A NUMBER OF MEASURES FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MANAGEMENT FOR EXPERIMENTAL PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Tran Thi Kim Yen (Faculty of Educational Sciences, VNU University of Education) Abstract Managing inclusive education in primary schools is one of the duties of administrators to create equal opportunities in learning and development for all students in the school In order to have a practical basis for proposing measures, this article has studied the current situation[.]
Trang 1FOR EXPERIMENTAL PRIMARY SCHOOL
IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Tran Thi Kim Yen
(Faculty of Educational Sciences, VNU University of Education)
Abstract: Managing inclusive education in primary schools is one of the duties of administrators to create
equal opportunities in learning and development for all students in the school In order to have a practical basis for proposing measures, this article has studied the current situation of inclusive education management
at Experimental primary school in the current context by means of methods in-depth interview with the Vice Principal of Experimental Primary School in charge of the school’s educational work On the basis of analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges for inclusive education activities at schools, the author proposes measures to improve the quality of inclusive education management for student’s school.
Keywords: Inclusive education management, Inclusive education, Digital transformation, Experimental
primary school.
1 INTRODUCTION
Inclusive education is a common trend of most countries in the world Inclusive education has also been identified by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training as the main direction to ensure equality and equity in the education of children with special circumstances, especially the right
to education Inclusive education is also an opportunity for all children to have equal access to quality education Thus, inclusive education is an indispensable thing, a trend, and a task of education worldwide
in general and in Vietnam in particular
However, the current situation of inclusive education and inclusive education management in educational institutions is still limited Most of the teachers and school administrators are not fully aware
of their roles and responsibilities in inclusive education The facilities for inclusive education activities are poor in quality and limited in quantity and type, and there are no specific teaching equipment and supplies for each type of integrated students Teachers have not received intensive training in inclusive education So, how do students learn to integrate well in schools, especially primary schools, this is an issue that the whole society needs to pay attention to and needs to be managed systematically
In the past few years, the concept of digital transformation has been mentioned a lot in fields such as: Economy, services, business, For education in general, only during the COVID-19 pandemic, outbreak on a global scale, when students cannot go to school, digital transformation is really a process, the result of which can be a whole new face of education, with methods, new ways, methods, techniques, tools and means
Trang 2Stemming from the above reasons, the author chooses to study the problem “A number of measures for inclusive education management for Experimental primary school in the context of digital transformation” to find out measures to improve the effectiveness of the management of inclusive education in Experimental Primary Schools in the context of digital transformation
2 CONTENT
2.1 Concept of inclusive education management
* Concept of inclusive education
According to Tony Booth and Mel Ainscow, inclusion in education includes: (1) Respect for all students and teachers and staff in the school; (2) Increase student participation in activities while gradually reducing the risk of being separated from local regulations, policies, programs and community groups in schools; (3) Restructure the regulations, policies and the implementation of those regulations and policies in the school so that they can meet the diversity of students in the locality; (4) Gradually remove impediments to the learning and functioning of all students, not only those with disabilities but also those identified as “special needs”; (5) Learning from efforts to overcome obstacles that limit access and participation of some students in order to create changes for the benefit of all students as a whole; (6) View students’ differences as a source of support for learning, not as a problem to be overcome; (7) State clearly the student’s right to study in the locality; (8) Improving schools for teachers, school officials as well as for students; (9) Emphasize the school’s role in building community and developing appreciation for students and enhancing student achievement; (10) Strengthening the sustainable reciprocal relationship between the school and the community; (11) Recognizing that inclusion in education is one aspect of the process of integration in society [10, p.3,4]
According to UNESCO: Inclusive education is a process of comprehensive transformation of the education system by identifying and responding to the diverse needs of all students, regardless of social, economic, cultural, linguistic, physical, or other physical factors [11, p.4]
Author Nguyen Xuan Hai believes: “Inclusive education is the education of all children in the normal classroom of a high school Inclusive education is to support all children, including children with special circumstances, to have an equal opportunity to receive educational services with the necessary supports in the classroom, appropriate at the school in which they are located children live, in order to prepare them to become full members of society” [1, p.20]
In the author’s opinion, the concept of inclusive education is understood as: “Inclusive education
is an educational method that meets individual educational needs for all children with integration needs
in the home of an educational institution In the process of inclusive education, children are interested
in basic characteristics such as religion, ethnicity, physical and psychological condition, economic condition, social background, living situation and learning conditions.”
