Introduction: Inclusion of individuals with disabilities within special education classrooms within elementary schools is important. This review will demonstrate current practices and how the system currently struggles to include children and give them access to education opportunities. Using the literature that discusses the perspectives of various field experts, this review will discuss critical discourse analysis by defining it and its relationship to inclusion of children with disabilities within classrooms. The topic that I am exploring is Inclusion of individuals with disabilities within special education classrooms within elementary schools. The literature used to form this literature review came from fields such as sociology and education, disability studies and education and lastly inclusion and research. The literature that outlines my methodology came from various journals and sources such as Disability studies, power and education, communication, education and research and Philosophy. I chose Critical Discourse Analysis because it relates to inclusion and explains the current issues that exist within the current education system.
Slee and Allen (2001) examine the development of inclusive education policies and the effect it has on fixing the traditional practices that focus on fixing the individual, but instead focus on adapting and creating special education environments. The authors state that the creation of policy moves us towards inclusion and creating better learning environments and moving away from exclusion and towards inclusion. Slee and Allen (2001) talk about how the current system creates pathologies and brings forward exclusionary practices. The authors raise an important point that exclusion is not a linear process and must be deconstructed in order for inclusion to take place through the development of new policies. The author concludes by stating the importance of having conversation about the current exclusionary practices and how inclusion could be created and put into practice in special education classrooms. Slee and Allen (2001) cited Derrida (1983) talks about the understanding of deconstruction of policies and how it runs in a positive way and states that he isn’t looking at the deconstruction in institutions rather than making an awareness when talking about deconstruction of inclusion or the institution way. Slee and Allen cited Slee (1997) looks at the solution revolving disabled students and families, advocates are saying how there needs to be more work done on Inclusive education policies so that disabled students feel included. As you know that Slee (1997) discusses the great point knowing that parents and families want their children to feel included in the school system within the policies. Slee and Allen (2001) cited Barton (1987) indicates that special education is failing with meeting the needs of disabled students in education. Slee and Allen (2001) cited Barton states “Special education need is a Euphemism for failing of schooling to meet the needs of the children, a discursive tactic to de-politicize school failure”(Slee and Allen, 2001.p.175). Barton (1987) shows that the school system is failing to meet the needs of inclusion for disabled children. Barton (1987), Slee and Allen (2001) all argue that there needs to be more inclusion within the educational system and in order for that to happen exclusion needs to be deconstructed.
Graham and Slee (2008) discuss that inclusion and how it is a developed practice that aims to integrate students with disabilities into regular classrooms. Graham and Slee (2008) talk about how inclusion is still growing but there is discourse with inclusive education that is still happening. Graham and Slee (2008) argued about how we are talking about inclusion to be the goal but it’s still not having inclusion practice in schools. Graham and Slee has the debate on a few questions that this article covers such as what it is meant by inclusion? How is this different from inclusive and whose interests may be served by practice that seek inclusion? Graham and Slee (2008) talk about how things can be better so that students are being included in school and how that should be done. Graham and Slee (2008) discuss how about the Foucault to bring in perspective as he is one that is the creation of inclusive education practices. Graham and Slee (2008) conclude this paper by reflecting on the question of how to engage, how we can participate in having inclusive education in research and how we do it to make all students feel like they belong. It is known that students with disabilities feel isolated and feel that they don’t belong as they know that people will look at them differently for being in a mainstream classroom which reflect on the low esteem that puts them down for not being inclusive. This is similar to what Graham and Slee (2008) talk about on how to do it better and learn to be more inclusive so no student is left out.
Similarly to Slee and Allen (2001) Linda, Slee and Rogers talk about the importance of inclusion and how practices need to be changed and exclusion needs to be deconstructed. The authors argued that inclusion is a similar idea to mainstreaming. The authors focus on the point that inclusion should focus on integrating children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms instead of segregating them into special education classrooms. The authors emphasize the question on how we can do better. The author directed this question to the policy makers. The author raises the point that in order for change to happen scholars and policy makers need to ask themself difficult and uncomfortable questions. The author concluded by continuing to challenge scholars and policy makers to deconstruct exclusion practices and improve the education system through their main question of how we can do better when it comes to inclusion. As a person with learning disabilities I have experienced the discussion that Linda, Slee and Roger (2006) draw in this work. As a high school student I was placed in a special education classroom where I felt excluded and did not feel I belonged in the school system. Later on I was placed in the mainstream classroom where I felt confident to take on the challenges of learning new things and demonstrating the knowledge I had at the same level as my peers that were part of the mainstream classroom. Danforth and Jones(2015) also agree with Linda Slee and Rogers that there needs to be a change in our education system. Danforth and Jones (2015) Chapter outlines the decisions of many expert educators that advocate for a more inclusive, ethical and democratic education instead of a special education system that segregates students with disabilities. The author examines the critical scholarship that shifted many educators away from the system of special education and into inclusive education movements. Danforth and Jones mention the two phases to developing into inclusive education which they say are integration and the social movement building towards more genuine social transformation of classrooms and schools. The author concludes by saying how researchers have found that these two phases are failed attempts. Danforth and Jones (2015) speak to my experiences as high school students who were struggling and not reaching full potential within the special education classroom environment that I was placed in at the time. This led my teacher to deciding to place me in a mainstream regular classroom. I will be able to have an equal opportunity to meet my academic goals along with my peers.
