdf

[3] Waterford (2020). Why Understanding Equity vs Equality in Schools Can Help You Create an Inclusive Classroom. https://www.waterford.org/education/equity-vs-equality-in-education

[4] Giardina (2019). What does an inclusive classroom look like? https://inclusiveschools.org/what-does-an-inclusive-classroom-look-like/

[5] https://sdg4education2030.org/the-goal

[6] UNESCO (2020). Inclusion and education: ALL MEANS ALL. Global Education Monitoring Report. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentViewer.xhtml?v=2.1.196&id=p::usmarcdef_0000373718&file=/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarkedAttachment/attach_import_d3682741-8fe5-4012-98c6-66d2bb13b7f0%3F_%3D373718eng.pdf&locale=en&multi=true&ark=/ark:/48223/pf0000373718/PDF/373718eng.pdf#p29

[7] Shulla, K. (2021). The COVID-19 pandemic and the achievement of the SDGs. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43621-021-00026-x

[8] Adebayo and Chinhanu (2020). Ubuntu in Education: Towards equitable teaching and learning for all in the era of SDG 4. NORRAG. https://www.norrag.org/ubuntu-in-education-towards-equitable-teaching-and-learning-for-all-in-the-era-of-sdg-4-by-chiedza-a-chinhanu-and-seun-b-adebayo/

[9] Moss and Bradley (2021). Education in a Post-COVID World: Creating more Resilient Education Systems. https://blog.eera-ecer.de/resilient-education/

[10] Adebayo S.B. (2019). Emerging perspectives of teacher agency in a post-conflict setting: The case of Liberia. Teaching and Teacher Education. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X18300143?via%3Dihub

[11]Tao, S. (2013). Why are teachers absent? Utilising the Capability Approach and Critical Realism to explain teacher performance in Tanzania. International Journal of Educational Development, 33 (1): 2-14 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257243592_Why_are_teachers_absent_Utilising_the_Capability_Approach_and_Critical_Realism_to_explain_teacher_performance_in_Tanzania

[12]Beauchamp, G., Hulme, M., Clarke, L., Hamilton, L., & Harvey, J. A. (2021). ‘People miss people’: A study of school leadership and management in the four nations of the United Kingdom in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(3), 375-392. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1741143220987841

“Building back better” with Inclusive Learning Assessments

by Anannya Chakraborty and Amit Kaushik | NW 4 Inclusive Education, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have threatened inclusion and exasperated the existing inequalities in education. Across the globe, children with disabilities are more likely to suffer from learning losses (OECD, 2020).

During this crisis, in Europe it was reported that limited guidance from international organisations was available on inclusion, measures taken immediately were sometimes inadequate, digital education challenged inclusion, and limited support could be provided to vulnerable children and their families.

Internationally, the term, building back better is being increasingly used in the global call for making recoveries in the economy and society in the post-COVID world. Our research shows, that in this context, education systems need to consider the role of reliable and rigorous learning assessment data in the education of children with disabilities. Education stakeholders will have a true picture of learning only when children with disabilities are included in all forms of learning assessment. On the ground, data will help teachers to target teaching appropriately so that every child progresses in their learning.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) countries, many of which are in Europe, have started including children with disabilities in the assessment programme. Despite an increase in the participation of children with special needs in PISA over the administration cycles, they still represent below 3% of the total number of participants (LeRoy et al. 2019).

Equitable Learning Assessment in the Asia-Pacific Region

Let us move beyond Europe and look at the Asia-Pacific Region, where countries have diverse policies, barriers, preparedness, and progress when it comes to inclusive education and inclusive learning assessments in particular. In the Asia-Pacific region, there has been a sluggish transition to inclusive education (Wu-Tien, Ashman, & Yung-Wook, 2008; Forlin, 2010). Most countries have a dual system of schooling where children with moderate disabilities study in general schools and those with severe difficulties in special schools.

Our review Equitable Learning Assessments for Students with Disabilities found that learning assessment practices vary across countries in the Asia-Pacific. Countries with a history of participating in national and international assessments try to make their assessments inclusive through accommodations. The review reported the use of testing accommodations in Australia, Hong Kong (SAR China), India, the Philippines, and Singapore in the Asia-Pacific region. However, children with severe disabilities or children who cannot be accommodated are left out. Some countries assess students with disabilities through formative methods (Chakraborty et al. 2019). It has to be kept in mind that inclusive learning assessments are an outcome of developments in inclusive education and advances in learning assessment.