* Concept of education management
The author uses the concept of educational management at the micro level (school management)
by Tran Kiem as follows: “Educational management (at the micro level) is understood as a system of voluntary (conscious, purposeful, planned, systematic and regular) effects of the managing subject on the educational collective staff, students, parents and social forces inside and outside the school in order to effectively and qualitatively implement the educational goals of the school.” [12, p.12]
Trang 3* Concept of inclusive education management
From the concept of inclusive education and educational management analyzed above, the author
proposes the concept of inclusive education management as follows: “Inclusive education management
is the impact, organization and the planned orientation of the management subject towards the managed object based on the objective requirements of legal theory and practice on inclusive education, the management relationship in order to achieve the goal of educational management education on inclusive education and optimizing the available resources of the school”
2.2 Contents of inclusive education management
2.2.1 Managing records and activities to mobilize children to school
After studying student records, the school needs to manage the records to capture the basic and necessary information about each student to understand the needs of the child Records include: health care logbook, assignments, tests, transcripts, birth certificates, certificates of completion of schooling, diplomas, academic certificates, apprenticeships and other documents other However, in practice, there are children with special circumstances to a certain extent who need an individual education plan, a sheet to monitor the results of the implementation of the individual plan, and a transition plan In parallel with the management of records, schools need to take measures to mobilize children with special circumstances to go to school In order to do this well, the school must work closely with the parents
of the students, mobilizing them to accept their children to go to school; and at the same time persuade children with special circumstances to agree to go to class The school needs to closely understand the family’s situation and the special needs of the child in order to have appropriate mobilization measures [1]
2.2.2 Managing team and mass organization in the school
In order to support and create favorable conditions for children to learn and develop, besides teachers, schools need to build mass organizations in the school such as: Red Cross, Board of Parents Student, Youth Union, Youth Team These organizations have the task of working closely with teachers
in educating students, specifically as follows: The Red Cross supports health services; The Parents’ Representative Board, Youth Union, and Youth Team cooperate with teachers to organize educational activities outside of class time for the comprehensive development of children Mass organizations are under the direct management of the principal, operate according to specific plans and have a close relationship with each other [1]
2.2.3 Managing learning activities and inclusive education
Management of inclusive education and learning activities includes three main contents: The school needs to manage the implementation of goals, contents, educational programs and inclusive teaching Implement the school’s general inclusive education goals and specific educational goals for children with special circumstances, thereby adjusting the educational program content to suit the cognitive level and needs of the students children with special circumstances according to four adjustment methods; The school organizes teaching and learning activities outside of class time; Tailor lesson plans to children with special educational needs The essence of inclusive education is: Education for all students This is the thought, the first element embody the essence of inclusive education In inclusive education there is
no separation differences between students Every student is respected and valued as much as together Study at the school where you live All students are entitled to one general education program This just shows equality in education while showing respect for every student’s right to an education sex equally Adjusting the program, renewing teaching methods and perspectives, assessment way This
Trang 4is the core issue for inclusive education to be most effective Program adjustment is an inevitable part
of inclusive and adjusted education Appropriate programs will meet all children’s needs and abilities different Inclusive education does not equate all children equally Every child is an individual, a personality with different abilities, different learning styles, learning speeds not the same Therefore,
it is necessary to adjust the program accordingly Teach creatively, actively and collaboratively That
is the goal of teaching integrate In inclusive teaching, it is possible to create for children general and general knowledge, symmetrical To do so, the teaching method must be effective and meet the needs of the students different needs of students To teach effectively, the lesson plan must be specific possible, according to the cooperative learning method Must know how to choose a method and use it at the right time: batch method, multi-level method, duplicate method lesson plans, alternative methods, individual methods [1]; [2]; [3]; [4]
2.2.4 Managing facilities and build a friendly educational environment
In order to ensure that the facilities in the school effectively serve the work of inclusive education, the facilities must be designed in a safe, hygienic and convenient way for people with disabilities to live at the school; Schools have their own equipment for inclusive education In addition, schools need
to encourage collectives and individuals to make toys, learning tools, and educational equipment for inclusive education The physical environment in the classroom and outside the classroom needs to meet the following requirements: Appropriate seating position, learning facilities, adequate lighting, airy atmosphere, distance, appropriate tables and chairs, scenery, paths, amusement park, collective activity area, protective fence, toilet, clean water, electricity system, On the other hand, the psychological environment is mainly social relationships such as: Learning Students with students, teachers and parents, parents and parents, teachers and students, and teachers together also need to be taken care of by the school To meet the above requirements, the school needs to effectively use the supported funding; regularly maintain and upgrade available tools and equipment; well implement the socialization of education; strengthen the relationship between school and home [1]
