Studies in Inclusive Education

Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine, presently being in the center of international concerns and hopes, shows new dimensions of dignity and determination for which it may be called the school of the world. This collection of texts on inclusion of persons with special educational needs and disabilities from international and Ukrainian scholars was mostly written before the biggest war in Europe since WWII. This volume is the first book for the English reading public on Ukraine’s view on inclusive education. It is always useful to start from the backgrounds and witness the future development.

Contributors are: Natalia Andriichuk, Tetyana Blyznyuk, Olena Budnyk, Inna Chervinska, Olga Derkachova, Iryna Dubkovetska, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Kateryna Fomin, Clayton E. Keller, Karolina Kołodziejczak, Mykhaylo Kotyk, Donald F. Lavin, Jr., Zoriana Leniv, Nataliia Matveieva, Kelly Ann Merchant, Mykhailo Palahniuk, Katarzyna Smoter, Armineh Soorenian, Lidia Sydoriv, Sergiy Sydoriv, Olha Telna, Oksana Tytun, Hryhorii Vasianovych and Anna Ziętek.

The island has historically played a special role in the cultural imagination – sometimes as a place of promise of tranquillity; at other times the remoteness has seemed attractive for more sinister reasons. Using islands for extreme exclusion has a long history and remains important for understanding the complexities of inclusive education. This volume presents new case studies of island exclusion of prisoners, people with disability, and refugees in the Global North and South. It also offers reflections on practices of re-inclusion and the larger issues of inclusive education.

This volume provides an exciting introduction to social wellbeing and different epistemological standpoints. Targeted at researchers, students, academics, policy makers, practitioners and activists, the volume allows stakeholders to collectively problematise and address marginalised populations’ social wellbeing, providing perspectives and applications from various disciplines such as education, health, public policy and social welfare. Chapters continue to debate social wellbeing within their disciplines, and challenges practitioners’ and researchers’ experience, particularly interactions between individual and social aspects of wellbeing. Contributors provide practical and academic discussions, drawing upon different cultural, historical, political and social paradigms, putting forward available empirical data.

Contributors are: Andrew Azzopardi, Amanda Bezzina, Trevor Calafato, Joanne Cassar, Marlene Cauchi, Carmel Cefai, Marilyn Clark, Maureen Cole, Katya De Giovanni, Melanie E. Demarco, Andreana Dibben, Ruth Falzon, Marvin Formosa, Natalie Kenely, Dione Mifsud, Brenda Murphy, Claudia Psaila, Sandra Scicluna, Anabel Scolaro, Miriam Teuma, Anna Maria Vella, Sue Vella and Carla Willing,

This edited book considers the main issues and controversies within the current educational context of inclusive education, from an international perspective. Authorities in the field such as Norwich, Kauffman, and Boyle, amongst many other international scholars, provide an enticing insight into many of the issues and controversies around inclusive education, and whether it is achievable or not. We have reached a point in time where inclusive education has been the prevailing doctrine for universal education policies. However, there are still many challenges facing those working within the inclusive education space, with some countries actually becoming less inclusive.

International and national legislation has continued to move towards inclusive education, yet there seems to be many gaps between the philosophy and the principles of inclusive education and systemic practice.

The book aims to address the current debates surrounding the implementation of inclusive education, and also offers insights into the inconsistencies between policies and practices in inclusive environments. Moreover, it analyzes contemporary research evidence on the effectiveness of inclusion and identify directions for future research.

Contributors are: Kelly-Ann Allen, Dimitris Anastasiou, Joanna Anderson, Adrian Ashman, Jeanmarie Badar, Christopher Boyle, Jonathan M. Campbell, Heather Craig, Leire Darretxe, Julian Elliott, Zuriñe Gaintza, Betty A. Hallenbeck, Divya Jindal-Snape, Marguerite Jones, James M. Kauffman, George Koutsouris, Fraser Lauchlan, Gerry Mac Ruairc, Sofia Mavropoulou, Daniel Mays, Brahm Norwich, Angela Page, Kirsten S. Railey, and Federico R. Waitoller.