Lecture on Inclusive Pedagogy by Professor Lani Florian

Introduction

• Speaker: Rena Asad, Head of School of Education, University
• Lecture by Professor Lani Florian
  • First woman to hold the Bell Chair of Education
  • Known for work on social justice and inclusive education
• Importance of communicating research effectively across diverse audiences
• Plan for lecture: historical and personal journey, inclusive pedagogy

Historical Context

• Bell Chair of Education founded in 1876
  • Funded by Reverend Andrew Bell
  • First professorship in education in any English-speaking country
• Andrew Bell’s contributions: Monitorial system for teacher education
• Evolution of inclusive education from focusing on disabilities to a broader rights-based concept

Professor Lani Florian's Background

• Born in Hawaii, lives in Scotland
• Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange
• Notable works: Editor of the Sage Handbook of Special Education

Key Questions Addressed in Lecture

1. Why do many children struggle to achieve in school?
2. To what extent does focusing on individual differences help in understanding educational outcomes?
3. Are there other ways of thinking about difference and which differences matter?

Research Projects and Contributions

• Effective Inclusive Schools
• Teaching Strategies and Approaches
• Achievement and Inclusion in Schools
• Inclusive Practice Project
  • Aimed at reforming teacher education for awareness of diverse educational needs

Inclusive Pedagogy

• Concept of inclusive pedagogy emerged from various studies
• Challenges in education: Diversity, vulnerability, disparities in educational achievement
• Critique of traditional responses that treat differences as problems
• The need for new approaches to provide educational opportunities to all

Issues with Current Educational Practices

• Historical reliance on ability testing and norm-referenced assumptions
• Disproportionate representation of certain groups in special education
• Problems with targeted interventions and deficit thinking

Inclusive Pedagogical Approach

• Focus on extending what is generally available to all students
• Participation in classroom activities with a focus on task requirements rather than perceived individual difficulties
• Emphasizes differences as opportunities for learning

Conclusion and Implications

• Importance of teacher roles in influencing student achievement
• Shift from bell-curve thinking to an inclusive pedagogical approach
• Need to disrupt normative practices and pathologization of students

Final Remarks

• Acknowledgment of past Bell Chair holders
• Emphasis on the transformative potential of inclusive pedagogy
• Call for continued research and application of inclusive pedagogical methods