Motivational sources of practical nursing students at risk of dropping out from vocational education and training

The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the reasons for low or high academic motivation among practical nursing students at risk of dropping out from vocational education and training. The research data consisted of semi-structured interviews with 14 Finnish students, which were analysed by qualitative content analysis. The analysis identified six motivational sources. Two of these sources – Responsible agency and Completing out of necessity – were related to engagement in studying, whereas two other sources – Exhaustion from learning challenges and Tight-roping between competing responsibilities – were related to disengagement from studying. Emotional drive and Soci…

Predictors of completion of upper secondary education of young adults with severe physical and multiple disabilities in Finland

ABSTRACTPrior studies have shown that young adults with severe physical and multiple disabilities are less likely to complete upper secondary education. This study aimed to identify whether these s...

Policy-practice gap in participation of students with disabilities in the education and training programme of Ethiopia: policy content analysis

This study explores the extent to which the issue of special educational and training needs for persons with disabilities is addressed in the education and training policy of Ethiopia, with a specific focus on technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Focus group discussions and interviews were used to assess the content of the policy and related strategic documents, as well as legal frameworks and implementation instruments, in terms of the principle of inclusion. A pair of focus group discussions involved 22 members of the management and governance of four networks and eight indigenous, disability-focused, non-governmental organisations. Moreover, 14 high-profile experts fro…

Communicative spontaneity in autism: exploring supportive prompts in an educational context

The purpose of this article was to describe a Finnish research project concerning communicative spontaneity in pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a behavioural syndrome which is neurobiological in origin and which involves atypical developmental dysfunctions in the brain. The essential features are persistent impairment in reciprocal social communication and social interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour, interest, and activities. However, an important part of flexible interaction is functional communication between partners, and spontaneity is a critical aspect of functional communication. Communicative spontaneity can be assessed by examining the rela…

The implementation of new special education legislation in Finland

This article examines the implementation of new special education legislation in Finland among students with significant disabilities. The data consist of a nationwide survey and field observations. In the analysis, a policy implementation framework is utilized as a theoretical lens. The findings suggest that schools and municipalities that had participated in long-term development projects had more capacity and willingness to reform special education practices substantially, suggesting that learning in one policy area can transfer to other domains across multiple levels of national and local governments. The key findings highlight the significance of professional trust as a policy instrum…

How do educational reforms change the share of students in special education? Trends in special education in Finland

Recent European and global trends in education have been to promote inclusive education and expand education, resulting in the increased provision of special education. In promoting inclusive education, recent special education reforms have also aimed to curtail the rise in identification rates for students in special education, for example, by focusing more on early support and discontinuing fiscal incentives to identify students with special educational needs. Using official special education statistics, we studied how Finland’s special education system reforms changed the share of students in special education. In addition, we examined variations in special education provisions among mu…

The Transition to Upper Secondary Level After Basic Education for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland

This chapter provides an exploration of the preparation of pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for transition to upper secondary level after Finnish basic education. It also examines the importance of supports required during the transition phase. Two examples of pupils with ASD (Kalle and Maija) are utilized to illustrate how to plan and support pupils with ASD during their initial post-school transition. Transitions are defined, after which education opportunities after basic education for pupils with ASD in Finland are examined. This is followed by a brief illustration of the Finnish comprehensive school system to provide context with a focus on support arrangements and the prepar…

Documenting pedagogical support measures in Finnish IEPs for students with intellectual disability

The individual education plan (IEP) is an essential part of special education and is used widely in Western countries for documenting both the learning goals and support measures for children with ...

Conceptions associated with sense of belonging in different school placements for Finnish pupils with special education needs

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine conceptions associated with sense of belonging (SEBE) in Finnish general and special school placements for pupils with special education needs. Five pupils were selected for this study by means of purposive sampling. They had a history of several school placements prior to arriving at their current special school. Qualitative phenomenographic analyses of interview transcripts revealed numerous conceptions regarding the pupils’ SEBE in the different educational placements. The pupils had undergone numerous placements in which their SEBE had been jeopardised, as disturbing relationships with teachers and peers seemed to have affected the pupils’ me…