Carrying on Danforth and Jones (2015) and Linda, Slee and Rogers (2006), Rombo (2006) begins by stating that inclusive education is a worldwide practice within various education systems. The author continues by highlighting that inclusive education is a philosophy that takes into account social justice and human rights. The author states that the way that inclusive education should be understood is that children with disabilities and special needs have to be educated along with their normal peers in a regular classroom. The author highlights the importance of the role that teachers play in students’ life and brings in inclusive education practice to allow students with disabilities to learn at their best. Slee, Corcoran and Best (2019) discuss the historical and theoretical foundations for the beginning of Disability studies in Education. The authors say that disability studies in education is trans-disciplinary work that is happening disability studies. The author highlights that the principles and the conceptual threads of disability studies are traditions, structures and cultures of education and look at the ways of how education can be used. The author’s emphasis in this paper talks about special education and disability studies in educational practice. Slee, Corcoran and Best( 2019) talks about how special education has appeared to be resilient and willing to modify current discourse of the mainstream education system and build an inclusive education to help eliminate the core assumptions about children with disabilities within the educational system. The authors bring important concepts to differentiate conceptual foundations and practice within special education and disabilities studies.
Rombo (2006) states that one of the ways that teachers can practice inclusion is by changing their attitudes. The author concludes that depending on the attitude that is shown by teachers, children with special needs can be either included or excluded from the mainstream education system. More importantly the author highlights inclusive education policy also plays a major part to influence the way teachers form their attitudes towards inclusion. All of the authors mentioned above highlight how inclusive education is a non-linear process and heavily depends on the individual student and their special needs and how the teachers would work toward integrating them into the diversity of the classroom. I have experienced being integrated in mainstream classrooms and the positive impact that it had on my development as a learner. I was able to see attitude change from my peers and teachers towards me when they focused on my goals and accomplishments instead of focusing on disability and viewed me as a less than average student.
Slee (2019) discusses the struggle to achieve an action that shows that children with disabilities belong in the school system and are not feeling socially excluded. Slee (2019) mentions three factors that impact inclusive education policies. The author states that these are appropriations of discourse, practicing inclusion within a conservative forces that are committed to sustaining inclusion and establishment of belonging. The author concludes that it is vital for children to feel a sense of belonging within the learning environment. Classrooms within the current education system are currently excluding children with disabilities and children with disabilities are continually facing barriers caused by discursive practices. Kang’s (2009) outline critical discourse analysis in his study which discusses critical discourse analysis and uses it to explore how one special education teacher who is knowledgeable from a sociocultural perspective of disability and the way that disability is interpreted. She discusses her practice when she is working in the educational field with students with disabilities. Kang (2009) discusses the use of discourse analysis and how she applies it to her own practice as a teacher to remain cognizant of her approach and language used with children with disabilities. The author concludes by stating that language can be used in building and breaking disability, knowledge, and power. Kang (2009) discusses the importance of the field of disability studies and reclaiming language such as words that shame people with disabilities and allow the change in the notion to make disabled children feel empowered and let the discourse take power of disabled people. As I want to mention when we talk about reclaiming words it is important to show disabled people they belong and should be included in schools to allow them to partake in activities with other students. I remember in grade 9 I wasn’t allowed to partake in other activities. It made me feel excluded for having a disability. In the future I want to incorporate the inclusion program to reclaim language and word for people with disabilities in the future in the school system to allow disabled students to be included with other people in the school so they feel they belong in the school system. In agreement with the above authors Dunne (2009) also talks about the importance of inclusive practice with the classroom.
