Title: Lesson 3: Inclusive Practices and Teaching Models

Objectives:
At the end of the discussion, the students will be able to:
a. to understand the definition and importance of inclusive practices in education
and its benefits;
b. to recognize the frameworks of inclusive education and its various teaching
models.

Content
Introduction:
All children should have an equal opportunity to succeed in education.
This is regardless of their background, academic ability, and cognitive level. For a
school community to be safe and welcoming, it must embrace and value diversity
and individual differences. Therefore, all schools should promote inclusive practice in
both their teaching methods and educational activity. In this lesson we will
understand the definition and importance of inclusive practices in education and its
benefits as well as recognize the frameworks of inclusive education and its various
teaching models.
Definition of Inclusive Practice
The Equality Challenge Unit describes inclusive practice as ‘an approach to
teaching that recognises the diversity of students, enabling all students to access
course content, fully participate in learning activities and demonstrate their
knowledge and strengths at assessment. Inclusive practice values the diversity of
the student body as a resource that enhances the learning experience (Equality
Challenge Unit, 2014).
Besides, it also requires using various teaching methods and materials that
cater to different learning styles, providing additional support for students with
special needs, and removing barriers to learning such as discrimination and
prejudice. Moreover, the ultimate goal of inclusive practice is to provide all students
with the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. (Wielshere, 2023)
Importance of Inclusive Practice
Inclusive practice provides a better-quality education for all children and is
fundamental in changing discriminatory attitudes. Schools provide the context for a
child’s first relationship with the world outside their families, enabling the
development of social relationships and interactions.
Respect and understanding grow when learners of diverse abilities and
backgrounds play, socialise and learn together.
Learners need to feel that they can bring their “whole selves” to the learning
environment, and that their differences enrich the learning community. They should
feel that they are valued, equal and able to participate and contribute fully to the
social, cultural and academic life. These values, when fully embodied, bring out the
best in everyone.
For those with a disability, there is greater access to the curriculum which
allows them to increase their levels of achievement as a result of greater
opportunities for skills and knowledge acquisition.
Through inclusive practice the needs of all learners are better met as a result
of increased levels of communication between learners, staff, parents and family
participation, all of which leads to higher expectations and better academic
outcomes. There is also evidence to suggest that inclusive schools have fewer
absences and referrals for disruptive behaviour.
Benefits of Inclusive Practices
Every day, you are faced with the opportunity to meet the diverse learning and
behavioral needs of your students. Educating students with and without disabilities
together in inclusive school environments provides many benefits. These benefits
extend to students with and without disabilities, as well as their families and
teachers.
Benefits for Students Benefits for Teachers Benefits for Families

 Developing an  Exchanging  Feeling positive

appreciation and
respect for the
unique
characteristics and
abilities of each
individual
 Increasing abilities
to help and support
all classmates, with
a sensitivity toward  Developing
others’ differences
 Providing
opportunities to
experience
diversity of society
in an educational
environment
 Promoting the
 Enabling
development of
friendships and
strengthening a
positive self-image
by engaging in
activities with
peers
information about about themselves
instructional and their children
activities and by seeing their
teaching children accepted
strategies, thus by others,
expanding the successful in the
skills of both inclusive setting,
general and and belonging to
special educators the community
where they live
teamwork and  Feeling positive
collaborative about themselves
problem-solving and their children
skills to creatively by seeing their
address challenges children appreciate
regarding student the value of
learning diversity in others
 Extending
recognition and opportunities
appreciation that beyond the school
all students have community by
strengths and are fostering school
contributing friendships in
members of the neighborhood
school community activities and social
events
  Promoting
opportunities to
communicate, self
advocate, and be
educated with
same-age peers

DEPED Inclusive Education Framework (2017)

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
 Inclusion as a key standard & principle
 SPED, Madrasah Education, IP Education, Special Interest Programs,
ADMs/FLOs, ALS
 Quality differentiated instructions thru:
 Contextualization of curriculum and learning materials
 Equal opportunities for active participation in teaching-learning process
 Provision of options to create, learn and share what they know and what they
can do in both curricular and co-curricular activities
DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNING RESOURCES
 Locally developed and contextualized learning resources varied contexts in
learning‒materials learner’s knowledge’s, learning styles, multiple
intelligences, interests ‒ ‒
 Sensitive to social and cultural contexts with the community as a learning
resource
LEARNING DELIVERY
 Flexible, option of programs for different types of learners based on context,
background, needs, interests
EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
 Formative and evaluative
 Traditional and non-traditional
 Authentic assessment
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
 Support and complement learning delivery
 Facilitate learning and reinforce effective teaching-learning
 Protects learner’s rights
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 all teachers are implementers of inclusive education
 Continuous capacity development based on Phil. Prof. Standards for
Teachers
 Inclusive Education in Teacher Education Programs
 Stakeholders involvement in the teaching learning process
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
 Iclusive Education in School-based Management and in the School
Improvement Plan
 Encourages practices and innovations

Teaching Models
School teams spend precious time creating the foundations of inclusive programs for
students with disabilities. Careful thought goes into scheduling co-taught classes,
creating balanced classroom rosters, training co-teaching partners,
developing collaborative relationships, and providing appropriate supports for
students with disabilities (Walther-Thomas, Korinek, McLaughlin, & Williams,
2000).
Here are inclusive teaching models that will assist general education teachers in
meeting the educational needs of their students with disabilities:
1. Parallel Teaching is a collaborative teaching method where two
teachers (e.g.,general education teacher, special education teacher. This
approach allows teachers to split the class in half, with each teacher co-
teaching one half. (Putnam, 1998).

2. Complementary Teaching focuses on teaching students how to learn.

Students are explicitly taught learning strategies and study skills to enable
them to master the curriculum content. In the complementary teaching, the
general education teacher is responsible for presenting the lesson content,
while the special education teacher takes responsibility for emphasizing the
learning strategies. Strategy instruction can occur as a separate mini-lesson,
or both strategy instruction and content instruction can be presented
simultaneously in one lesson. (Thousand, & Villa, 2000)

3. Supportive Teaching enhances or reinforces the lesson content by helping

students attend to, understand, and remember information, relationships, and
processes. In the supportive teaching arrangement, the special education
teacher assumes an active role in supporting and adapting instruction to meet
the individual needs of students while the general education teacher
provides the classroom instruction. Supportive instructional activities may
be provided to the whole class, small groups, or individual students. (Villa
2000)

References
 Department of Education (2017) Inclusive Education Framework Retrieved
from: http://www.theteachersgallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DepEd-
Inclusive-Education-
 Equality Challenge Unit (2014) Equality and diversity for teaching
staff in colleges
 Evil Lee (2021) Importance of Inclusive Practice Retrieved from:
https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/safeguarding/inclusive-practice/
 James Wielshere (2023) What is Inclusive Practice Retrieved from:
https://www.oneeducation.org.uk/inclusive-practice/
 Thousand, J. S., & Villa, R. A. (2000). Collaborative teaming: A powerful tool
in school restructuring. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-