Inclusion of students with disabilities in formal vocational education programs in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, individuals with disabilities have limited access to educational and vocational training opportunities. This study investigates prevailing challenges and opportunities for the participation of students with disabilities in vocational education programs in Ethiopia. Data for the study were gathered from the five biggest regions out of the 11 in the country by selecting two colleges of technical and vocational education from each region. A total of 110 trainers and 28 students with disabilities from the selected colleges completed the questionnaire. In addition, 30 regional and college-level administrators were interviewed. Finally, all 10 colleges were evaluated through direct o…

Special education without teaching assistants? : The development process for students with autism

Many children may need the help of another person to attend school. It is common for children with disabilities to receive help from a teaching assistant at school. Assistants are provided in many countries as a legal right and are often publicly funded. It is also widely assumed that having teaching assistants in the class is an effective and cost-efficient way to support students with disabilities. In this study, the research task was to monitor and document the development process carried out by the teacher, with the aim of making visible the development of a more dynamic classroom interaction. The focus in this development process was the teacher’s idea of minimizing the conta…

Erityinen tuki perusopetuksen oppilaille, joilla tuen tarpeen taustalla on vakavia psyykkisiä ongelmia, kehitysvamma- tai autismin kirjon diagnoosi : VETURI-hankkeen kartoitus

Tämä raportti on kirjoitettu VETURI-hankkeessa. Kyseessä on nelivuotinen tutkimus- ja kehittämis-hanke, joka kohdistuu perusopetuksen erityiseen tukeen. Tarkastelun kohteena on moniammatillista erityistä tukea oppimiseensa ja kuntoutumiseensa tarvitsevat oppilaat, joilla on vakavia psyykkisiä pul-mia, moni- tai vaikeavammaisuutta, kehitysvammaisuutta tai autismin kirjon diagnoosi. Useilla kohde-ryhmän lapsilla on pidennetty oppivelvollisuus. Lisäksi tähän ryhmään saattaa kuulua kotiopetuksessa olevia lapsia. VETURI-hanke toteutetaan yhteistyössä Helsingin yliopiston opettajankoulutuslaitoksen erityispeda-gogiikan ja Jyväskylän yliopiston kasvatustieteiden laitoksen erityispedagogiikan yksik…

Vaativaa tukea tutkimusperustaisesti : TUVET-hankkeesta tukea opettajille ja opettajaksi opiskeleville

Erityisen tuen toteutuminen sairaalaopetusyksiköiden, valtion koulukotien sekä kuntayhtymien ja yksityisten omistamien laitos- ja erityiskoulujen opetusryhmissä. VETURI-hankkeen kartoitus II.

Ruskeasuon koulun kehittämishanke II : ICF-pohjaiset toimintakykykuvaukset, HOJKS-tavoitteet ja lukuvuosiarvioinnit toiminta-alueittaisessa opetuksessa

Valteri-koulu Ruskis (aiemmin Ruskeasuon koulu) on Helsingissä sijaitseva valtion erityiskoulu, joka toimii osana valtakunnallista Oppimis- ja ohjauskeskus Valteria. Koulussa on liikunta- ja monivammaisia sekä pitkäaikaissairaita oppilaita esiopetuksesta lisäopetukseen. Artikkeli on jatkoa aiemmalle kuvaukselle koulun kehittämisprosessista (ks. NMI Bulletin 3/2013). Tässä työssä tarkastellaan koulun tavoitetyöskentelyyn kohdistuvan pitkäaikaisen kehityshankkeen viimeisintä vaihetta, jossa on paneuduttu tarkastelemaan toiminta-alueittain opiskelevien oppilaiden (n = 19) yhden lukuvuoden keskeisiä HOJKS-tavoitteita, niiden suhdetta oppilaiden ICF-pohjaisiin toimintakykykuvauksiin sekä tavoitt…

Setting Individual Goals for Pupils with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities : Engaging in the Activity Area-Based Curriculum Making

The activity area-based curriculum model (AACM) is used in the Finnish basic education to support pupils—most of whom have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD)—who could benefit more from skills that advance independent life coping. Existing studies have concentrated mainly on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goal-setting process for pupils with milder disabilities than PIMD and have consistently demonstrated significant barriers in the process. This study explores the collaborative IEP goal-setting process for pupils with the AACM. Sixty-five Finnish special education teachers using the AACM participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were analysed with thema…

