The focus of the research in this thesis concerns the meanings of inclusion. The thesis explores the meanings of inclusion within the post-compulsory education policy subsystem of the national education policy system. The thesis uses ethnographic analysis of policy documents, ethnographic interviews and surveys to explore the meanings of inclusion and the experiences of learners, teachers, College policy-makers, curriculum managers and course co-ordinators together with the factors that influence those meanings and experiences in the cross-cultural contexts of further education colleges. The thesis begins with a critical review of theoretical models of inclusion before embarking on historical explorations of the evolution of inclusive policy 1945 – 2010 and thence the meanings of inclusion from the perspectives of adult learners, teachers, College policy-makers, curriculum managers and course co-ordinators.
From the results of the analysis of ethnographic interviews, surveys and documents it was found that the meanings of inclusion, the experiences of inclusion and the factors that influenced these meanings and experiences were varied and contested. The thesis argues that irrespective of the variability and contests there is a common thread running through the various meanings. The common thread which the thesis argues runs through the meanings centre on the answers to the question: inclusion into what? It was found that colleges manipulate and adjust learners to curricular programmes in order to meet the recruitment, retention, achievement, and progression targets set by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).
The thesis argues that the physical environment and the layout and the level of technology and teaching aids in the classroom are not material to the meanings of inclusion to adult learners and teachers. Instead the thesis creates new arguments based on four behavioural, principles namely, Honesty, Order, Obedience and Diligence (HOOD), concerning the centrality of primary educational goals, primary, secondary and circumstantial educational factors to the meanings of inclusion. The thesis defines how ethical dilemmas have led to perceptive distortions of the professional identity of teachers.
