2023

Foundations of Inclusive Education

Name: Foundations of Inclusive Education
Code: PED14054M
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area: Education Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English, French
Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

We all say that we want to build a just and democratic society . There is also the idea that the school has a central role in this construction. But, why should inclusion be preferred to identity, equality to freedom? It is looking for answers to these questions that this UC addresses

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

- Understand education as an intentional human action that aims to build a certain ideal of humanity and society.
- To know the main currents of thought that, over time and in different geographies, have been establishing these ideals.
- be able to handle the conceptual framework within which inclusive education is theorized.
- Understand the dilemmatic nature of many of the options that are made in inclusive education
- To know the political and ideological frameworks that, on a global scale, mark the debate about this ideas and the effort to promote inclusive education.
- To be capable of a critical and committed analysis of the concrete policies and programs that, in Portugal, try to promote inclusive education
- Know the main agendas of disability studies.

Contents

1. Education as a symbolic construction of the human.
2. Education and worldviews.
3. All different, all the same: education and difference.
4. The scope of inclusive education
5. The dilemmas of inclusion:
5.1. identity or inclusion?
5.2. freedom or equality?
5.3. expression or empowerment?
5.4. education or training?
6. Political inclusion agendas: perspectives and prospects
6.1 International agencies: UNESCO, OECD, EU
6.2 Portugal
7. The emergence of disability studies: an unsettling look at ourselves and others

Teaching Methods

The UC starts with a set of expository sessions to define concepts and general framework for the theme. Of course, expository does not at all imply being closed to dialogue and discussion.
Master's students will organize themselves in groups of two. Each group will carry out and present, in a session reserved for the purpose, a small research on one of the themes listed by the teacher (or another one that arouses their interest since accepted by the teacher)
The remaining sessions, including those of final synthesis and conclusion, will follow the seminar methodology. The teacher will naturally be responsible for moderating the debates and proposing possible syntheses

Evaluation
Continuous assessment:
1. presentation of a group theme 50%
2. Elaboration of a “field notebook” for reading notes and daily reflections. It will include extended summaries of the sessions 50%
Final evaluation regime: Written exam (100%)

Teaching Staff