Joanne Banks

Context: As many national education systems grapple with long-term and entrenched systems of special education, there is a policy shift towards a human rights approach and changing attitudes towards inclusive education. Legislative reform in special and inclusive education is, therefore, taking place in many countries. The aim of this paper is twofold: firstly, to examine the mechanisms for knowledge exchange in special and inclusive education between academics and government policy officials looking, in particular, at the experience in the Republic of Ireland and South Africa and, secondly, to explore ways in which to improve and enhance relations in the future. Methods: Using qualitative interviews with senior policy officials from Departments of Education and other senior government officials in the Republic of Ireland and South Africa, this paper provides a thematic data analysis highlighting common themes and comparing two North-South national contexts. Findings: The findings of this analysis show that despite the stark differences between the social and economic contexts of Ireland and South Africa, both countries share great challenges in the inclusive education policy making space. The role of politics, and the strong influence of parental and civil society lobbying, in influencing inclusive education policy appears to dominate with policymakers adopting an incremental, piecemeal, approach in which to bring about small-scale changes. Finally, the role of academic research and higher education institutes was limited in both countries with a perceived lack of empirical evidence by policymakers. In the absence of research evidence, policymakers frequently relied on their own value judgements and turned to small scale pilot initiatives to guide decision making. Conclusion: This paper suggests the need for a sustained mechanism for knowledge management and knowledge brokerage in inclusive education policy development. It highlights the need for universities to develop and maintain ‘front of shop’ services so that policymakers can easily identify relevant research expertise and research offices.

This article examines data collection and analysis on the outcomes of students with special educational needs (SEN), comparing Germany, Italy, and Ireland. Stemming from both academic research and accountability mechanisms, the paper provides an overview of the available data on students with SEN internationally and, more specifically, in the three national contexts. The findings highlight common barriers relating to data collection and analysis, but also significant challenges to transnational comparison, due to different categorization systems and scarcity or limited disclosure of data. Interestingly, the article suggests that data availability, or its absence, does not seem to significantly impact policy development in inclusive education. Focusing on student outcomes, the article discusses the limitations of different types of assessment for students with SEN, including standardized testing, and suggests the need for holistic and longitudinal assessment methods and studies, addressing both special and mainstream school environments.

Based on the second series of the popular Inclusion Dialogue podcasts, Joanne Banks explores the tensions, debates and understandings of inclusive education in context of current policy changes. Featuring in-depth interviews with 12 world-renown academics, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the current tensions and conceptual understandings in the field. Delving further into diverse viewpoints around special education, and how mainstream education includes and excludes students, Banks broadens the discussions started in the first podcast series by highlighting nuanced alternative perspectives, national contexts and historical developments. Given the diversity of the authors themselves in terms of their geography, career stage and views on inclusive education, the chapters highlight key issues around how we theorise inclusive education, the diversity of views on how inclusion can be measured and the intersections between disability and other student characteristics such as socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity, race and sexuality. Using the informal interviews as its springboard, the book offers practical insights into universally designed pedagogies and the role of the school community in fostering inclusive education. This book is ideal for academics, researchers and educators working in inclusive and special education, who wish to create more inclusive environments for their students. It is also a key resource for policymakers seeking to understand inclusive education and address its manifestation in learning environments on ground.

This book is based on a series of Inclusion Dialogue podcast interviews with me and leading academics working in the area of inclusive education from around the world. It seeks to break open difficult conversations, demystify complex theories and concepts and situate different examples of inclusion within the broader global inclusive agenda. In short, this book democratises complex academic debates through the art of dialogue and conversation thus broadening the community of committed educators, policymakers, parents and children and young people engaging in inclusive education. Following on from Series 1 of the Inclusion Dialogue podcast and the first book, The Inclusion Dialogue: Debating issues, challenges and tension with global experts, this book delves deeper into complex issues of inclusion and exclusion in our schools from an equity and social justice perspective. The chapter authors offer unique insights into the ways in which special and inclusive education have evolved over time and across different social, cultural and economic contexts. The book moves beyond a focus on children and young people with disabilities and ‘special educational needs’ to a more holistic view of learners and learner diversity. Drawing on literature from disabilities studies and the sociology of (special) education, the complexities of the special education sector are highlighted along with the policy, practice disconnect experienced in many countries. Using a life-history perspective, this book brings together a group of experts who share their personal and academic life experiences working in special and inclusive education and reflect on key moments that have influenced their scholarship.