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 The research focus
1.1.2 The research problem and hypothesis
1.1.3 The aims of the research
1.1.4 The research questions
1.2 The background to the research: origins and evolution of the research
1.3 The rationale of the research
1.4 The limitations of the research
1.5 Research Ethics: ethical responsibility
1.6 The arrangement of the thesis
1.7 Conclusions
Chapter 2: Review of the literature
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 Reproduction
2.1.2 Reproduction of political and social structure
2.2 Equality of opportunities discourse
2.2.1 The basis for inclusion: who was included in what forms of education?
2.3 Inclusion and the Eugenic discourse: genetic endowment and intelligence
2.4 Inclusion and national economy: education in the marketplace
2.5 Conclusions
Chapter 3 Methodology
3.1 Introduction: education as holistic, open and integrated total systems
3.1.2 Data collection and the research institutions
3.1.3 Hampenden College
3.1.4 Marshfield College
3.1.5 Oakhill College
3.2 Triangulation
3.3 Research Instrument: ethnographic interviews
3.3.1 Interview questions: teachers, managers and principals
3.4 Research instrument: questionnaires
3.4.1 Questionnaires: population characteristics
3.4.2 Questionnaires: main research questions
3.4.3 Questionnaires: factorial and evaluative questions
3.5 Research Instrument: documentary analysis
3.5.1 Documentary sources: Parliamentary emanations
3.5.2 Parliamentary emanations: Parliamentary and Statutory documents
3.5.3 Parliamentary emanations: extra-parliamentary documents
3.5.4 Parliamentary emanations: sampling
3.6 Content analysis of policy documents: an ethnographic analysis
3.7 Some issues about research method
3.7.1 Literature
3.7.2 Interviews: access to institutions did not mean access to learners
3.7.3 The socio-cultural psychology of access: a case
3.7.4 Institutional rules and codes of conduct
3.8 Issues in documentary research: could documentary research be classed as a research method?
3.8.1 Issues in documentary research: reliability, validity and conflict of objectives
3.8.2 Issues in documentary: ideology and deconstructionism
3.8.3 Issues in the use of open system procedures in the study of Inclusion in post-compulsory education
3.9 The study population
3.9.1 Introduction
3.9.2 Population characteristics: age
3.9.3 Population characteristics: ethnicity
3.9.4 Population characteristics: gender
3.9.5 Population characteristics: time since participation in full- or part – time education
3.9.6 Population characteristics: educational qualifications
3.9.7 Population characteristics: membership of the professions
3.9.8 Population characteristics: language
3.9.9 Conclusion
Chapter 4: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the state and the evolution of inclusive policy in post-compulsory education 1945 – 2007
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Inclusion and society: educational equality or inequality
4.1.2 Inclusion and society: exclusion and measurements of innate intelligence
4.1.3 Inclusion and society: class and gender
4.1.4 Inclusion and the ‘need of the nation’ the onset of mass inclusion
4.1.5 Inclusion and the ‘needs of the nation’: poverty, social exclusion, widening access and lifelong learning
4.2 Inclusion and adult curriculum: the onset of the imperative of scientific and technological curricular 1945 – 1969
4.2.1 Introduction
4.2.2 Inclusion and learning: the imperative of scientific and technological curricular
4.2.3 Inclusion and learning: adult learning experience and curricular diversity
4.3 Inclusion and learning: the demand for a new curricular order 1970 – 2007
4.3.1 Introduction
4.3.2 Inclusion and the new curricular order: adaptable workforce and the ‘agenda and action for change’
4.3.3 Inclusion and the new curricular order: knowledge-based jobs and the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)
4.3.4 Inclusion and the new curricular order: GNVQs, Core and Transferable Skills
4.3.5 Inclusion and the new curricular order: ‘Curriculum 2000’
4.4 Inclusion and institutional development: the College of Advanced Technology
4.4.1 Inclusion and institutional development: the ‘needs of the nation and the ‘needs of industry’
4.4.2 Inclusion and institutional development: institutions for the 21st Century
4.5 Conclusions
Chapter 5: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of adult learners – an ethnographic analysis
5.1 Introduction
5.1.1 Inclusion and learning: inclusion into what?
5.1.2 Inclusion and learning: inclusion as educational journey
5.1.3 Inclusion and learning: inclusion and the teacher
5.1.4 Inclusion and society: equality or inequality of access
5.2 What assumptions, values and awareness underpin the notions of inclusion in the cross-cultural contexts of further education colleges?
5.2.1 Introduction
5.2.2 Inclusion and society: progress and achievement: what’s in it for us?
5.2.3 Inclusion and society: age and experience
5.3 Inclusion and culture
5.3.1 Inclusion and Culture: family, custom and tradition
5.3.2 Inclusion and Culture: ethnicity and identity
5.3.3 Inclusion and Culture: religion
5.3.4 Inclusion and Culture: language
5.4 Conclusions
Chapter 6: The meaning of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of adult learners – a quantitative analysis
6.1 Introduction
6.1.1 Inclusion and learning: educational needs
6.2.1 Inclusion and society: equality, anti-racism and open access
6.2.2 Inclusion and society: equality of people, values and cultures
6.2.3 Inclusion and society: diversity and multiculturalism
6.2.4 Inclusion and society: progression, age, gender and educational history
6.2.5 Inclusion and society: individualism, expectations, benefits and progress
6.2.6 Inclusion and society: age and experience
6.2.7 Inclusion and society: class and the labour market
6.3 What assumptions, values and awareness underpin the notions of inclusion in different cultural contexts?
6.3.1 Introduction
6.3.2 Inclusion and culture: family, custom and tradition
6.3.3 Inclusion and culture: religion
6.3.4 Inclusion and culture: ethnic identity and benefit
6.4 What factors are important in the explanation of the meanings of inclusion and the enrichment of learning experience in different cultural contexts?
6.4.1 Introduction
6.4.2 Inclusion and learning: primary factors
6.4.3 Inclusion and learning: secondary factors
6.4.4 Inclusion and learning: circumstantial factors
6.5 What kinds of inclusion are indicated by the meanings of inclusion in different cultural contexts?
6.5.1 Introduction
6.5.2 The practice of inclusion: learning motives, expectations and outcomes
6.5.3 The practice of inclusion: the curriculum and learning motives – an evaluation
6.5.4 The practice of inclusion: the curriculum and learning motives – an affirmative
6.5.5 The practice of inclusion: the curriculum and learning motives – a contest
6.6 The experience of learning: the impact
6.7 Conclusions
Chapter 7: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the teacher’s experience