Ideally, a single assessment should measure the learning of all students without the need for accommodations (Douglas et al., 2016). But in most education systems, accommodations are used to make assessments accessible to children with disabilities. However, the use of accommodations needs to be normalised in every level of testing – classroom, national, and international assessments (Chakraborty et al., 2019).

National-level policies on inclusive education and assessment practices determine to what extent children with disabilities are included in assessments. For example, in Hong Kong (SAR China), the SAME (Systematic Approach matching Mainstream Education) system provides access to children with disabilities to the central curriculum (Forlin, 2010). Similarly, specific country level mandates on assessment will support the inclusion of children with disabilities in classroom, national, or international assessments.

Across the world, teachers continue to face challenges in assessing students with disabilities (Hussu & Strle, 2010; Brookhart & Lazarus, 2017). In the Asia- Pacific countries, not many teaching staff have been trained in inclusive education (Sin, Tsang, Poon, & Lai, 2010). This is even true for Singapore, which has a reputation for high scores in international assessments. The Singaporean education system has short and less rigorous training for special educators (Walker & Musti-Rao, 2016).

Teachers as Agents of Change

Our review suggests that teachers are powerful change agents in making inclusive assessment a reality, especially in middle- and low-income economies. To enable this change, development partners should prioritise the professional development of teachers in the complex topics of inclusive education and learning assessments.

This training should include all teachers from pre-service (student teachers), in-service (part-time/full-time school teachers), to special educators. Along with this, professional development courses should be designed to eliminate stigma and prejudices about disabilities. Moreover, school leaders should be trained regularly as they are responsible for setting the culture for assessment and inclusion in schools (Chakraborty et al., 2019).

Investments in research and projects on inclusive education, professional learning, and learning assessments are critical for making advancements in the field of inclusive learning assessments. As education systems are being reshaped to close learning gaps in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, strong partnerships between development partners, governments, and non-government organisations can contribute immensely to this area of inclusive assessment.

References and Further Reading

‘Building back better’ may seem like a noble idea. But caution is needed https://theconversation.com/building-back-better-may-seem-like-a-noble-idea-but-caution-is-needed-154587

Building back better – a sustainable and resilient recovery after COVID-19 https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/building-back-better-a-sustainable-resilient-recovery-after-covid-19-52b869f5/

Building Back Better – achieving resilience through stronger, faster, and more inclusive post-disaster reconstruction https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/420321528985115831/pdf/127215-REVISED-BuildingBackBetter-Web-July18Update.pdf

The Impact of COVID-19 on Inclusive Education at the European Level https://www.european-agency.org/sites/default/files/COVID-19-Impact-Literature-Review.pdf

Students with special educational needs within PISA, (LeRoy et al. 2019) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0969594X.2017.1421523

Equitable learning assessments for students with disabilities https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=ar_misc

Developing and implementing quality inclusive education in Hong Kong: implications for teacher education (Forlin, 2010) https://nasenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-3802.2010.01162.x

Including Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability in National Assessment: Comparison of Three Country Case Studies through an Inclusive Assessment Framework (Douglas et al., 2016) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1034912X.2015.1111306

The assessment of children with special needs (Hussu & Strle, 2010) https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1191085

Formative assessments for children with disabilities (Brookhart & Lazarus, 2017) https://ccsso.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/Formative_Assessment_for_Students_with_Disabilities.pdf

Upskilling all mainstream teachers – what is viable? (Sin, Tsang, & Poon, 2010) https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203850879-37/upskilling-mainstream-teachers-viable-kuen-fung-sin-kok-wai-tsang-chung-yee-poon

Inclusion in High-Achieving Singapore: Challenges of Building an Inclusive Society in Policy and Practice (Walker & Musti-Rao, 2016) https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1114835.pdf

This thematic review Equitable Learning Assessments for Students with Disabilities has been funded by the Australian Council for Educational Research (India). The authors are grateful to Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP), UNESCO Bangkok for publishing the review.

Full report: Chakraborty, A., Kaushik, A., & UNESCO Office Bangkok and Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific. (2019). Equitable learning assessments for students with disabilities(NEQMAP thematic review).UNESCO Office Bangkok.https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000372301?posInSet=2%26queryId=e5a90c3e-c567-4f6a-9eeb-d2f712203481

Read about ACER’s ongoing review of professional development programmes on inclusive teaching and learning: https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/reviewing-professional-development-programs-on-inclusive-teaching-and-learning

What’s missing in ITE? Preparing teachers to address poverty in mathematics education

Why poverty matters in mathematics education

What has been done in an ITE context in Scotland?

What’s missing in ITE?

Final thoughts