Inclusion, inclusive education, social justice and learner diversity are central themes in the chapters of this book. Following on from Series 1 of the Inclusion Dialogue podcast and the first book, The Inclusion Dialogue: Debating issues, challenges and tension with global experts, this book provides a further exploration into the complex issues of inclusion and exclusion in our schools. The chapters emphasise new areas of focus with insights into different geographical, cultural and economic contexts. We take a fresh look at existing conceptual frameworks within the context of modern debates on inclusion and equity in education. The contributors share their cutting-edge research exploring the impact of inclusive education on student outcomes and frameworks for implementing inclusive education models for initial teacher education and teacher professional learning. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this book however is the interdisciplinary nature of the chapter contributions which bring together elements of the sociology of education, history, comparative research, disability studies discourses and educational psychology to enrich the field of inclusive education. All of the themes running through the chapters of this book are discussed in an accessible and engaging way where we test the true meaning of dialogue to explore and understand this critical issue in education, inclusion.

It is widely recognised that addressing inequality in tertiary education is a complex and multifaceted issue. Studies involving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds consistently show that educational disparities exist at the post-secondary education level, with these students’ encountering obstacles in both accessing and completing tertiary education compared to their wealthier counterparts. Understanding how widening participation interventions may influence young people’s post-compulsory education is an important part of addressing the participation gap. This paper investigates longitudinal data from 227 students in Dublin, Ireland, who were attending post-primary schools located in areas that have low progression to tertiary education. The paper examines the extent to which students’ post-secondary plans, formulated in their final year of secondary school, are realised six months after graduation. The paper continues to examine the influence of external interventions provided by an Irish university’s widening participation (WP) programme on secondary school students’ progression to post-compulsory education. Taking into account contextual factors (e.g., gender, ethnicity, school type, parental education, parental support), this paper examines how WP programmes in secondary school impact post-school progression. Programme engagement (guidance outreach activities) was associated with 4.91-greater odds of post-secondary education once other contextual factors had been controlled for. Participating in mentoring programmes did not have a significant influence on post-secondary progression. Findings in relation to these are discussed, and recommendations for how practitioners and policy makers can approach widening participation outreach programmes with secondary school students are highlighted.

Internationally, there continues to be a rise in the popularity of home‐schooling. Although the growth in the numbers of families choosing this alternative approach was evident prior to the Covid‐19 Pandemic school closures, it appears to have impacted on the decision for some to home‐school permanently. Using a scoping review of the literature, this paper considers the research evidence around home‐schooling in the United Kingdom and Europe. It then focuses on home‐schooling in the Republic of Ireland to assess the change and development of home‐schooling over time. In line with trends internationally, Irish administrative data show an increase in the numbers of families engaging in home‐schooling in recent years, particularly for students with disabilities. The paper situates these findings within the context of ongoing debates on inclusive and special education in Ireland and the capacity of mainstream schools to educate and include every student.

A major challenge for universities across the globe is to address the lack of diversity within higher education. Widening participation (WP) programmes can vary between in‐reach and outreach programmes. Some initiatives focus on either pre‐entry stage (primary or secondary schools) or post‐entry stage (helping students adapt to university life). This systematic literature review provides an analysis of the effectiveness of widening participation outreach programmes, a topic that is relatively unexplored, particularly at school level education. By examining empirical studies of widening participation interventions, the paper allows for the investigation of the educational outcomes measured in these programmes. A total of 19 studies were included, which analysed quantitative or mixed‐method data. The findings indicate a growth in the evidence base for widening participation programmes for second‐level students over the last decade. Interventions identified in the literature were categorised by their approach, which included guidance‐based interventions, multidimensional interventions or pedagogical interventions. The findings confirm some positive effects for widening participation outreach programmes on a range of outcomes including students' college readiness, educational aspirations and college enrolment. The review argues for consistency in the way in which educational outcomes are measured, as well as the need for cross‐collaboration and sharing of data between schools and universities, to enable more effective measurement of widening participation programmes in future research. Context and implication: Rationale for this study: This study gives an up‐to‐date synthesis of outreach interventions in secondary schools which aim to widen participation at higher education. A review of its kind has not been conducted in the last decade. Why the new findings matter: Findings highlight the most effective new interventions, as well as, the challenges in defining success, research design and collecting accurate data across secondary and tertiary educational institutions. Implications for educational researchers and policy makers: This systematic review provides an overview for widening participation WP practitioners of what types of outreach interventions are out there, offering templates and ideas for introducing these kinds of initiatives in other universities and partnership schools. The paper highlights to policy makers, the need to create policies that enable cross‐collaboration and sharing of data between schools and universities. Implications for researchers include discussion around how success is being defined, what outcomes are being measured, the need for longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes as well as the collection of baseline data of participants.