Program

Education Doctorate

Year Approved

2019

First Advisor

Whitman, Mary

Abstract

Inclusion of students with diverse learning profiles is a rapidly growing trend, yet no research exists on the implementation of inclusive programming in international schools. As diversity becomes more important in the globalized world and it becomes more important to equip all students with job skills for the modern age, international schools will need to provide effective and efficient programming for a wide variety of learning profiles. At the same time, international schools must provide students with a high-quality academic education that yields top measurable results in order to ensure that their students remain competitive in an ever more competitive college admissions process. This qualitative study compared inclusive programming in four international schools. Content analysis, interviews, and observations provided data to compare both the classroom and the schools as units of analysis, focusing on effective policy and practice, and how schools are successfully adapting to their unique social and cultural contexts. The results of this study indicate that inclusion of diverse learners looks different in different international schools according to their demographics. The European schools in this study placed more emphasis on diverse learning profiles, while the Asian schools placed more emphasis on linguistic diversity. The Asian schools included a wider range of learners in the lower grades, while emphasis in the upper grades shifted to academic excellence. Schools creatively leveraged available resources to overcome potential barriers. Co-teaching is being widely used, and teachers are excited about this model both to support students and as a model of professional development.

Degree Name

Education Doctorate

Document Type

Doctoral dissertation

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