Presented by:

1. Developing  the understanding and practice of inclusion in higher education for international students with disabilitiesA Whole Schooling approach Presented by: Briony Supple, Lecturer, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia; PhD student Monash University Dr Joseph Agbenyega, Monash University, Research Supervisor

2. My fellow phd students - absent Lara Fridani - Indonesia MahmudaBanu - Bangladesh Presentations: • Mahmuda (Shaila): today, 10:40 – 11:10 • Lara: today, 1:40 – 2:10

3. Presentation overview • Definitions • The importance of this research • Successful inclusion • Culture and its role in inclusive practices • Research methodology & methods • Findings and discussion – the student perspective • Questions

4. "the individual is the locus of disability” DEFINITIONS1. the medical model of disability “relies on labels: ‘disabled’ and ‘non-disabled’” “encourages the view that disability rights are "special," akin to some form of charity for biological losers” Quotes: Areheart, 2008, p. 185, Image: http://www.ddsg.org.uk/taxi/medical-model.html

5. “society has responsibility to remedy disadvantage” DEFINITIONS2. the social model of disability “medical model facilitates medical solutions to adjust the individual to fit society; the social model focuses on adjusting the social environment to fit individuals” . Quotes: Areheart, 2008, p. 185 Image: http://www.ddsg.org.uk/taxi/social-model.html

6. The medical model Development of the social model 1940’s – 1970’s 1980’s – 1990’s 2000’s and beyond Normalisation: students blamed for their own failures – sent to ‘special’ schools Image: http://www.txddc.state.tx.us/resources/publications/poweradvocacy.asp Labelling of ‘the disabled’ Image: http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/bm/bm09/bm0910/bm091011.htm • Whole schooling • New paradigms • Image: http://www.thearcmd.org/programs/education_advocacy.html Salamanca Statement 1994 Image: http://talkupaps.wordpress.com/category

7. http://education.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/Journal_of_Whole_Schooling/IJWSIndex.htmlhttp://education.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/Journal_of_Whole_Schooling/IJWSIndex.html

8. Space for all use the range of learning styles, disabilities, gifts of students as an opportunity to make changes in the layout of the class and materials Support a professional community of support among teachers is necessary Include all the systems must work together to provide effective teaching and ensure that those with additional needs benefit from strong teaching and instructional methods Democracy = ‘Democratic empowerment’ all school staff, parents, and children themselves must have a voice in creating an inclusive culture in a school if it is to survive. Power must not only be in the ‘office’ and principal, but all work towards this goal http://education.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/Journal_of_Whole_Schooling/IJWSIndex.html

9. Statistics: international students in Australia • Department of immigration statistics: Number of student visa holders in Australia as at 31 March 2011 214419 students in higher education Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/study/_pdf/student-visa-program-report-2011-03-31.pdf Education is Australia’s third largest export industry (Coal = #1, Iron Ore = #2) Source:http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/trade_investment.html

10. Literature The importance of inclusion in higher education education = empowerment = economic & social development Successful inclusion Staff: • encourage, promote and foster positive environment • good rapport with students • personal characteristics Cultures: • socio-cultural perspectives on disability in home country and host country • systems, processes, institutions

11. Research Questions • What contributes to an international student with a disability feeling supported or unsupported at university? • What were staff perceptions and reflections of working with an international student with a disability? • What are some socio-cultural norms of disability and how do these impact on student experience?

12. Research methodology • Importance of making the student voice audible • Qualitative, interpretative case study • Rigorous reflexivity – personal, theoretical, positional • Semi-structured interviews • Voice Relational Methodology (VRM, Brown & Gilligan 1992) and thick description (Denzin, 2001) • Brown and Gilligan’s (1992) method seeks to address and answer the following points and questions: 1. The story and who is speaking 2. In what body? 3. Telling what story about relationships? 4. In which societal and cultural frameworks? (Brown & Gilligan, 1992, p. 21)

13. research participants

14. research participants • Jane, from Sri Lanka, 23years old and has an arm injury sustained while studying in Australia • Anna, from Hong Kong, 21 years old, experiences depression and anxiety • Mary, China, 20 years old, is a student with a vision impairment • James ,US, 25 years old, who has attention deficit disorder • Terry (DLU staff for 5 years) • Teaching staff: Jenny, Veronica, Lauren, Monica

15. Findings and discussion 1: attitudes and knowledge barriers I came to his [the lecturer’s] office maybe four or five times a week to ask something about assignments and he’s very kind (Mary). When I first trying [sic] to see a doctor and having new medication which is very difficult, because psychological pills are not a cold or something and I may have difficulties in class which the teacher himself thought it was a way that I tried to get higher marks(Anna).

16. Findings and discussion 2:values & beliefs • My country, they don’t recognise people as mentally disabled. They just think that we’re crazy and you should be locked up in a mental hospital (Anna). • I feel it’s very different from China than here. [In Australia] we should learn a subject by ourselves, reading or do some assignment only by yourself [sic]...I think this is good (Mary). • I never knew I could achieve something that I really wanted so I’m really happy. It’s like having real power (Jane).

17. The power of vrm to uncover oppressed voices • I’m sitting here and asking for help and you ask me why I haven’t killed myself yet? These things are a little bit irritating, but I’m fine. (Anna) • Questions prompted by VRM: • Why is it merely irritating? In reality, it must be horrible to experience this kind of interrogation. What is it that is preventing Anna from saying so? • psycho-emotional dimension of disability (Reeve, 2002): ‘I will be a nuisance if I say anything against this’ Also evident in undercurrent of self-oppression; ‘I’m fine’ when clearly, someone who has been suicidal, is not.

18. As related to the Whole Schooling diagram, the following are integral elements of inclusion in higher education.... http://education.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/Journal_of_Whole_Schooling/IJWSIndex.html

19. Implications = policy consultations with staff and students, professional development. These approaches are to benefit ALL students

20. references • Areheart, B.A. (2008). When Disability Isn't "Just Right": The Entrenchment of the Medical Model of Disability and the Goldilocks Dilemma. Indiana Law Journal. 83 (181), 181 – 232 • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). (n.d.) Composition of Trade. Accessed on 10/07/2011 from http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/trade_investment.html • Australian Department of Immigration. (2011). Student Visa Program Quarterly Report. Accessed on 10/07/2011 from http://www.immi.gov.au/media/statistics/study/_pdf/student-visa-program-report-2011-03-31.pdf • International Journal of Wholeschooling (n.d.). Accessed on 9/07/2011 from http://education.wayne.edu/wholeschooling/Journal_of_Whole_Schooling/IJWSIndex.html • Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women’s psychology and girls’ development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. • Denzin, N.K. (2001). Interpretative Interactionism. California: Sage Publications. • Reeve, D. (2004). Psycho-emotional dimensions of disability within relationships between professionals and disabled people. Disability Studies: Putting Theory Into Practice, 1-9.