Pohtimiskaavio yliopisto-opiskelijoiden tekstitaitoja tukemassa

Artikkelissa kuvataan opetuskokeilua, jossa tieteellisten tekstien lukemista, teksteistä keskustelemista ja lähteiden pohjalta kirjoittamista tuettiin Pohtimiskaavio-verkkotyökalulla. Opiskelijat kertoivat, että Pohtimiskaavio auttoi analysoimaan lähteitä ja jäsentämään niiden pohjalta käytyä keskustelua. Kun asiat tuli merkittyä systemaattisesti muistiin näkökulmittain, myös kirjoittaminen oli helpompaa. Vaikka opiskelijoiden kokemukset Pohtimiskaavion käytöstä olivat pääosin myönteisiä, työkalun teknisiin ominaisuuksiin toivottiin parannuksia. nonPeerReviewed

Teacher Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Finland

This chapter first provides a short description of the historical background and development of special education teacher training in Finland. The relationship between special education and teaching pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is covered by chronologically presenting the main events, turning points, publications, and people that have had a significant effect on the education of pupils with ASD in Finland. This is followed by a description of the organization of teacher training, in general, and the particular characteristics of teaching pupils with ASD. In the context of ASD, it is essential to examine questions concerning the link between learning as social practice and the …

Setting individual goals for pupils with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities—engaging in the activity area-based curriculum making

The activity area-based curriculum model (AACM) is used in the Finnish basic education to support pupils—most of whom have profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD)— who could benefit more from skills that advance independent life coping. Existing studies have concentrated mainly on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goal-setting process for pupils with milder disabilities than PIMD and have consistently demonstrated significant barriers in the process. This study explores the collaborative IEP goal-setting process for pupils with the AACM. Sixty-five Finnish special education teachers using the AACM participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were analysed with them…

Surveying Supported Employment in Finland: A Follow-up

The longitudinal status of supported employment in Finland was examined via a 2003 nationwide survey sent to job coaches involved in supporting workers with intellectual and other disabilities. Sustained supported employment, defined as "paid work in integrated settings with ongoing supports that contained at least two on-site visits per month at the worksite" was identified at 22 organizations that supported 52 workers. The results of the current survey were compared with those gained from similar surveys conducted in 1998, 1999, and 2001. Comparison of data over a 6-year period showed a decline in the provision of intensive employment supports and appeared to reflect both a change in Euro…

Interaction between students and class teachers in vocational education and training: ‘Safety distance is needed’

Interaction between students and teachers is fundamental and has therefore been widely studied in education. However, there have been few studies on intensive spe-cial support being provided to vocational education and training (VET) students. Firstly, the focus of this article is on students’ perceptions of interactions with their class teachers. Students (aged 17–34 years) from four Finnish vocational institutions providing intensive special support were interviewed. According to the findings, the demands students placed on their class teachers and for interactions with them were modest and their perceptions of both were favourable. Interactions seemed to be study-orientated and class tea…

Changing vocational special needs education : From teacher to developer

Biographies can be used to examine changes in teaching and analyse how teachers experience education policies. This study focused on 11 vocational special needs education teachers (vocational SNE teachers) who wrote work-related memoirs. Six of them were also interviewed. Qualitative content analysis was used to determine how experienced SNE teachers describe the changes and challenges in vocational education and training since the 1970s. The findings suggested that the work of vocational SNE teachers has changed from segregated student-focused remedial instruction to planning and administrative work with indirect impact. Similarly, a change in competences is evident. The discipline “Specia…

Oppimisen ja koulunkäynnin tuen järjestelyt kouluissa : rehtorien arviot tukijärjestelyjen toimivuudesta

Esiteltävässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin tukijärjestelyjen toimivuutta perusopetuksessa rehtorien (N = 335) arvioimana. Aineisto kerättiin kyselylomakkeella syksyllä 2012. Rehtoreiden arvioita tukijärjestelyjen toimivuudesta selitti eniten se, millaisia tukijärjestelyjen arvioitiin olleen ennen lakiuudistusta. Koulun osallistuminen Tehostetun ja erityisen tuen kehittämistoimintaan (KELPO-hanke) oli yhteydessä myönteisempiin arvioihin oppimissuunnitelmien käytön, osa-aikaisen erityisopetuksen, kodin kanssa tehtävän yhteistyön, oppilashuoltotyöryhmän ja opetuksen eriyttämisen toimivuudesta. Rehtoreiden arvioiden mukaan tukijärjestelyistä toimivat kouluissa huonoiten yhdessä opettaminen ja op…

