Inclusive Education Strategies: Textbook published as a result of cooperation between ASPU and the University of Minnesota
21.04.2020
Inclusive Education Strategies: Textbook published as a result of cooperation between ASPU and the University of Minnesota

A textbook entitled "Inclusive Education Strategies" has been published recently as a result of cooperation between Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) and the University of Minnesota.

This publication has been made possible with support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world's leading organization working for the rights of children. UNICEF’s role in the implementation of the project is really invaluable.
Having a great deal of expertise in the field, the lecturers of the ASPU Faculty of Special and Inclusive Education and the US University have worked for two years to create the book.

The authors believe that in today’s changing society, the demand for appropriate investments in the field of inclusive education, strategy and standards has increased more. There are many problematic issues and challenges related to the development of social and educational skills of children with special educational needs, teacher education and training, adjustment of social and physical environment of schools, as well as parents' expectations, approaches, and perceptions.
The textbook contains 15 chapters with tools and methodologies that will help a teacher in a diverse classroom to create an inclusive, learner-friendly environment.

Every chapter of the book refers to the issues that children with disabilities, general education teachers, multidisciplinary team members as well as school principals and parents face every day. The reader will have an opportunity to develop an understanding of how the American education system moved from exclusion of children with disabilities to their integration in the regular system, and finally to more inclusive practices. The authors also present the Armenian approaches and strategies for making the education system inclusive in the face of remaining challenges ahead. Through comparative analysis, the textbook offers a wide spectrum of tools, methodologies, and practical evidence-based strategies that have been tested, evaluated, and demonstrated to be effective for all children, including children with disabilities, developmental delays, and other special education needs.

The textbook is designed to be used by university faculty and lectures, pre-service and in-service teachers, education specialists as well as policy makers who are working to provide, manage, or support education services. The textbook will be useful for members of multidisciplinary teams providing psycho-pedagogical support, as well as for specialists responsible for involving children in the educational process.

“Despite its high demand, there is no systemic approach or special programme in Armenia aimed at preparing teachers to work in inclusive classrooms,” said Marianna Harutyunyan, Candidate of Pedagogical Science and the editor of the textbook.

She assured us that the textbook ("Inclusive Education Strategies”) has an invaluable value as an exclusive and first publication of the facts presented to Armenian readers.

“It is our greatest wish to get the most appropriate and effective support for children with special educational needs through joint efforts,” said Mr. Melik-Bakhshyan, ASPU Vice-Rector for Education Process Planning and Organization.

He is hopeful that a significant part of Armenian readers of the textbook will continue to advocate for inclusive education.

It should be noted that the textbook is also available in Armenia on the website of the University of Minnesota as an important achievement of the cooperation.

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