O'Meara, Lisa (2019) One size does not fit all: An exploratory inquiry into inclusive practices built on experiences of practitioners in the Further Education and Training Sector: with a specific focus on disability. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.

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Abstract

This study is an exploratory inquiry into Inclusive Practices built on the experiences of practitioners in the Further Education and Training (FET) sector. It is primarily focused on issues that arise when students present with a disability. The rational for the study is to observe the implementation of inclusive education and practices from the perspective of adult educators in Further Education and Training (FET) sector with the aim of making recommendation to the Adult Education Service (AES) where I am employed as a Literacy Tutor. In this study, literature on inclusive education and issues for students with disabilities are reviewed. The study focuses on the challenges to inclusive education for students with disabilities from the perspective of adult educators working in a further education and training colleges, under the remit of Dublin City Education and Training Boards (CDETB). The research is conducted through qualitative research in the form of semi-structured interviews. The responses to the questions lay the foundation for data analysis. Themes have been extracted based on the experiences and opinions of the participants. The research presents key findings which need to be addressed if further education is to be made more accessible to students with disabilities in the future. Issues that were identified include funding, continuous professional development, as well as the challenges that are faced by students with disabilities. For example, being able to complete a programme of study over a two-year period as opposed to having to complete it in one year. The shift in adult education to a neo-liberal approach and the professionalism of FET sector were also raised. The neoliberal agenda has altered the course of the sector towards supporting the requirements of the economy rather than the needs of the learner (Grummell in Murray 2014, p. 127). Adult education no longer has a person-centred approach. FET colleges use an outcome-based approach with a focus on employability. This study demonstrates how an outcome-based focus is affecting programme delivery from the perspective of practitioners in a Post Leaving Certificate college. Deconstructing the socially constructed interpretations of students with disabilities and their ability to participate in courses provided by FET is highlighted.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Additional Information:	Submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the MEd in Adult Community and Education
Keywords:	exploratory inquiry; inclusive practices; experiences; practitioners; Further Education and Training Sector; disability; MEd in Adult Community and Education
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Adult and Community Education
Item ID:	12343
Depositing User:	IR eTheses
Date Deposited:	29 Jan 2020 17:10
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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