Students in higher education with reading and writing difficulties

The aim of this study is to explore adult students’ descriptions and understandings of their reading and writing difficulties, and to describe the ways they are copying with them. In higher level studies, information is typically gained by reading and giving evidence of knowledge acquisition in writing. When students have difficulties with these essential academic skills, studying and lifelong learning can be hard work as well as time-consuming. General understanding of dyslexia and reading difficulties at the higher education level has improved, although considerable ambiguity remains about what these mean in practice. This is a qualitative, interview-based study that seeks to improve our …

Developing a Curriculum for Mentally Retarded Adults ‐‐ a cooperative project between the university and the practitioners

Abstract As recently as six years ago, after their compulsory education was over, it was very difficult for severely and profoundly mentally retarded people in Finland to receive further education. The regional units within the social‐services sector financed a four‐year project which was carried out at the University of Jyvdskyld, during this project an adult‐education plan was produced, its implementation was monitored and the content of adult education and the training of staff was developed. During the experiment the mentally retarded people involved became more actively involved in the different activities, and a considerable improvement was observed in their independent daily living s…

The school staff's perception of their ability to teach special educational needs pupils in inclusive settings in Finland

Recent studies have suggested that the professional training received by general educators does not adequately prepare them to properly implement inclusion-based practices. The idea of inclusion in practice has not significantly changed the situation of teaching pupils with special educational needs (SENs) in mainstream classes. This study's primary intent is to examine the factors that identify the school staff's ability to meet the needs of SEN pupils in their daily teaching situations. A total of 187 elementary school teachers, principals and teaching assistants in a Finnish city completed a structured questionnaire that used a self-evaluation method. Two components were generalised acco…

From the shade into the sun: exploring pride and shame in students with special needs in Finnish VET

This paper reports on a study of the dynamics of social emotions and social bonds between students and class teachers by analysing the narratives of students receiving intensive special support in the Finnish vocational education and training (VET) system. Pride refers to a strong and safe involvement in interaction, and shame implies intimidated social bonds. The analysis is based on abductive content analysis for which Greimas’ actant model worked as an analysis tool. We found some students showing high respect to their teachers who acted as senders setting the objects for students’ studying. Pride is based on the students’ experiences in achieving the objects, thereby pleasing their teac…

Principals’ views on changes in the provision of support for learning and schooling in Finland after educational reform

Recently, the large-scale reforms of special education have been carried out in many countries. This study focuses on the latest Finnish reform of special education in compulsory education. As principals lead educational reforms in schools, their role in the implementation of reform is significant. The study explores principals’ views on the changes in support arrangements after the educational reform. We used latent class analysis to identify the subgroups of principals who share similar views. In addition, we examined the relationship between the subgroups and individual, school, and municipal level factors using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Four subgroups were identified: im…

The involvement of autistic children in early childhood education

Research on the involvement of autistic children in daily activities in inclusive early childhood education is scarce. In Finland, all children, including autistic children, under the age of seven (before basic education) are entitled to participate in early childhood education and care. Children also attend compulsory, free-of-charge pre-primary education during the year before their basic education begins. Furthermore, attending early childhood education and care is not dependent whether a child requires day care because of their parents’ work. Autistic children attend early childhood education in inclusive day care centres. Thus, in this study, we examined the involvement of autistic chi…

Why Study Online in Upper Secondary School? Qualitative Analysis of Online Learning Experiences

In Finland, online learning has become more common in recent years. In this study, we examined why adult students chose to study online for upper secondary school. The research also focused on the support needed for learning from a special education perspective. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using an electronic questionnaire. In total, 58 students responded. Data were analyzed qualitatively using the content analysis technique. The findings indicate that the main reasons for online studies are similar in Finland to those found internationally: flexibility of timetables, the student’s health condition, and family situations. The findings also indicate that a student’s…

Children with Down syndrome in Finland and Italy: comparing adaptive behavior and services

