Early childhood education and special education: how well do they mix? An examination of inclusive practices in early childhood educational settings in Hong Kong

Teacher Perceptions of Factors for Successful Inclusive Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong

“…The current study makes a unique contribution to this investigation. It calls attention to the seeds for successful inclusive education in a geographical, cultural, and educational context that is under-researched (i.e., preschool settings in Hong Kong; Zhang, 2011). Of most significance, the current study not only explicates the perceived importance of various factors, but also applies sophisticated analysis to differentiate the perceived importance of factors relative to one another.…”

“…Teachers regularly cite the importance of the classroom environment, teamwork, collegial support, teacher-student ratio, and the capacity to collaborate with paraprofessionals in order to maximise the effectiveness of inclusive education (Alquraini & Gut, 2012;Berry, 2011;Glazzard, 2011;Korkmaz, 2011). Zhang's (2011) qualitative investigation of three preschool settings in Hong Kong also found that teachers championed the importance of collaboration as essential to supporting inclusive education. Based on such findings, Forbes (2009) suggested that it is critical to undo traditional professional boundaries and create new identities as collaborating practitioners to progress inclusive education.…”

“…It is not surprising, therefore, that regular preschool teachers have remained focused on regular students' academic achievement and other outcomes rather than on students' diverse needs (Wong, 2002). As Zhang (2011) notes, it appears that the rights and educational needs of young children with special needs have not received adequate attention in Hong Kong.…”

“…Much of the literature on inclusion describes that for inclusive education to succeed, support needs to extend beyond the classroom and embody whole-school support (Booth, 2005;Laluvein, 2010;Robinson & Carrington, 2002). This whole-school support has been operationalised as adjustments to the school environment including textbooks and teaching aids (Lindqvist et al, 2011), assistive technology and administrative support (Alquraini & Gut, 2012), and changes to the physical environment (Zhang, 2011). According to a study of preschool teachers in Malaysia, an attentive, knowledgeable school administration that has a clear understanding of the true concept of inclusive education is definitely an essential part of inclusive education (Razali, Toran, Kamaralzaman, Salleh, & Yasin, 2013).…”

“…Korkmaz (2011) emphasised that the standard curriculum, which has been developed for students without disabilities, may not suit those with special needs, and therefore teachers are responsible for adapting and developing additional curriculum for students with disabilities. Key features of such adaptations include individualised education programs (Zhang, 2011), small group instruction (Lindqvist et al, 2011), and differentiated instructions, and these adaptions have been increasingly applied to inclusive classrooms (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2006;Tomlinson, 2014).…”