Advancing Understanding
Comparative Analysis of Inclusive Education Policies and Practices in Denmark and Australia
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Maria Christina Secher Schmidt,
Suzanne Carrington
The global challenge of translating inclusive education policy into practice is shaped by cultural, historical, economic, and political factors. This paper explores international progress and priorities in advancing inclusive education in Denmark and Australia. The research question is: How does a comparative approach that considers international, national, and local influences contribute to advancing inclusive education in Denmark and Australia? Drawing on theoretical frameworks of Bartlett and Vavrus (2009) and Artiles and Dyson (2005), we analyzed data from international and national documents, reports and existing research on inclusion policies and practices in both countries. Each country case is analyzed individually to understand the specific contexts and conditions that influence inclusion policies and practices, followed by a cross-case analysis to identify common patterns and differences. Our findings trace the connections between international, national, and local forces that influence the development of inclusive education in both countries. The comparative case study reveals that both Denmark and Australia acknowledge the importance of professional collaboration and local leadership in promoting inclusive education. However, despite these countries' endorsement of inclusive education principles, challenges remain due to concurrent political rationales influenced by global neoliberal ideologies.
Featured Foreign Born Women Faculty in US Academic Institutions
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Betcy Jose
This study explores the experiences of foreign-born women (female and female-identifying) faculty at a university in the US state of Colorado. It is not uncommon that U.S. universities fail to fully understand the challenges and barriers faced by foreign-born faculty. The plight of foriegn-born women faculty is even less understood. Consequently, these faculty may not receive the kind of support nor appreciation they need to perform effectively their full spectrum of responsibilities and duties. Additionally, without an adequate understanding of these faculty’s unique assets, universities may fail to fully capitalize on their strengths. This incomplete comprehension of these faculty members’ experiences and advantages can create situations that negatively impact faculty performance encompassing research, teaching and service, and career wholistically. By shedding light on this under-examined issue area, this study aims to sensitize U.S. universities to the unique challenges and strengths related to their foreign-born women faculty members in the hopes of helping them thrive in mutually beneficial ways. Utilizing an exploratory study conducted at a university in Colorado, this study is comprised of focus group meetings with a self-selected cohort of foreign-born women faculty. The data provide insights on what challenges this group faces and what policies might help address those challenges.
Public Officials' Role as Civic Educators: Local Government Managers Facilitating Understanding Through Civic Engagement View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Miriam Porter
Civic engagement has become more important today in helping people adapt to the complexities of a rapidly changing world and mitigating the negative attitudes toward government. This study, which focused on city managers in Minnesota, explored local government manager’s role in helping citizens understand a broad spectrum of issues in their communities. The study’s conclusion demonstrate that local government managers see themselves as civic educators covering a broad spectrum of issues, educational foci and educational methods. This gives them numerous opportunities for engagement with local government stakeholders in various settings. The nature of the work, as well as the political tone in local government, has led to the need to adopt this role to facilitate others to participate in the decision making process in an informed manner. The manager’s primary focus is with the elected officials. One recommendation of this study is that teaching methods and strategies should be considered for graduate level education in public administration to better prepare local government managers for their career.