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare a sample of Italian (n = 29) and Finnish children (n = 32) with Down syndrome for possible differences emerging from diverse educational surroundings. Besides the level of adaptive and challenging behaviors, some other issues were compared, including teacher satisfaction. Methods: We used the children’s teachers as informants. They were interviewed using standardized scales. Results: No differences in adaptive behavior or challenging behavior were observed between the samples. All children from the Italian sample were fully included in mainstream classes, while in the Finnish sample, 92% of all the school years were spent in self-contained sp…

Sense of Belonging and Life Transitions for Two Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Finland

AbstractSense of belonging refers to the degree to which individuals feel included, accepted, and supported by others in a variety of social settings. This study, based on the narratives of two females (ages 26 and 29) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), examines sense of belonging and various life transition issues that may appear throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood in the absence of appropriate social supports. Hearing the voices of females with autism is important, because the number of girls diagnosed with ASD has grown. Women on the spectrum can potentially provide significant insights into the services required to feel a sense of belonging to society. Qualitative analysi…

A review of interventions to support the educational attainments of children and adolescents in foster care

This rapid review seeks to harvest and draw out common findings from intervention studies aimed at supporting the educational and socio-emotional attainments of school-age children and adolescents in foster care. Using carefully executed inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were collected systematically from six electronic databases. The 19 articles included were appraised critically for quality and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The survey of studies revealed an initial need to improve the quality and quantity of research designed to evaluate interventions of this kind. Nevertheless, an analysis of the findings produced sufficient robust evidence to inform policy and pract…

Parental Perceptions of the Use of Coercive Measures on Children with Developmental Disabilities

Background Children with developmental disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviour are potentially subject to the use of coercive interventions. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of the use of coercive measures by authorities, according to parents’ reports. Materials and Methods A postal survey was distributed, as a total population study, to 946 Finnish parents of children with developmental disabilities, between the ages of 5 and 15, and who were entitled to the highest disability allowance. Results Of the respondents, 54 (22%) answered ‘yes’ when asked whether their child had been subjected to coercive procedures by authorities. The parents had seldom approved the…

The usefulness of the ICF framework in goal setting for students with autism spectrum disorder

AbstractAn Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a multi-disciplinary, team-developed plan that is required for a child receiving special education services. IEPs are tools for setting objectives that are responsive to students with special needs. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a hierarchical classification for human functioning and disability developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ICF classification can be used as a structural and conceptual instrument in goal setting. In this study the educational IEP objectives of five Finnish students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are examined within the ICF framework. The focus is i…

Learning about Students’ Receiving Special Educational Support Experiences of Qualification, Socialization and Subjectification in Finnish Vocational Education and Training : A Narrative Approach

This paper airs the experiences of eighteen students with special educational needs completing their studies at a Finnish vocational institution, which has a mandate to provide intensive special support for the students. It contributes to the national and international discussion of education’s purposes and elaborates on students’ descriptions. The study frames a research question: To what extent are Biesta’s domains of good education—qualification, socialization, and subjectification—audible in the narratives of Finland’s VET special educational needs students? The paper adopts a narrative approach and uses narrative positioning analysis as a methodical …

Teaching Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Analysis of Research-Based Recommendations

<p>The purpose of this qualitative study was to produce an overview of topics and practical recommendations that have been presented for teaching for students with intellectual disabilities in educational research articles published from 2000 to 2013. The sample of peer-reviewed research articles considering this topic was selected using a database search of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). To represent the richness of this research area, the topic was purposely left broad, and the outline was made by focusing on the practical implications of research articles. These recommendations were identified, classified, synthesized, and evaluated. The implications for pract…

The social networks of young people with intellectual disabilities during the On-Campus supported adult education programme

<p>This article describes the social networks of four young people with intellectual disabilities in supported adult education, focusing on their inclusion in school and leisure environments. A multiple case study approach with content analysis was used. Data were collected through interviews with young people and their family members, relationship maps, observation journals and notes from Personal Futures Planning meetings. Relationships with family members, other relatives and neighbours were close. One participant had a friend of her own age with no disabilities. The other three had varying, superficial peer relationships and friends of the family. All the participants had heteroge…

Oppimisvaikeuksien, motivaation ja oppijaminäkäsityksen merkitys ammatillisista opinnoista valmistumisessa

