INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOLCHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

ABSTRACT

This article examines the impact of inclusive education (IE) on the academic performance of children with special educational needs. It analyzes key factors influencing academic success in an inclusive environment, such as individualized learning methods, the use of modern technologies, professional teacher training, and social support. The importance of adapting educational materials, creating accessible infrastructure, and fostering an inclusive culture in educational institutions is emphasized. Based on an analysis of various international practices, the article demonstrates how the implementation of inclusive programs contributes to the improvement of students' academic and social outcomes. It concludes by highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach, which includes enhancing teacher competencies, providing access to modern technologies, and eliminating barriers to improve education quality and ensure equal opportunities.

АННОТАЦИЯ

В статье рассматривается влияние инклюзивного образования (ИО) на успеваемость детей с особыми образовательными потребностями. Анализируются ключевые факторы, влияющие на академическую успеваемость в инклюзивной среде, такие как методы индивидуального обучения, использование современных технологий, профессиональная подготовка учителей и социальная поддержка. Подчеркивается значение адаптации учебных материалов, создания доступной инфраструктуры и развития инклюзивной культуры в образовательных учреждениях. На основе анализа различных международных практик демонстрируется, как внедрение инклюзивных программ способствует улучшению академических и социальных результатов учащихся. Делается вывод о необходимости комплексного подхода, который включает развитие педагогической компетенции, доступ к современным технологиям и устранение барьеров для повышения качества образования и обеспечения равенства возможностей.

Keywords: inclusive education (IE), academic performance, children with special needs, individualization, educational technologies, social support, learning environment.

Ключевые слова: инклюзивное образование (ИО), успеваемость, дети с особыми потребностями, индивидуализация, технологии в обучении, социальная поддержка, образовательная среда.

Introduction

Inclusive education (IE) is the current development strategy of the system that focuses on equal opportunities for every child to get adequate learning, whether he or she has special physical, psychological, or social features. The basic principle of inclusion is, first of all, to provide access to education but also to give conditions for children with special needs to become socially integrated, fully developed, and realized as a person. The issue of inclusion has been closely linked to the question of equal opportunities and represents an important part of social justice. In a time of rapid changes in educational policy and society, there is a need to understand how an inclusive approach influences the school performance of children with special needs and which factors improve the academic and social prospects for these children.

This paper will examine the impact of IE on the academic performance of children with special educational needs and the identification of those factors that enhance the effectiveness of inclusive programs. With regard to the multiple aspects of inclusion – psychological, pedagogical, and social – this study aims to identify the most effective methods and strategies used in the practice of IE.

The selection of the psychological, pedagogical, and social aspects of inclusion is justified by their fundamental impact on the academic performance and adaptation of children with special educational needs. The psychological aspect is key since the students' mood, level of motivation, and ability to socially adjust affect their achievements in study. The pedagogical dimension is linked to teaching practices, curriculum adaptation, and teacher training, which determine the efficiency of the learning process within an inclusive environment. The social dimension has a very significant contribution to make, as peer support, teacher support, and general society support result in the successful integration of a child within the learning environment, reduces discrimination, and increases self-esteem. The research of the three areas allows one to make a full assessment of the impact of IE and develop strategies to improve the educational and social success of children with special needs.

The choice of the USA and Kyrgyzstan as objects for researching the factors determining the academic achievements of schoolchildren in an inclusive environment is caused by their different approaches to the development of IE. The USA is a developed country with an established IE system, the high degree of implementation of cutting-edge technologies, and strong state support for special schools. Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, is facing scarce resources but is proactively embracing inclusive practices with the help of international agencies. A comparison between the two countries allows for the identification of exemplary models and analysis of economic and social factors' influence on the accessibility and quality of IE.

Main part. Definition of IE and its key principles

An initiative to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students, including those with special educational needs, may be defined as IE. The concept of inclusion started to crystallize as early as the middle of the 20th century under the impact of humanistic and democratic ideas. The first milestone was the acceptance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948, where it declared the right to education for every individual. The official recognition of the necessity of creating an educational environment to address the needs of each child was expressed in 1990 at the World Conference on Education for All in Jomtien (Thailand) [1]. A point of change came with the signing of the Salamanca Declaration in 1994, which established inclusion as one of the cornerstones of the education system. These events gave a starting point to the modern understanding of inclusion, which ensures that every child, whatever his or her characteristics, has the right to study first of all in mainstream schools.