2.2.5 Managing family and community coordination
In order for inclusive education to be effective, schools need to regularly keep in touch with families, relevant agencies, organizations and mass organizations to promptly handle regular and unexpected information related to students; coordinate in organizing cultural, sport and healthy activities in the school and in the locality In addition, it is necessary to carefully study and receive opinions from families, agencies, and mass organizations involved in the nurturing, care and education of children, pupils and students [1]
2.3 Situation of inclusive education management at Experimental Primary School - Ba Dinh District - Hanoi City in the context of digital transformation
2.3.1 Characteristics of digital transformation context
Digital transformation (DT) is the application of innovation and rapidity of technology to solve problems This concept was born in the era of Internet boom, describes activities that innovate strongly and comprehensively in the way the whole enterprise/training institution operates, in all aspects such
as providing production, collaboration, customer relationships, or even creating new businesses with a completely new way of doing things Digital transformation affects not only organizations or businesses, but also other target groups around such as customers, partners, human resources, distribution channels,
Trang 52.3.2 Experimental Primary School
Stemming from the experimental research needs of the Center for Educational Technology (CGD), after more than 30 years of development, from the initial difficulties, the Experimental Junior High School has now become a model education “New school with optimal development of modern Vietnamese children”
In 1978, Experimental Junior High School (including Experimental Primary School, Experimental Middle School) was established under Decision No 360/VP – UB of the People’s Committee of Ba Dinh District according to the written request No 2237/VP - BGD of the Ministry of Education and Training Orientation of the school: Building a friendly learning environment, creating conditions for all teachers and students to be active, creative and proactive in teaching and learning All activities in the school are aimed at developing the capacity of the participants
On September 19, 2018 on the basis of merging three Experimental Primary Schools, Experimental Middle School and Experimental High School, Elementary School, Middle School and High School Experimental Science Education Education under the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, was established The school is a public education and training institution in the national education system and
in the system of high schools of Hanoi City The school teaches according to the educational program
of the Ministry of Education and Training, while experimenting with advanced teaching models and methods, and experimenting with scientific researches of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences The school’s educational plan is quite open and diverse, with many options suitable for different types
of students The school aims to be a highly responsive inter-school model, gradually integrating with the world’s advanced education [7]
2.3.3 Results of interviews with administrators of Experimental Primary School about the current situation of inclusive education management of the school
2.3.3.1 Results of interviews with administrators of Experimental Primary School
To collect information on the management of inclusive education of Experimental Primary School, the author interviewed in-depth school administrators including: Principal and Vice-Principal of the school and obtained the following results:
Regarding the management of data and records and the work of mobilizing children to school: Due
to the small number of children with special circumstances at the school, the management of the records of children with special circumstances is assigned directly to the school Technology teachers of classes with students with special needs and teachers are responsible for reporting periodically to the administration or when necessary From the school year 2013 - 2014 and earlier, the school collects records of students with special needs through parents and teachers of children with special needs However, from the 2014-2015 school year up to now, because the enrollment is done by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences and the School belongs to the Institute, the School accepts students and student records are sent directly
by the Institute
Regarding team management and mass organizations in the school: The school does not set up specialized groups and groups on inclusive education, however, in the meetings of the professional groups, activities are held every first Monday During the week, teachers also shared with each other about teaching, educating and managing children with special needs The school also sends staff and
Trang 6teachers to attend classes to improve their knowledge in the implementation of inclusive education The teachers and staff in the school responsible for educating children with special needs are required to regularly update the student’s situation every 3 months to the Vice Principal in charge of education of the school
Regarding the management of learning activities and inclusive education: Teachers often adjust the teaching content in a multi-level and simultaneous method For example: During Vietnamese class, foreign students often find it difficult to read and spell, so teachers and classroom assistants will set lower requirements than students who do not have needs Especially, In foreign language class, teachers will set higher requirements for those students During the practical or experimental lessons, the teachers and classroom assistants implement the method simultaneously Managing learning activities and inclusive education is a content that is highly appreciated by administrators for its importance The school sets requirements for teachers and staff to carry out the work of inclusive education to self-implement a part of the management process, including the following steps: (1) Planning teaching and inclusive education; (2) Organizing teaching and inclusive education; (3) Self-examination and assessment of teaching results and inclusive education for students