7.1 Introduction
7.1.1 Inclusion and population characteristics: social, economic and class analysis
7.1.2 Inclusion and learning; inclusion into what?
7.1.3 Inclusion and learning: the politics of population characteristics and the LSC
7.1.4 Inclusion and learning: political and social control and professional autonomy
7.1.5 Inclusion and learning: professional autonomy and class size
7.1.6 Inclusion and learning: professional autonomy and class Size: a dissent
7.1.7 Inclusion: teaching and learning and equality through the curriculum
7.1.8 Inclusion: teaching and learning and the quality of learning
7.1.9 Inclusion: classroom meanings versus political meanings
7.2 Inclusion and teaching and learning: the changing role of the teacher
7.3. Inclusion and the teacher: reflection and evaluation
7.3.1 Introduction
7.3.2 Inclusion and the teacher: personal learning and behavioural modification and change
7.4 conclusions
Chapter 8: The meaning of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of College leaders and managers
8.1 Introduction
8.1.1 Inclusion and achievement: the LSC and OFSTED
8.1.2 Inclusion and achievement: teaching and learning
8.1.3 Inclusion and achievement: curricular programmes, completion and progression
8.2 Inclusion and policy outcomes: evaluation and reflection
8.2.1 Introduction
8.2.2 Inclusion and policy outcomes: state control and strategic rethink
8.2.3 Inclusion and state control: manipulating access to curricular programmes
8.3 Inclusion and the corporation: evaluation and reflection
8.3.1 Introduction
8.3.2 Inclusion and the Corporation: mass inclusion and diversity
8.3.3 Inclusion and the Corporation: ethnic antipathy and separation
8.4 Conclusions
Chapter 9: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: conclusions and implications
9.1 Introduction
9.1.1 Adult learners: the curriculum and primary educational goals
9.1.2 Adult learners: the curriculum, primary educational goals and primary educational factors
9.1.3 Adult learners: the curriculum, primary educational goals and secondary educational factors
9.1.4 Adult learners: the curriculum, primary educational goals and circumstantial factors
9.2 The practice of inclusion: the teacher and ethical dilemmas
9.2.1 The practice of inclusion: ethics in finance
9.2.2 The practice of inclusion: ethics in production and marketing
9.2.3 The practice of inclusion: ethics in human resource management
9.3 The practice of inclusion: College Management
9.4 Inclusion and society
9.4.1 Inclusion and society: cultural integration, multiculturalism or disengagement?
9.4.2 Inclusion and society: language and learning
9.4.3 Inclusion and society: race or racism?
9.5 Inclusion and policy-making: human capital, ‘the needs of the nation’ and the demand for new curricular order
9.6 Implications
9.6.1 Implications for colleges: the teacher, teaching and the educational experience of adults
9.6.2 Implications for colleges: a system to monitor recruitment and the allocation of adults to curricular programme areas
9.6.3 Implications for policy: Learning Communities and Co-operatives
9.6.4 Implications for policy: suggested policy solution: the funding of the Learning Communities and Co-operatives
9.7 Implications for further research: a paradigm shift?
9.7.1 Implications for further research: Policy Ethics
9.7.2 Implications for further research: Ethics of Policy
9.7.3 Implications for further research: alternative approaches to inclusion in cross-cultural contexts
Research Goals and Themes
The primary research goal of this thesis is to explore and document the meanings of inclusion within the post-compulsory education system from the perspectives of adult learners and teachers. The central research question seeks to understand what inclusion means to these individuals and what factors influence those meanings, particularly within the cross-cultural contexts of Further Education colleges in the London Area.
- The contested nature of inclusive policy definitions.
- The impact of institutional management and funding regimes (LSC/OFSTED) on teaching practices.
- The influence of cultural factors such as ethnicity, family, and religion on educational decisions.
- The role of the teacher in mediating between state-led inclusive policy and individual learner needs.
- The concept of "emancipatory curricular" as a response to institutional barriers.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1.2 The research problem and hypothesis
The research problem is what does inclusion mean to adult learners and to teachers of adult learners? Does inclusion have a single or many meanings? If inclusion has a single meaning, who defines what that single meaning is or should be? If inclusion has many meanings, who defines what those many meanings are and how many different meanings are there?