Dunne (2009) discussed the aspect of a study that talked about Foucault’s notion of discourse as practice to critically consider triumph discourse of inclusion in education. Dunne (2009) focuses on clear self-evident objects of inclusion and questions it as something that normalizes hegemonic discourse and universal concept. The author brings up an important conversation to show how the contemporary discourse of inclusion is built and in education and knows the effects. The author says that a multi- method research approach has been developed to address the question of how inclusion is spoken and represented in schools. The author elaborates different kinds of educationalists which are teachers, teaching Helpants and lecturers engaged in professional development programmes that were there to experiment and explain inclusion in form such as written with online platform of discussion board facility and visual representation in the form that can be discussed. Dunne (2009) talks how the research multi textual responses were analyzed and used as critical reading of the data to be engaged in various discourses. Bringing about inclusive education takes a team effort and involves teachers and teaching Helpants playing their part to build a curriculum that includes children with all abilities. Similarly to Dunne (2009) Also talk about the importance of inclusion and bringing it to practice within the classroom. Ajodhia (2013) examines scholarly literature on how critical theorists break down the official discourses mobilized by teachers’ educational practices, and how it impacts inclusion and how it is applied in teaching practice. The author talks about applying critical multicultural education lenses which focus on social justice and equity that can provide factors on how to understand the approach of inclusion. The author explains when analyzing teachers practices and looking at the diversity and use of critical discourse analytical methods, the analysis is highlighting and developing predominant official discourse of understanding of inclusion in schools for students. The author explains that there are two parts to Critical Discourse analysis which are known as analyzing and exploring everyday practice and the concept of diversity among teachers and secondly analyzing discourse surrounding support for inclusion. The author concludes by discussing how educational practice needs to be incorporated with critical analysis and pedagogical stance by including the diversity within the classroom, to diminish oppressive and biased social and power structure within the school system with the educational practices. It is also vital for educators to have awareness of language used in the classroom and their practices.
Gue, Jan and Sherry (2015) talk about disability and language and its importance in shaping how language is used in social institutional and political contexts. The author looks at how you can use critical discourse as a toolbox of communication and perceptions. The author demonstrates critical theory and the critical discourse analysis how it is a power technique that is built with knowledge and it is shown in organizations by other experiments using it in their field. The author shows that Micheal Foucalt is the godfather, the one to start the history and build the foundation of ideas for critical discourse analysis and he uses it in studies of institution, science and provides examples with the connection to the verbal and physical which are the power connections. The author correlated how this is intertwined with the medical, political, economic, institution and cultural discourse which can be used to understand critical discourse better with other experiments that are talking about the relationship critical discourse is holding with disability.
Collins and Jones (2006) talks about the analysis that is built with the research tradition Critical Linguistics and critical discourse analysis. The author talks about these two research traditions that are critical Discourse and Critical Linguistics and how they have a connection to discourse analysis and critical theory which is the ideology that talks about power and power imbalance. The author demonstrates the understanding how critical analysis is playing a role in real life situations by examining to engage with the language use or discourse which will help look at the method of social changes. Collins and Jones (2006) contend that the critical linguistics and Critical discourse analysis is causing problems which is the affect. The author brings a point of the tradition of cultural- historical and activity theory that is discussed in this article by Collin and Jones (2006) which looks closely for alternative methods that can help understand the critical analysis of discourse better. The author exemplifies this with a case study that is pertaining to oppositional discourse. Language awareness is an important part and foundational building block to inclusive education.
Malancharuvil-Berkes and Mosley and Hui and Joseph (2005) talk about the importance of critical discourse analysis approach and how it is used to answer questions that examine the relationships between language and society. This author talks about the finding of their literature review which explores critical discourse analysis in education research. Malancharuvil- Berkes and Mosley and Hui and Joseph (2005) talk about how there are several ways in which Critical analysis is explained and used in a framework. Malancharuvil- Berkes and Mosley and Hui and Joseph (2005) talk about how critical discourse analysis plays and how it reshapes boundaries. There was a study conducted after to see how critical discourse analysis is working and to show the result in the educational research. The author concluded that it is shown that Critical discourse analysis will help build and shape the constructive interventions in policy and practice in educational contexts with surveys that are done with results to see if critical discourse analysis approach is working with the results. Therefore Critical Discourse analysis is intersectional.
