Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Kathleen A. Kardaras
Committee Member
Judy P. Shoemaker
Committee Member
Kimberly Durham
Keywords
children with disabilities, data collection, differentiated instruction, document analysis, education for all, elementary schools, face-to-face interviews, field notes, inclusion, inclusive education, interview transcripts, least restrictive environment, member checking, neighborhood schools, principals, qualitative research, school supervisors, semi-structured interviews, Salamanca, Spain, students with disabilities, Trinidad & Tobago, UNESCO, urban schools
Abstract
Inclusive education is a worldwide phenomenon. It is a UNESCO mandate, but most developing countries are practicing this new instruction model as a cost-effective strategy to include all children, including children with disabilities, in neighborhood schools. Children who were previously excluded from school are now included as the new norm.
This applied dissertation study was designed to explore the perceptions principals and school supervisors regarding their experiences in implementing inclusive education in Trinidad & Tobago. The country committed to inclusion at the UNESCO meeting in Salamanca, Spain in 1994, wherein the country’s Minister of Education signed the Statement committing resources and promoting inclusive education for all students regardless of disabilities. This qualitative study used semi-structured face-to-face interview questioning as the primary source of data collection from school supervisors and principals. Secondary sources included field notes, memos, and document analysis.
The researcher administered the questionnaires during face-to-face interviews with participants. Each interview was tape recorded and transcribed as early as possible. Member checking was carried out with each participant after tape recordings of interviews were transcribed. Recommendations for future research were suggested after the completion of the applied dissertation study.