ABSTRACT
Teachers are responsible for building learning communities, creating a knowledge society and developing capacities useful for coping with the challenges of the twenty-first century such as innovation, flexibility and commitment to change (Hargreaves and Lo, 2000). For this reason, their professional development is of great value, not only for themselves but also for having a positive impact on their students’ learning (Bailey and Erthal, 2006; Papastamatis, 2010). Research on effective schools has cited that improvement of student learning
through systematic assessment progress (Taylor et al., 2000), strong leadership (Waters et al., 2004), fruitful staff collaboration, outreach to parents and ongoing professional development are the main factors that demonstrate effectiveness. Thus, research on effective schools accords with research on school improvement and teacher professional development (Taylor et al., 2005). There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the professional development of teachers
should follow recent trends and changes within the school and within the community. Also, teachers should be aware of the social and cultural contexts of teaching and learning in order to increase learning opportunities for all (Banks et al., 2001). Hence, a focus on diversity emerges as a vital priority. Indeed, diversity is a characteristic of human nature; it has long been signalled in terms of colour and ethnicity. But the scope of definitions of diversity in contemporary social and cultural reality is constantly being expanded. Recent trends in educational policies and in practice as well as in research define diversity to include what in the past was termed ‘disability’. Professional development related to diversity is especially important for teachers
who seek to minimise the gap between individuals with disabilities and those considered ‘normal’. They share an aim to provide equal opportunities to all in
order to make teaching more responsive to students’ needs. Usually, most professional development activities related to diversity are addressed by government institutions and policies. These policies indicate that governments not only consider the difficulties that these individuals face, but through the prevailing value system relevant to disabilities they also determine their position in society. Unfortunately, individuals with disabilities are often characterised as inferior and
stigmatised. These individuals are quite often described with a ‘stigma’. Stafford and Scott (1986, as cited in Link and Phelan, 2001, p. 366) considered ‘stigma’ ‘a characteristic that is contrary to a norm of a social unit’, whereas Jones et al. (1984, as cited in Major and O’Brien, 2005, p. 395) refer to a ‘mark’ which is linked with the undesirable features of a person. Goffman (2001) emphasises the connection between stigma and stereotypes, while Link and Phelan (2001) added the issues of discrimination, negative stereotyping and exclusion. The current educational policy and the practices adopted by teachers in the
educational system are related to the models described in international and Greek literature. Two prevailing models of approach to disability have influenced research in this field as well as the current Greek, European and world practices that are applied for confronting individuals with disabilities and their functionality in the social structure. This chapter has attempted to show that in order to deal with disability issues in
the educational context, teachers as well as the whole school staff need to contribute to the process of socio-political incorporation of individuals with disabilities. Teachers, who have a dominant position, may develop stereotyped perceptions that influence the behaviour of individuals with disabilities and contribute to their social exclusion. As a result, the educational practices that teachers adopt play a crucial role in undermining the support given to them.
