Exploring strategies of teaching and classroom practices in response to challenges of inclusion in a Thai school: a case study

Abstract

The shift from special schools towards inclusive education is becoming increasingly prevalent across education systems around the world. However, the challenges this shift brings remain critical for developing nations where there is a huge chasm between policies and practices. This study used instrumental case study design to examine how a general education teacher strategised her teaching and classroom practices while accommodating a student with complex learning and behavioural disabilities within a regular classroom. Data collected through observations, in depth interviews and reflective journals suggested that the teacher made conscious efforts within limited resources to create strategies to help the student fit in the mainstream classroom. The strategies are discussed under socio-emotional, cognitive and physical categories. Implications for teachers' professional development are discussed.

Keywords:

• inclusive education
• Thailand
• classroom practices
• strategies
• attitudes
• Thailand education

Notes on contributors

Amrita Kaur is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Modern Language at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM). She teaches courses in Educational Psychology and Research Methodology at the School of Education and Modern Languages, College of Arts and Sciences, UUM. Her research interests include classroom pedagogies, education psychology and learning motivation and cross-cultural studies for learning. She has been in the field of education since 1997, mostly in the field of K-12 education, specializing primary years instructional pedagogies. Amrita is also a teacher trainer and educational module developer for A few K-12 schools in Thailand.

Mohammad Noman is principal at Universiti Utara Malaysia International School. He has been in the field of K-12 Education since 1992, both as a teacher and later as curriculum coordinator and school administrator. His research interests include Curriculum and Instruction, Assessment, Educational leadership, learner's diversity and multicultural education.

Rosna Awang-Hashim was a former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and International) of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) and is currently a Professor of Educational Psychology at the School of Education and Modern Languages, College of Arts and Sciences, UUM. She has been teaching and engaging in research since 1989 at UUM, with short overseas stints at the Institute for Social Research (ISR), University of Michigan and Buck Institute for Education (BIE), California, USA. Her research interests include socio-psychological processes in teaching and learning interactions, learning engagement and motivation, learner diversity and construction and validation of tests in cognitive–affective domains. She is the current Chief Editor of the SCOPUS indexed Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction (MJLI). At the national level, she is the Chair of the Critical Agenda Project (CAP PSPTN) in Learning and Teaching, MoE Malaysia, the Secretary of the National Council of Professors (Education and Development of Human Capital Cluster), the Deputy Chair (II) of the Malaysian Psychometrics Association (MPA), and a Master Trainer at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) Malaysia.

ORCID

Mohammad Noman http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8900-4993