Prof Prac Research Assessments -Annotated Bibliography
Trani, J. F., & Loeb, M. (2012). Poverty and disability: A vicious circle? Evidence from Afghanistan and Zambia. Journal of International Development, 24(4): 19–52.
The duo analyses the relationship between disability and poverty, specifically trying to establish the robustness of the relationship. The research analyses data collected from household surveys conducted in Zambia and Afghanistan. An exploratory analysis was used to establish the relationship between the two concepts. Logistic regression was also used to determine the relationship between disability and poverty. The interdependency between disability and poverty is evaluated from different angles, and not just from an income perspective. The results indicate that that poverty is closely linked to lack of education opportunities, lower access to health facilities, and substantial unequal opportunities in the job market segment. The research focuses on multiple dimensions of poverty including non-monetary aspects such as well-being of the disabled. The specific aspects considered include life expectancy, health aspects, basic education, shelter, and infant mortality. The duo identifies existing knowledge gaps in previous researches that mainly focused on income as the most important dimension in assessing disability and poverty. This research suffered a limitation in the use of collective asset index as measure of socioeconomic status of individuals. Use of collective asset index as a measure of wealth is considered unreliable since the value of assets does not necessarily relate to a higher socioeconomic status.
Borg, J., Bergman, A. K., & Ostergren, P. O. (2013). Is ‘legal empowerment of the poor’ relevant to people with disabilities in developing countries? An empirical and normative review. Global Health Action, 6(10): 1-33.
This research evaluates the importance of legal empowerment to the disabled in developing countries. The research analyses whether legal bodies created to improve the welfare of the disabled have succeeded in their mandate. Welfare of the disabled is evaluated in terms of business rights, access to justice, property ownership, and labor. The aim of this research was to evaluate the relevance of particular legal bodies in assisting the disabled in low income countries. The research also looks at the relevance of international conventions in addressing the rights of the disabled. An empirical analysis of existing literature was conducted to answer the research questions. Checklist assessment was also conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in empowering the disabled. The empirical analysis of available literature utilized over fourteen relevant articles relating to the subject. The limitation experienced in this research concerns the scope of the databases used in the research. The search terms used could also be a limiting factor in the research. The research concludes that majority of the used by the legal bodies are effective in improving the status of the disabled. This research is of great relevance to my topic since it looks at the effectiveness of some of the ways of improving the welfare of the disabled.
Ferguson, D. L. (2008). International trends in inclusive education: the continuing challenge to teach each one and everyone. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 23(2): 109-120. DOI: 10.1080/08856250801946236
Ferguson (2008) analyses the challenges that arise in trying to provide an inclusive education to students with disabilities. The advancement of modern technology, changes in the political arena, and evolution of the global economy are some of the factors that combine to render irrelevant skills and areas of knowledge currently being taught. The paper aims at analyzing efforts that can be made to ensure that students with special education needs receive inclusive education that reflects the current market demands. A meta-analysis of available literature was conducted to assess the efforts that have the potential to improve inclusivity in the education sector. The research focuses on the United States and Europe, analyzing available literature to establish the factors. This research will be useful since it will help in explaining the research question on social exclusion. The limitation is that the study mainly relies on existing literature and does not perform any empirical analysis to ascertain the relevance and accuracy of the literature. The research concludes that inclusion of disabled students in mainstream classrooms is more beneficial to the students. This research will be effective in analyzing the impacts of social exclusion among the disabled.
Related paper: The Theoretical Concepts of Privilege and Oppression
Wang, H. L. (2009). Should all students with special educational needs (SEN) be included in mainstream education provision? – A critical analysis. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 2(4): 231-246.
This paper looks at the possible consequences and the rationale behind including students with disability in mainstream education. The research adds weight to existing literature on inclusion of disabled in mainstream education. This focus of the paper is similar to the research by Ferguson (2008). The paper aims at establishing whether there is need to adapt inclusion strategies for children with special needs. The paper takes a critical analysis approach in evaluating the various issues relating to disability and inclusion. A literature analysis also helps put some of the issues in perspective. The research looks at issues concerning disability and inclusion from a wide perspective, covering the issue with regard to developed and developing nations. This paper will help in analyzing effective ways of achieving inclusivity targeting disabled children. The accuracy of this study is limited to the results of the literature reviews conducted. The study concurs with Ferguson (2008) that inclusion to mainstream education is important to the disabled. However, the study notes that adequate resources must be set aside for inclusion to succeed.
Lindsay, S., Proulx, M., Thomson, N., & Scott, H. (2013). Educators’ challenges of including children with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream classrooms. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 60(4): 3-49.
The authors examine the challenges faced by educators in trying to accommodate children with autism spectrum disorder in the mainstream classrooms. The authors establish a number of challenges that educators face which include lack of a conducive environment, socio-cultural challenges, and inadequate knowledge among educators. The authors employ a qualitative design strategy in investigating the various challenges faced by educators. A sample of 13 educators was used to conduct the study. These were required to have over three years teaching experience. Twelve of the teachers interviewed had obtained additional special education qualifications. This study helps include the views of various educators involved in special needs education. The research helps in putting educator’s views in the limelight. The limitations of this study relates to the small sample size. As such, the results of the study may not be generalizable to a larger population. The authors conclude that provide support to educators can help eliminate most of the identified challenges. This paper will helps to illuminate some of the measures that can be implemented to achieve social inclusion among the disabled.
Lamport, M. A., Graves, L., & Ward, A. (2012). Special needs students in inclusive classrooms: The impact of social interaction on educational outcomes for learners with emotional and behavioral disabilities. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 1(5): 54-69.
