Inclusive Education, Politics and Policymaking: Contemporary Issues in Education Studies

Supports student learning throughout with boxes covering key points, case studies and implications for practice.

Anastasia Liasidou is Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at the European University, Cyprus, and former Senior Lecturer of Inclusive Practice and Education at Roehampton University, London, UK.

Introduction 1. Perspectives on Inclusion: Discourses, Politics and Educational Practice 2. Pedagogy for Inclusion 3. Special Education Policymaking: A Critique 4. Understanding Education Policymaking 5. Defining the Notion of Ideology: The Interplay of Ideas 6. Inclusive Policies and Institutional Conditions 7. Cross-cultural Perspectives on Inclusive Education Policymaking 8. Conclusions Bibliography Index

Anastasia Liaisdou disentangles the often contested relationship between ideologies, discourse and unequal power relations which give rise to current notions of SEN and disability. The author is to be commended for leaving the reader in no doubt that a myriad of complex factors informing perspectives of inclusive education and policymaking. The detail of her analysis and breadth of content bear testimony to this. I would heartily recommend the text to all those pursuing postgraduate studies and concerned with deconstructing the complex dynamics that inform inclusive education, politics and policymaking.
This book presents a clear, scholarly and committed argument about the vision and struggle for inclusive education and for alternative ways of conceiving inclusive education policymaking. Not everyone will agree with its critique of special educational needs, but it is a book to be read by all to be challenged, to gain insights and to examine and re-examine personal and political positions.
In a world that has become increasingly preoccupied with the management and inclusion of 'difference', in educational and other institutions, this book is a sharp reminder of the need for critical interrogation, clarity and self-reflection. Anastasia Liasidou calls for an interdisciplinary and theoretically-informed approach that can account for the cultural and economic, local and global dynamics of the politics of inclusive education. Challenging conventional deficit models prevalent in multicultural and special education, this book offers an alternative way of understanding the complexities of inclusive education policy deriving from a human rights perspective. Liasidou reaffirms the emancipatory potential of pedagogy for a socially just society, emphasising the importance of quality education and evidence-based pedagogical principles in the professional development of teachers. This is an essential text for scholars and students, experienced and trainee teachers alike.

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Provides an overview on how far we have come in educational policy and practice in regards to inclusive education, and suggests possible ways forward. This title brings together and analyses a range of theories and research in exploring inclusion in education.