The measures that the school administrators have taken to effectively teach career-oriented education are:
- Organize gifted classes so that students with special needs can exchange, learn and practice their language skills such as: singing, story-telling, “child editor”,
- In the process of recruiting teaching assistants for regular classes, priority will be given to candidates with good foreign language communication skills For classes in which students have special needs, the school assigns appropriate teaching assistants to each class, especially those with students with special needs
Regarding the management of facilities and building a friendly educational environment: Currently, the school’s facilities have partly met the needs of children with special circumstances Not enough for children with disabilities Regarding the psychological environment, the school always tries to build a positive environment by: every month, the school launches the emulation movement “Flowers with 10 points” to reward and commend students with the most 10 points every week and every month This measure aims to stimulate and encourage students to be more active in the learning process
Regarding the management of family and community coordination: The school often updates the student’s situation with the student’s parents through the electronic contact book, from which the family grasps the situation and actively coordinates with the student’s parents, schools in the education and management of students with special needs Most students’ parents are very active in coordinating and responding to information with the school, so it is relatively convenient to teach, educate and manage students with special needs in the school easily
2.3.3.2 Assessing the situation using the SWOT method
Trang 7- The school has a team of highly qualified
teachers who actively innovate methods and
are dedicated to the profession.
- The school has the special support of
researchers who are professors and doctors of
the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences.
- School administrators have a sense of
self-improvement in management skills and
professional competence.
WEAKNESSES
- Facilities for education are not really adequate, suitable for some students to learn to integrate.
- The management of data and records of integrated students
is still slow and untimely.
- The school does not have a team of dedicated teachers to carry out inclusive education activities.
- The school has not applied the achievements of science and technology in the management of inclusive education.
- The perception of a part of inclusive teachers is not really correct about the role and meaning of inclusive education.
OPPORTUNITIES
- The Party and State have many policies with the
desire to develop inclusive education.
- The school’s educational improvement
proposals often receive the approval of
students’ parents.
- Students’ parents care about their children.
THREATS
- Asking for a higher age lies with inclusive education administrators.
- Investment costs for facilities for inclusive education are relatively high.
- Due to the small number of children in need of inclusive education, teachers do not often have the opportunity to experience inclusive education.
2.3.4 Proposing some measures to improve the quality of inclusive education management in Experimental primary schools in the context of digital transformation
2.3.4.1 Principles for taking measures
* Guaranteed practicality
To achieve the goal of more and more students with special needs enrolling at the school, the quality requirements of the school’s Inclusive Education products will increasingly have to be improved and met the needs of society Therefore, inclusive education activities in general and the management
of inclusive education programs in particular need to be realistic, that is, in line with the expectations of parents and students, suitable for the development according to the psychology of the students’ age, at the same time, it also needs to be suitable with the development of society, with the educational status, must be close to the conditions of the team staff and conditions of the educational institution
* Ensure feasibility
The proposed inclusive education management measures need to be based on the actual situation
of the school to be able to implement, that is the factors of the macro environment such as: educational products and services, staff, technical facilities Especially, it must be suitable with the management capacity, the vision of the leaders and the solidarity and efforts of all members in the educational institution, in order to realize the development goals develop training at the specified scale
* Ensure system and synchronization
Inclusive education management is an extremely important task in the pedagogical environment, an integral part of the teaching process and other educational processes Inclusive education management is
Trang 8a system with many elements that have a binding relationship with each other and work together towards
a common goal It influences each other according to a certain rule to all aspects of education
Therefore, when implementing measures, they must affect all aspects of the management system, the educational forces of the process of inclusive education management Each different measure will affect different stages and elements Resolutely not to solve overload but must be unified, closely related
to each other, to form a whole, synchronized with all the school’s inclusive education management
* Ensure inheritance and development
In the current system of primary schools, the educational forces, when implementing measures
to improve efficiency and promote the positivity of vocational education management, must ensure the inheritance, promote pre-existing experience in inclusive education management In particular, it
is necessary to maximize the potential of social forces involved in the process of inclusive education and inclusive education management At the same time, we must inherit the measures that bring high efficiency in the management of inclusive education, which we have found to be of practical significance
On that basis, we can exploit, supplement, reaffirm but not necessarily negate the effect that it brings All towards the goal of building a friendly educational environment, unified education system
