Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?

 Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?

In performing additional research on the concept of Intersectionality and its impact on education, I came across an excellent article by Edvina Bešić entitled Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education? (Bešić 2020).

I would like to post this visual in a common space at my high school and subsequently host a professional development session to stimulate an open dialogue on this topic.

Historically, research in the inclusive education context has primarily focused on the joint schooling of children with and without disabilities e.g. mainstreaming. However, these studies fail to acknowledge that inclusive education does not only refer to the inclusion of children with disabilities, but also aims to guarantee a system suitable for all learners and their unique requirements.

Inclusion is interested in any type of exclusion experienced by any child, not just those children with disabilities and the ones recognized as having special education needs. In addition to focusing on children with special education needs, other target groups for inclusion include linguistic, religious and ethnic minorities, and children affected by poverty. This enlarged focus on all children is important, given the crucial role that education plays in basic human rights and in future life opportunities relating to social and economic outcomes. 

Therefore, in order to successfully implement inclusion, one must first understand the society it is to be implemented in. Bešić opines that “these intersections of identity and the wider society call for a re-centering of discourse about inclusive education at the intersection—or crossroads—of students’ different identities. It requires, moreover, scholars to adopt a significantly more nuanced research approach that avoids the shortsighted perception of individuals as possessing only one identity marker and takes the socio-historical gravity of a society into account” (Bešić 2020).

If you attended one of the faculty meetings at my high school and took a look around, you would see that the faculty were 95%+ white (50/50 M/F). While our student body is much more diverse (60% white, 20% Indian, 10% African American and 10% Hispanic). Only good things could result from an open dialogue on ways that faculty could better understand each student and the relevant intersections of their unique backgrounds. I believe that this would result in a better educational experience for our students and our faculty as well.



REFERENCES

Bešić, E. Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?. Prospects 49, 111–122 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09461-6

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Assessment

Image
  Who enjoys taking tests or quizzes? Is homework truly an effective form of evaluation? Do grades hold significant value? What are the fundamental reasons behind our assessments? My philosophy on assessment is that it is a tool to support student learning and help the student grow. I believe that assessments are used for driving instruction in order to improve student learning. As an Adult Transition Teacher, I work with 18 - 26 year-old individuals with disabilities who have not earned a high school diploma. Assessment in my context is unique and tailored to real-life learning experiences, without the traditional grading system. My focus is on enhancing practical skills through assessments in areas such as Independent Living Skills, Functional Academics, Social Skills, Behavioral Skills, Community-Based Instruction (CBI), Work-Based Learning (WBL), and money management and budgeting. For my learners, standardized tests, quizzes, and homework are ineffective. As Shepard (2000) aptly s
Read more

Creative Commons

Image
  The Creative Commons (CC) license is a globally recognized framework that facilitates the sharing and use of creative works under specified conditions. Designed to increase access to and encourage the dissemination of creative content, CC licenses allow creators to communicate which rights they reserve and which rights they waive for the benefit of recipients or other creators. As an Adult Transition Teacher, I teach my adult learners about CC. We research various CCs and learn about the various details involved. The framework includes several types of licenses, each permitting different degrees of usage. The six main CC licenses range from the most permissive (CC BY) to the most restrictive (CC BY-NC-ND): CC BY (Attribution) : Allows others to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as they credit the original creation. CC BY-SA (Attribution-ShareAlike) : Similar to CC BY but requires that derivative works be licensed under identical terms. CC B
Read more

My Best Assessment

Teaching in the field of Special Education is profoundly rewarding, though it presents unique challenges that significantly impact students, peers, staff, and family members. For instance, I  had a student, “John”, a 22-year-old young man with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurological and developmental disorder affecting a person’s behavior, communication, learning, and social interactions (Special Olympics Missouri, 2022). Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that can significantly interfere with daily life ( Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, 2024). The combination of ASD and OCD poses substantial challenges, often leading to behaviors ranging from rocking back and forth to more aggressive actions such as hitting, shouting, spitting, kicking, and throwing objects. Social situations also make John very
Read more