This paper evaluates the positive outcomes that can be obtained through encouraging students with behavioral and emotional disabilities to engage in interactive social activities such as playing. The authors outline the drawbacks that students with disabilities may face as a result of inclusion into the mainstream education. This research aims at outlining a suitable model of education for learners with disabilities. By conducting a meta-analysis of recent studies on the subject, the authors are able to establish the various strongpoints on either side of the debate. This research is useful since it comprises of an extensive literature review that explores the challenges as well as benefits of inclusion. The major limitation of this study is that it is based on analysis of existing literature and may be inaccurate to some extent. This research is linked closely to my topic of interest. This is because it attempts to identify the benefits and drawbacks that may be experienced as a result of inclusion. This is a core part of my research question.
Dessemontet, R.S., Bless, G. & Morin, D. (2012). Effects of inclusion on the academic achievement and adaptive behavior of children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 56 (6), 579–587.
The authors conducted a study comparing the likely outcomes of children suffering from intellectual disabilities and placed in special schools to those having similar challenges but who had the opportunity to interact and experience mainstream education. The aim of the research was to acquire more knowledge regarding the impacts of inclusive practices among children with intellectual disabilities. The research methodology adapted was a comparative study of 34 children suffering from intellectual disability and a control group made up of 34 children. Observations and comparisons for the two groups were conducted over a period of two school years. This study is useful since it will shed light on the impact of inclusion among children with disabilities. The limitation of this study was the small sample size used. Thus, it may not be possible to generalize the results across a larger population. The study concludes that social inclusion has significant benefits among the intellectually disabled in certain areas. This study is of great importance to my research since it gives experimental results about inclusion in disabled children. The results of the study will greatly impact the direction and results of my research.
Lerner, R. M., & Lamb, M. E. (2015). Handbook of child psychology and developmental science. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The authors of this book investigate issues related to child psychology and developmental science. The book analyses the various interventions available for children suffering from a number of disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and among other form of disabilities. The book explores the concept of discrimination by looking at the negative impacts and possible solutions to the problem. The aim of the book is to provide clarity and authoritative information relating to discrimination and social exclusion. The book uses a variety of methods that guide research. Cross sectional research is widely employed in covering a variety of topics. Cross-sectional designs and including data analysis methods such as R-technique analysis are also used in the research. The book relates theory to practice by linking various developmental theories to actual observations and experimental results. This book will serve as a useful guide on the impacts of discrimination and prejudice among children. The book utilizes mixed approaches in tackling the issues outlined. The limitations of the various approaches used thus impact the conclusions reached. This book will be of great importance since it outlines the theoretical concepts relating to inclusion and discrimination.
Rimmerman, A. (2013). Social inclusion of people with disabilities: national and international perspectives. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
This books reviews the various aspects related to social inclusion such as social integration, social participation, and social cohesion in relation to children with disabilities. The book also explores the concepts of derivation, poverty and marginalization of persons with disabilities. The aim of the book is to review the historical roots relating to the concept of disability, and to provide a legal perspective of social inclusion. The book also aims to provide readers with strategies for improving social inclusion among people with disabilities. This book is a literature analysis of the concepts of social inclusion, disability, and marginalization. The book also utilizes empirical analysis to review policies and legislative issues relating to the topic. The scope includes an analysis of issues at the domestic as well as global levels. It also includes a historical concept about social inclusion of persons with disabilities. This book contains general explanations relating to disability and social inclusion concepts. The book will thus be useful in analyzing key concepts and terms related to the topic. No limitations were observed on the information presented. The book shows the interrelationships between the concept of social inclusion and social capital, concluding that the two are closely connected.
Barron, T., & Ncube J.M. (2010). Poverty and Disability. London: Leonard Cheshire Disability.
Barron & Ncube (2010) examines the link among disability, health and poverty. The duo assert that the link among the three are more intricate than previously thought. The duo analyses available literature in peer-reviewed journal articles that specifically investigate the link among the three. Their research also identifies existing knowledge gaps and provide future guidance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relatedness among disability, poverty, and health concepts. The study examines available literature on the subject by conducting a search of peer reviewed articles relating to the subject. Since the study is based on the analysis of the available literature, a total of 293 papers were analysed. This research is useful since it will help in identifying the link among disability, poverty, and health. The limitation of this study is based on the fact that it relied mainly on descriptive studies. The study finds weak relationship among the three concepts. This study links with my topic of interest since it shows the nature of interrelatedness among the three concepts.
Simplican, S. C., Leader, G., Kosciulek, J., & Leahy, M. (2015). Defining social inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: an ecological model of social networks and community participation. Research in Development Disabilities, 38(3): 18-29.
The authors develop an ecological model that examines social inclusion from a multifaceted dimension. The authors look at the role of community, individuals, socio-political factors, organizational factors, and interpersonal factors in enhancing inclusion among persons with disabilities. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of social inclusion among persons living with a wider spectrum of disability. The authors conduct a review of available literature relating to social inclusion among persons living with disabilities. The authors examine issues related to diversity from a personal angle of view. This research will mainly be useful helping to identify how various elements such as community and individual variables impact interpersonal relationships. The research helps readers understand social inclusion from an ecological model’s perspective. The limitations of this research is its dependence on descriptive studies. The authors note that the ecological model is extremely useful in linking together the various factors that influence social inclusion. This research is useful since it helps in building a working model related to social inclusion.
Related paper: Social Exclusion and Marginalization among the Disabled
