Exploring the quality of special education. Final report. Report no 6.

HIF-Rapport

2002:11

Exploring the Quality of Special Education.

Final Report

Report No 6

Gunnar Stangvik

Finnmark University College

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PUBLICATION NUMBER:

HiF-Rapport 2002:11

ISBN:

ISSN:

Title:

Exploring the Quality of Special Education.

Report No 6

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Pris: NOK 45,- Author:

Gunnar Stangvik

Faculty:

Education and Liberal Arts

Funding institution::

The Research Council of Norway and Finnmark University College

Project:

Special Education at the Bottom Line. A Cross-Cultural Study of Special Education Practice

Summary:

This is the sixth and final report from the project that studies the quality of special education in a cross-cultural perspective. Taking the point of departure in theoretical and empirical studies presented in previous reports questions about the quality of special education raised in the first report from the project are answered. The research material clearly shows that questions of what are the ‘best practices’ of special education should no be treated separately from how the role and function of education and how disabilities are understood. The research supports the view from earlier parts of the project that there are conflicts of perspectives in special education that may be said to amount to a crisis. In brief terms a conflict as regards quality is found between those who reject special education as a separate area and as an instrument of education in a diversified and inclusive society and those who regard special education as an instrument for allocation of resources and competence to individual educational needs. This research shows that these two groups may come up with very different judgements of the quality of practice.

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