Today, IE is based on the principles of tolerance, social justice, and equal opportunities. It not only aims to provide access to education to children with special needs but also to ensure an atmosphere that would provide opportunities for their social integration, personal growth, and development of all their potential [2]. Issues of inclusion are closely related to the concept of equal opportunities and represent one of the most important concerns of social justice. In the context of rapid changes in educational policy and society, it is vital to understand how inclusive education impacts the academic performance of children with special needs and which factors contribute to the improvement of their academic and social outcomes.

One of the central questions in this field is how IE impacts the academic performance of children with special needs. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 billion people – that is, 16% of the total population – have some form of disability, and a significant proportion of them are school-age children. On the other hand, UNESCO indicates that only about 10% of children with disabilities in developing countries attend school, underlining the pressing need for an expansion of inclusive practices in education. The integration of children with special needs into the mainstream educational processes helps improve their academic performances and develops their cognitive and social abilities as well (fig.1).

Figure 1. Key factors contributing to the improvement of academic performance of children in an inclusive environment

International organizations, such as UNESCO and UNICEF, actively support the enhancement of teacher qualifications. For instance, within the framework of the UNESCO «Inclusive schools and learning» program, more than 50,000 teachers were trained in methods of working with children with special needs in Africa and Asia [3]. Such activities have proved to be effective: in the schools participating in this program, the level of literacy among children with special educational needs increased by 20%.

Professional training of teachers is important to make IE more effective. For example, the USA has programs like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that require teachers to undergo specialized training for children with special needs, enabling them to implement personalized instructional methods and employ modern teaching techniques in IE.

In Kyrgyzstan, supported by UNESCO and UNICEF even with the meager resources, some activities are underway to upgrade teacher qualifications to work with these children. However, there is further development of the system of training of teachers to sustain the output.

Another significant aspect is the use of modern educational technologies that offer specialized learning tools. Such assistive technologies include text-to-speech applications, adaptive learning tools, and alternative communication devices [4]. In the contemporary environment, all these are being increasingly used to ensure children with special needs have the ability to take part in the educational process properly. This, on one hand, reflects positively on their performance, while on the other, allows considering a student's features individually.

The adaptation of teaching materials is important too. In some developed countries, like the USA, this process is supported by federal standards and involves the elaboration of materials in accessible formats, such as braille, large print, and simplified texts. This provides equal learning opportunities for students with diverse needs. Similar efforts in Kyrgyzstan are at an early stage. Organizations like USAID also work with the Ministry of Education to produce materials responsive to the needs of children with disabilities in rural schools [5]. However, the changes are very slow and need systematic reforms and more finances. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic and the publisher Marshall Cavendish in 2024 to support the transformation of education. The parties will jointly develop the creation of digital educational resources for schools.

Another influential factor is social adjustment and support that children get in inclusive environments. Reducing discrimination, building a welcoming culture, and enhancing students' self-esteem significantly affect their school performance.

Methods and criteria for assessing academic performance in IE

The assessment of academic performance in IE is a crucial component of the educational process aimed at ensuring equal opportunities for all students. Traditional approaches that rely solely on academic metrics often prove insufficient for objectively evaluating the progress of children with special educational needs. In an inclusive environment, it is essential to employ methods and criteria that consider the cognitive, social, emotional, and personal development of students. This approach allows not only for the measurement of academic achievements but also for tracking their adaptation, motivation, and success in overcoming social barriers (table 1).

Table 1.

 Methods and criteria for assessing academic performance in inclusive environments [6, 7]

Assessment of academic performance in inclusive settings needs to be multifaceted, including the academic, social-emotional, and personal development of students. The application of such methods as individualized education plans, observation, portfolios, alternative forms of testing, and social-emotional scales contributes to the development of a more objective and comprehensive assessment system that meets the needs of every child. Examples of how these methods have been applied illustrate the diversity and success of their implementation.