Slee (2020) argues that Inclusive education is developed and established as a field of educational research policy and practices in a relatively short period of time. The author tells us that Inclusive education is a goal and methodology. The author seeks to identify and eliminate the barriers to education for all children so they have the right to access and participate in educational opportunities. The author highlights the impact that the education movement has and how it has been a major milestone that has mobilized government education authorities, non-government organizations and civil society to advance inclusive education. The author says that certain populations are excluded from inclusive opportunities and how that is a reality for children with disabilities. The author puts an emphasis on how inclusive education needs to ensure and promote lifelong learning for vulnerable individuals and certain population groups. The author highlights that the objective of education policy is to have inclusive education for people with disability. The author highlights the response to what is typically a poorly developed and defined areas of educational practices which looks at the relationship of the integrated classroom and mainstream classroom to understand how inclusive education works and is designed within the special education. The author concludes in the Global Educational Monitoring Report 2020 as it talks about how forces for exclusion education in the policy and practices need to be monitored at a global, regional and local level.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, as many authors in this review mentioned, inclusive education is a process that is continuing to evolve. Many authors throughout this paper all agreed that there are issues within our current educational system that need to be addressed. A large point that many of the authors agree upon is inclusive education involves a change in the attitudes of teachers and the formation of new policy to make our educational system stronger for the new generation. The major author that talks about inclusion of children with disabilities is Slee, who had a large perspective on current practices and what inclusion education should look like. When I was searching for materials to form this literature review I saw how most of authors helped me understand the reason that I was excluded as a person with disability within the classroom and made me question about what I can do to change my current practice and how I can better include my students as an Educator working with students with disabilities.
References
Ajodhia-Andew,A.(2013) Official Discourses, Teachers Practices, and Inclusion for Minoritized Students: A Review of Works by Critical Theorists. Critical Intersections in Education: An OISE/UT Student’s Journal Winter.1(1), 34-49.
Collins,C., & Jones, P.(2006). Analysis of discourse as “a form of history writing”: A critique of critical discourse analysis and an illustration of a cultural-historical alternative. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 14(1), 51-69. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15456889ajc1401&2_4.
Dunne, L(2009). Discourse of Inclusion: a critique. Power and Education (1) 42-56.
Graham, L. J., & Slee, R. (2008). An illusory interiority: Interrogating the discourse/s of inclusion. Educational philosophy and theory, 40(2), 277-293.
Graham, Linda J. and Slee, Roger (2006) Inclusion?. In Proceedings Disability Studies in Education Special Interest Group, American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2006 Annual Conference, San Francisco.
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.426.3696&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Gue, Jan Sherry, M. ( 2015). Disability and Discourse Analysis. Taylor and Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central.
Kang,(2009) A Teacher’s Deconstruction of Disability: A Discourse Analysis. Disability Studies Quarterly. Society for Disabilities Studies.(29).
Roger Slee & Julie Allan (2001) Excluding the included: A reconsideration of inclusive education, International Studies in Sociology of Education, 11:2, 173-192, DOI: 10.1080/09620210100200073.
Rogers R, Malancharuvil-Berkes E, Mosley M, Hui D, Joseph GO. Critical Discourse Analysis in Education: A Review of the Literature. Review of Educational Research. 2005;75(3):365-416. doi:10.3102/00346543075003365
Rombo, J (2006), Inclusive education: Policies, teacher’s attitude and perspective. Contemporary PNG Studies: DWU Research Journal. (5) 29-40.
Scot Danforth Phyllis Jones. “From Special Education to Integration to Genuine Inclusion” In Foundations of Inclusive Education Research. Published online: 04 Dec 2015; 1-21.
Slee, R, (2020). Think piece prepared for the 2020 Global Education Monitoring Report Inclusion and Education. Defining the scope of inclusive education. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from http://repositorio.minedu.gob.pe/bitstream/handle/20.500.12799/5977/Defining%20the%20scope%20of%20inclusive%20education.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Slee, Corcoran & Best. (2019). Disability studies in Education- Building Platforms to Reclaim Disability and Recognise Disablement. Journal of Disability Studies in Education 1-11. https://brill.com/view/journals/jdse/aop/article-10.1163-25888803-00101002.xml?body=pdf-39131.
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Introduction: It is critical to include people with impairments in special education classrooms in primary schools. This review will show existing practices and how the system is currently struggling to incorporate children and provide them with educational possibilities. This review will explore critical discourse analysis by defining it and its link to the inclusion of children with disabilities in classrooms using literature that discusses the opinions of diverse field specialists. The topic I’m researching is the inclusion of people with disabilities in special education classrooms in elementary schools. This literature Assessment drew from topics as diverse as sociology and education, disability studies and education, and inclusion and research. The literature that I used to explain my methodology came from a variety of periodicals and sources.