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää, missä määrin oppimisvaikeuksien vaikutus ammatillisesta koulutuksesta valmistumiseen on yhteydessä motivaatioon ja millaisia käsityksiä heikosti opiskeluun motivoituneilla opiskelijoilla on itsestään opiskelijana. Tutkimus koostui määrällisestä kyselytutkimuksesta ja laadullisesta haastattelututkimuksesta, joista määrälliseen osuuteen osallistui 554 ja laadulliseen osuuteen 44 ammattiopiston opiskelijaa. Tulokset osoittivat, että ne opiskelijat, joilla oli oppimisvaikeuksia mutta tyypillinen motivaation, valmistuivat pääosin tavoiteajassa. Sen sijaan niiden, joilla oli sekä heikko motivaatio että oppimisvaikeuksia, valmistumatta jääminen oli tilastol…

Educational intervention planning for children in foster care in Finland : A case study

Children in foster care may face difficulties during their school years. When it comes to academic achievement, there is reported low school performance and lower grades. However, school may be strong protective factor in difficulties if supports are individual. School-based interventions represent a possibility for supporting children whose home life may make them vulnerable. This discussion paper presents Finnish initiative, which is based on Skolfam® model used in several Nordic countries. peerReviewed

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Kansainvälistä koulutusyhteistyötä : ammatillinen opettajankoulutus ja inkluusio

Contradictions as Drivers for Improving Inclusion in Teaching Pupils with Special Educational Needs

The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of the contradictions that arise in the drive to improve teaching practices among pupils with special educational needs (SENs). A questionnaire was administrated to 167 classroom teachers, subject teachers, special education teachers and teaching assistants in Finland. The analysis, based on thematic coding and analysis of manifestations of contradictions, revealed contradictions related to artefacts of teaching, participation in the community and school staff’s professional ability to teach SEN pupils in mainstream. Four types of manifestations, namely conflicts, critical conflicts, dilemmas, and double binds, could be identified in the dat…

The arrival of supported employment in Finland.

Subjective quality of life among youth with severe physical disabilities during the transition to adulthood in Finland

Purpose: This study examined the subjective quality of life among youth with severe physical disabilities during the transition to adulthood.Method: A purposive sample of 74 youths (mean age 20.19)...

From special tasks to extensive roles: the changing face of special needs teachers in Finnish vocational further education

Following the development of inclusive education in vocational education and training (VET), the discussion about the prevention of marginalisation and dropouts has increased. At the same time, the formal education system has strengthened the position of support services, such as special educational needs (SEN) teachers, social workers and counsellors. However, a confusion of roles in the work of SEN teachers seems evident. The changing work of SEN teachers has not been of great research interest in Finland. The focus has been mainly on SEN teachers at the secondary school level (Kivirauma and Kuorelahti, 2002; Strom, 1999). The work of vocational SEN teachers has been studied by Kaikkonen,…

Collaboration for Inclusive Practices : Teaching Staff Perspectives from Finland

accepted in publication Collaboration between educators is considered to be the key issue when implementing inclusive practices within schools. An open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used to extend the current understanding of collaboration between teaching staff. The questionnaire was administrated to 167 classroom teachers, subject teachers, special education teachers and teaching assistants in primary, secondary and special education public schools in Finland. Also, semi-structured interviews with 20 participants were used to deepen the understanding of the elements included in the teaching activity in diverse classrooms. The results indicate coordination, cooper…

The Social Networks of People with Intellectual Disabilities during the On-Campus Supported Adult Education Programme

This article describes the social networks of four young people with intellectual disabilities in supported adult education, focusing on their inclusion in school and leisure environments. A multiple case study approach with content analysis was used. Data were collected through interviews with young people and their family members, relationship maps, observation journals and notes from Personal Futures Planning meetings. Relationships with family members, other relatives and neighbours were close. One participant had a friend of her own age with no disabilities. The other three had varying, superficial peer relationships and friends of the family. All the participants had heterogeneous rel…

Dignity for the Deaf in the Educational Environment: A Comparison Between Finland and Mexico

This article offers a theoretical and practical comparison between the special education systems for the deaf in Finland and Mexico. The theoretical approach of research perspectives in Chou et al....