Implementation of IE practices in the USA and Kyrgyzstan

The presented examples of effective IE in the USA and Kyrgyzstan clearly reveal that a well-organized educational process contributes to improvement in academic performance of children with special educational needs. It was the very individual approach, some novelties in technology, and social supportive environment that allowed children not only to master the curriculum but also to reveal their own potential.

In the USA, serious attention is paid to the programs of enhancing the educational achievements of children with special needs. Schools practicing the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach guarantee flexibility in teaching, which allows students to master the material in the form that corresponds to their capabilities. For example, in schools in which this model has been in operation, the academic performance of children with disabilities in mathematics and reading has improved, using multimodal teaching methods and accessible technologies, such as text-to-speech tools, visual aids, and adapted assessments. Besides this, programs like Response to Intervention (RTI) in the USA offer additional resources to children who struggle with basic skills, helping reduce their academic gaps.

Technology can enhance learning outcomes significantly. For example, in the schools of Miami-Dade County, Florida, every student actively uses tablets preloaded with educational apps: Proloquo2Go and Learning Ally, to name just a few. These applications help students with special needs to learn reading and writing and communicate effectively. Research conducted in the district's schools showed that students who used such technologies improved their engagement in the process of learning and achieved higher test scores in mathematics and language subjects. The integration of tablets into the learning process also supports individualization: teachers can assign work considering the peculiarities of every child, and students can work at their own pace. This method has proved effective not only in terms of academic results but also in the cognitive and social development of children with special needs.

In Kyrgyzstan, despite limited resources, IE also tends to have a positive impact on the academic performance of children with special needs [8]. A very telling example is the pilot project in one school in Bishkek, supported by UNICEF. In the framework of this project, the curriculum had been adapted with individualized education plans and observation methods for tracking progress. According to local reports, the academic performance of children with special needs in core subjects improved after these methods had been implemented, while their social adaptation within the school environment increased significantly.

Another striking example of successful practice in Kyrgyzstan is the Sezimtal Boarding School situated in Kara-Balta. Here, individualized education plans are carried out, adapted learning materials and technologies are used, including special software applications for children with speech and cognitive impairments. It carries out comprehensive work in all areas: emotional, cognitive, fine and gross motor skills, and academic knowledge in all subjects. Teachers of this school regularly undergo professional development training supported by UNICEF and international partners, including the Kyrgyz-Japanese Tensai School. Thanks to them, the academic performance in basic subjects started to increase among the students of Sezimtal, and their interest in the very process of learning notably grew.

Social support and the creation of a positive atmosphere also play a great role. According to the research carried out in the USA, in socially inclusive schools, children with special needs show better academic performance by actively participating in group projects and communicating with their peers. In Kyrgyzstan, projects on stigma reduction and acceptance of children with special needs contributed to better social adaptation and improved academic results.

Thus, effective practices of IE in the USA and Kyrgyzstan illustrate that inclusion directly and positively influences the academic achievements of children with special educational needs. The individual approach, integration of technologies, professional development for teachers, and social support systems allow children to achieve higher academic scores and develop key skills necessary for their successful integration into society.

Conclusion

Education through inclusion, based on individualized learning methods, the integration of modern technologies, and the organization of a supportive environment, has a positive effect on the academic performance of children with special educational needs. The examples of the USA and Kyrgyzstan reveal that a well-organized learning process not only improves academic outcomes but also fosters the development of children's social, cognitive, and emotional skills. Successful practices on the implementation of "Universal Design for Learning" programs and educational technologies in the USA, as well as experiences of inclusive schools like the boarding school Sezimtal, confirm that only a comprehensive approach to inclusion exists. Although these barriers are at work and include a lack of resources and infrastructural limitations, it is possible to develop IE under constrained conditions, as can be learned from the experience in Kyrgyzstan.

The international support, professional development of teachers, and adaptation of teaching aids and information technologies are at the heart of ensuring equal opportunities for all children. IE can help children with special educational needs perform better academically, but also provides a sound basis for their successful integration into society, making the educational system fairer.

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