Inclusive education (IE) is a global restructuring strategy envisioned to embrace learners with different abilities in mainstream schools. Previous research shows that parent and teacher inclusive education perceptions depend largely on their experiences of IE. This study examined parent and teacher perception of IE in the context Zimbabwean primary education. Data were collected from 12 parents and12 teachers of learners in IE. Results indicated that participants' perceptions of IE divide into three main categories; i.e. positive, mixed and negative perceptions for various reasons. The results were presented in a tree diagram and a model and discussed with potential implications for various stakeholders.

The purpose of the present paper is to advance arguments that reflect on the researcher's dilemma caused by tendencies to conflate metatheory and paradigm in the crafting of dissertations and theses. Philosophy as an umbrella concept under which metatheory and paradigm are subsumed proves evasive in some social science dissertations and theses. Consequently, most novice researchers become confused by the conflated and unexplained use of these concepts in research. The researcher attempted to clarify philosophy, paradigm and metatheory as used in the social sciences in this paper. To this end, the paper demystified the use and relationship of research philosophy concepts normally found in dissertations and theses. This paper is primarily a theoretical exploration intended to guide beginning researchers on the scientific and scholarly use of the philosophy of research concepts in their dissertations and theses.

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Implementing differentiated instruction (DI) in inclusive classrooms presents many challenges that often limit the teachers’ ability to use the strategy. Research tends to indicate that, though DI is a viable approach to meeting the le individual learner’s needs in mixed ability classrooms; it is poorly implemented in regular schools. This study sought to investigate the perspectives of primary school teachers on the use of DI in an inclusive classroom in Enugu state, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design using a sample of 382 primary school teachers in the study area. Data were collected using a validated researcher-developed Teachers’ Use of Differentiated Instruction Questionnaire (TUDIQ). Percentages, pie-charts, and bar charts were used in analyzing and presentation of data collected for the study. Results indicated that the extent to which teachers implement DI was low, and time constraint limits the use of DI. The results further revealed that teachers need more information on how to develop rubrics; students’ directed assessments; how to manage large class while implementing DI; how to use differentiated instruction without watering down the curriculum contents; the need for changes in classroom structure to accommodate small groups; and the need for more training on DI and the provision of diverse learning aids in schools. The implication for teacher education is that DI has to form critical curriculum content for colleges of education and faculties of Education in the Universities.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory case study design was used to explore the extent to which structured movement educational assessment activities can support the understanding of mathematics and language concepts. The participants included 20 Grade R learners, one class teacher and one head of department (HOD). The data were generated using observation of participants, analysis of worksheets, visual data and a semi-structured interview. Results:The findings of the study suggest that the integration of structured movement activities with mathematics and language concepts seems to impact positively preschool learners' physical, social and cognitive development. The value of qualitatively assessing preschool learners during active participation seemed to be favourable to understanding concepts or movement skill acquisition. Conclusion:The study concluded that movement experiences can inform preschool learners' understanding of mathematics and language concepts.

The purpose of this study is to inform global citizenship practice as a higher education (HE) agenda by comparing the retrospective experiences of a range of community engagement (CE) partners, and including often silent voices of non-researcher partners. HE-CE aims to contribute to social justice as it constructs and transfers new knowledge from the perspectives of a wide range of CE-partners. This qualitative secondary analysis study was framed theoretically by the transformative-emancipatory paradigm. Existing case data, generated on retrospective experiences of CE-partners in a long-term CE-partnership, were conveniently sampled to analyse and compare a range of CE-experiences (parents of student-clients (n = 12: females 10, males 2), teachers from the partner rural school (n = 18: females 12, males 6), student-educational psychology clients (n = 31: females 14, males 17), Academic ServiceLearning (ASL) students (n = 20: females 17, males 3) and researchers (n = 12: females 11, males 1).Following thematic in-case and cross-case analysis, it emerged that all HE-CE partners experienced that socio-economic challenges (defined as rural-school adversities, include financial, geographic and social challenges) are addressed when an HE-CE partnership exists, but that particular operational challenges (communication barriers, time constraints, workload and unclear scope, inconsistent feedback as well as conflicting expectations) hamper HE-CE partnership. A significant insight from this study is that a range of CE-partners experience similar challenges when a university and rural school partner. All CE-partners experienced that HE-CE is challenged by the structural disparity between the rural context and operational miscommunication.

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Background: Despite its acceptability, the term disability has not been able to shirk the sense of incompleteness, lack, deprivation and incapacitation embodied in the prefix ‘dis-’. The current wave of anti-discrimination on disability issues, calls for constant re-examination of the language and the appellations we use in respect of people with disabilities.Objectives: The aim of this study is to subject the term disability to some relevancy litmus test with a view to prevent it from acquiring Lyotard’s ‘grand narrative’ and to propose and argue for the term ‘differently abled’ because of its transformative and anti-discriminatory slant.Method: The study took the form of a literature review using the optic of Derrida’s hierarchy of binaries and the Sesotho proverb, ‘Bitso-lebe-ke seromo’, (A bad name is ominous) to explore the connotations of the term disability as a disenfranchising social construct.Results: Read through the lens of Derrida’s idea of difference, disability as a concept has no inherent meaning and its meaning derives from its being differentiated from other concepts. Viewed through the lens of Bitso-lebe-ke seromo and read in the context of its deep symbolical significance, the term disability holds immense spiritual power.Conclusion: The study concludes that the term disability or disabled is exclusionary, stigmatizing, and anti-transformational. As such it embodies imperfection, incapacitation and inferiority. Not only is it ominous, it places upon people with disability the perpetual mark of unattractiveness. Against this background the term differently abled seems to convey more empowering overtones than the term disability.