11-23, 12:05–12:10 (Australia/Melbourne), Short video submissions (View anytime)
In 2016, the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education released an inclusive education policy (IEP) and launched an inclusive approach in selected schools, with the goal of shifting the education system away from special education towards a more inclusive system. Students with disability are the intended beneficiaries, and their interests are central to Saudi Arabia’s educational transition to an inclusive education system. This study investigates Saudi Arabia’s paradigm shift from special education to inclusive education, particularly in relation to students with disability. This study aims to critically investigate Saudi Arabia’s inclusive education policy and the inclusive approach implemented in two girls' primary schools in light of historical, cultural, political and social factors—particularly within the international context. The research question addressed in this study centered on what has changed, in discourse and in practice, in the shift from special education to inclusive education in Saudi Arabia.
This research adopts a critical qualitative stance while leaning more towards post-structuralism. The two data collection methods used include relevant policy analysis and semi-structured interviews with stakeholder who are directly involved in the development of the inclusive education policy and the implementation of the inclusive approach in schools. A post-structural discourse analysis is utilised in this research to investigate issues of power, privilege and discourse. This study employed Critical Policy Analysis in Education (CPAE)(Young & Diem, 2017) to analyse policy documents and Foucauldian discourse analysis (Willig, 2013) to analyse data gained from interview. Inclusive Education Theory (Slee, 2011, 2018) and Critical Disability Theory (Goodley, 2011, 2017) are adopted in this research to help with conceptualisation, interpretation and analytic thinking.
Keywords: Inclusive education, special education, critical disability studies, post-structural analysis, Saudi Arabia.
A PhD student doing my research in inclusive education.