Facilitating Successful Inclusive Education Practices Through Pedagogy, Research, and Technology

The philosophical basis of Inclusive Education maintains that all children, regardless of their physical, mental, emotional, psychological, cognitive, ethnic, or socioeconomic disposition, should receive access to education in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) alongside their nondisabled peers.Current research revealed that education stakeholders are often challenged with successfully implementing Inclusion due to instructional, systematic, and attitudinal barriers.Addressing such barriers is critical to the enhancement of the quality of education provided and educators' efficacy.Current studies identified the utilization of best pedagogical practices, application of research, and the integration of technology as successful approaches to ensuring the success of inclusive education in schools.The purpose of this multi-method qualitative study was to identify the apparent barriers to Inclusive Education in Bahamian public schools and recommend approaches to facilitating successful inclusive education practices.This was achieved by exploring the contributing factors which discourage educators from supporting inclusion.Participants included fifty public educators (n = 5 special educators, n = 5 reading specialists, n = 20 primary and n = 20 high school educators) from a major city.Convenience sampling was employed.Participants engaged in semi-structured interviews and were surveyed using the Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusion Survey.Data were analyzed via open coding.Field theory was used as a lens through which to understand how educators' decisions and behaviours, in addition to student achievement, are determined by the strength of conflicting 'field forces' in their organizations.Key findings revealed that (a) inadequate specialized training, (b) insufficient resources, (c) inappropriate curriculum and assessment practices, (d) lack of support, and (e) teachers' attitudes posed significant hindrance to the possibility of a successful inclusive education program.The government of The Bahamas must prioritize the nation's budget to accommodate the infrastructure, human and technological resources, training, and initiatives required to not only promote societal awareness of inclusive educations' significance, but to enhance the efficacy of the practice in public schools.Education policy makers must consider the challenges of all stakeholders in light of current research so that decisions are made from an informed perspective.