2.3.4.2 Proposing some measures to manage inclusive education
In order to improve the effectiveness of inclusive education management at Experimental Primary School in the context of digital transformation, the author proposes a number of measures below:
* Building an information system in data management, records and activities to mobilize children
to school
This is a measure to help school administrators systematically grasp information from basic to detailed information about children with special education needs more effectively in all aspects such as: students’ health, learning situation, etc., thereby assessing the effectiveness of the school’s inclusive education in general and the quality of teachers and staff implementing inclusive education private The school should establish an internal information management system for teachers assigned
to conduct inclusive education and students receiving inclusive education At the time of receiving students for inclusive education, teachers assigned to conduct inclusive education need to update the children’s situation immediately into the school’s information management system and the education teachers This work should be done periodically every month and when there are special considerations
or special support is required in the process of inclusive education The school needs to guide teachers
in declaring information on the management system and should have timely impact and support for teachers and students when necessary
* Application of information technology in managing the coordination between family, school and society in inclusive education
In the context of digital transformation, the application of information technology in managing the coordination between families, schools and society helps the connection between educational forces
to ensure smoothness and continuity Education administrators need to build an online communication system between teachers implementing inclusive education and students’ parents to promptly support students’ families during the time when learning cannot take place direct
Trang 9* Establishing specialized groups and groups on inclusive education
In order to implement inclusive education in Experimental Primary School with specialization and high efficiency, the school’s management board needs to establish specialized groups and groups on inclusive education
Specialized groups and groups on inclusive education should be invested by the school in resources
to develop and create conditions for teachers, staff, and administrators to exchange, share, and learn from each other to improve the quality of inclusive teaching in particular and inclusive education in general
* Organizing awareness raising about the importance of inclusive education management for teachers, officials and employees in the school
In order for the management of inclusive education in the school to be highly effective, the school administrators need to change the perception for officials, employees and teachers in the school because
“Right action must originate from the awareness of it’s correct”
Organize and propagate the views, lines and policies of the Party, State and Sector on inclusive education management so that everyone can properly understand, properly perceive and voluntarily perform the assigned tasks delivered It is necessary to raise more awareness for the teaching staff
so that they can actively foster and improve their professional skills, improve the quality of their own teaching in particular and the quality of education in general, because the teachers are the best teachers
in the world who use their own personality to educate character for students
* Organizing coordination among units and forces responsible for inclusive education in schools
The coordination mechanism is the operation of relationships in the system for the purpose of improving the quality and efficiency of inclusive education management activities in the school The measure is meant to form a legal coordination mechanism, ensuring benefits for stakeholders The forces jointly manage the issue of inclusive education for children with special needs in schools Raise the sense
of responsibility of officials, teachers and employees in implementing inclusive education management
as well as inclusive education Modernize the management of teaching plans and thematic activities of inclusive education, contributing to improving the quality of teaching, education and management
3 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
It can be said that the current management of inclusive education is extremely important so that children with special needs can develop in an appropriate educational environment, without barriers, and no student is left out Therefore, the responsibility of inclusive education administrators is extremely important and is a decisive factor in the success of the policy of “ensure equality and equity in education for children with special circumstances.” difference” in the current period Measures, if implemented fully and systematically, will help the school’s inclusive education work to be highly effective
All proposed measures to manage inclusive education in Experimental primary schools as described above have certain roles, positions and importance in raising awareness, in order to manage inclusive education ensures both quality and quantity to meet the increasing requirements of modern society Each measure has its own position, function and strength, when implemented, each measure will affect each aspect of the management staff in general and the inclusive teaching staff in particular; But
Trang 10the measures are related in a unified whole, in the direction of mutual promotion, as a prerequisite and condition for each other in the process of managing inclusive education in primary schools
Therefore, in the process of managing inclusive education in primary schools, it is necessary to implement measures synchronously, however, based on specific conditions and time, managers of each educational institution consideration and selection should focus on prioritizing the implementation of each measure accordingly to achieve high efficiency when implementing
In the current conditions, it is necessary to focus on implementing measures to optimize the function of information technology in the process of managing inclusive education to meet the increasing requirements of society, minimizing resources force but increase management efficiency
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