There have been a number of theoretical perspectives about the meanings of inclusion. I will discuss an overview of these theoretical perspectives in chapter 2. The aim here is that I simply want to highlight some of these theories and point out some of their inherent weaknesses. Among the theoretical perspectives about the meanings of inclusion the following have been foremost:
a) The Neo - Marxist writers on ‘Reproduction’. According to these writers inclusive policy is a covert attempt by the State to use education to ‘reproduce’ certain characteristics for the labour market. Some of the proponents of the reproductive thesis are Althusser (1971: 5 -6); Bowles (1971: 27 -31) and the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) (1981: 51 – 54).
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Outlines the research focus on inclusion in post-compulsory education, defining the scope, research problem, and the hypothesis that the meanings of inclusion are contested by adult learners.
Chapter 2: Review of the literature: Provides an overview of four theoretical models (Neo-Marxist, Humanist, Eugenic, and Neoconservative) regarding inclusion and highlights their limitations.
Chapter 3 Methodology: Describes the multi-disciplinary methodological approach, including systems theory and ethnographic interviews used to gather data from three London Further Education colleges.
Chapter 4: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the state and the evolution of inclusive policy in post-compulsory education 1945 – 2007: Analyzes the history of inclusive policy and how the state has historically framed inclusion to meet industrial and economic requirements.
Chapter 5: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of adult learners – an ethnographic analysis: Presents the qualitative findings on how adult learners define inclusion through their personal journeys and classroom interactions.
Chapter 6: The meaning of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of adult learners – a quantitative analysis: Details the statistical results from questionnaires regarding the learners' understanding of inclusive factors.
Chapter 7: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the teacher’s experience: Explores how teachers interpret inclusion, focusing on their professional identity, ethical dilemmas, and autonomy.
Chapter 8: The meaning of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: the experiences of College leaders and managers: Examines how college leaders implement state policies and the tension between institutional targets and educational delivery.
Chapter 9: The meanings of inclusion in cross-cultural contexts: conclusions and implications: Synthesizes the findings and proposes a paradigm shift toward "emancipatory curricular" and the funding of Learning Communities.
Keywords
Inclusion, Post-compulsory education, Further Education, Adult learners, Ethnographic analysis, Curricular programmes, Educational policy, Social exclusion, Labour market, Ethnic identity, Professional autonomy, Educational needs, Emancipatory curricular, Learning Communities, Human capital.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The research fundamentally concerns the meanings of inclusion within the post-compulsory education policy subsystem in the London area, specifically exploring how these meanings are experienced and contested by learners and teachers.
What are the central thematic fields?
The central themes include the impact of state-driven policy (LSC/OFSTED), the disconnect between official institutional objectives and the individual primary educational goals of adult learners, and the role of cultural factors in shaping educational journeys.
What is the primary research question?
The primary question asks, "what does inclusion mean to you?" when addressed to adult learners, teachers, and college managers, aiming to uncover if the concept is experienced as a singular, state-defined entity or as a contested, diverse set of meanings.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research employs a triangulation method including ethnographic interviews, quantitative questionnaires, and an ethnographic-historical analysis of policy documents, treating the education system as a holistic, open, and integrated total system.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical models of inclusion, the historical evolution of inclusive policy from 1945 to 2010, the ethnographic and quantitative perspectives of learners, the professional experiences of teachers, and the strategic perspectives of college management.
How would you characterize this work through keywords?
The work is characterized by its focus on inclusion, post-compulsory education, adult learners, the impact of state policy, human capital, and the development of "emancipatory curricular" to address the identified failures of current inclusive policies.
How does the author define the "HOOD" principle?
The HOOD principles represent Honesty, Order, Obedience, and Diligence. These are defined as four cardinal behavioral principles for teachers and learners that must be met to ensure that inclusion in the classroom becomes meaningful and supportive of learning.
What does the thesis suggest regarding the role of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)?
The thesis argues that the LSC's funding mechanisms, based on Guided Learning Hours (GLH) and rigid targets, have often led to the "manipulation" of student enrollment and the exclusion of learners from their preferred courses, ultimately prioritizing organizational finance over individual educational needs.
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- John Igbino (Autor:in), 2010, The meanings of Inclusion in cross-cultural contexts , München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/191654
