For the Love of the Child - Bestowing Value amidst Inconsistent Inclusive Education Beliefs and Practices for One Student with Severe Disabilities

Oct 15, 2026

The article traces inclusive education practice and policy developments in Alberta, Canada, and argues that more work is required for an educational system where all students, including those with severe disabilities, feel welcome and valued. It emphasizes a need for deeper understanding of parent and educator beliefs and practices to enable “mutual adaptation” based on shared beliefs and consistent implementation. An instrumental case study examines inclusion experiences for one Canadian student through multiple parent and educator perspectives.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

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For the Love of the Child: Bestowing Value amidst Inconsistent Inclusive Education Beliefs and Practices for One Student with Severe Disabilities Laura Rae Mooney University of Calgary Bonnie Lashewicz University of Calgary Abstract In this article, we chart developments of inclusive education practice and policy in Alberta, Canada, and conclude that much remains to be done toward achieving an educational system where all students, including those with severe disabilities, feel welcome and valued. We argue a need for deeper understandings of parent and educator beliefs about, and practices of, inclusive education in order to promote “mutual adaptation,” built on shared beliefs and consistent practices. To this end, we present an instrumental case study examination of the inclusion experience of one Canadian student with a severe disability described from multiple parent and educator perspectives. We call attention to inconsistencies in educator beliefs and practices, yet we draw out shared beliefs rooted in“love of the child.” Our study derives from Paulo Freire’s understanding of love as key to educational pedagogy (1968/1970, 2005), and we uphold love as a point of convergence Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 38:4 (2015)©2015 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) for parents, educators, and other educational stakeholders striving for more consistent approaches to inclusive education. Keywords: inclusive education, students with severe disabilities, case study, critical pedagogy, bestowing value, love Résumé Dans cet article, nous tracer l’évolution de la pratique de l’éducation pour l’inclusion et de la politique en Alberta, Canada et conclure qu’il reste beaucoup à faire dans la réalisation d’un système éducatifoù tous les étudiants qui ont des difficultés d’apprentissagesévères, se sentent bienvenus et appréciés. Nous soutenons un besoin pour plus profonde compréhension de croyances au sujet de parent et d’éducateur et pratiques de l’éducation intégratrice, afin de promouvoir «l’adaptation mutuelle» construite sur des convictions communes et pratiques cohérentes. À cette fin, nous présentons un examen de l’étude decas instrumental de l’expérience de l’inclusion d’un étudiant canadien ayant une incapacité grave décrite de multiples perspectives de parent et d’éducateur. Nous attirons l’attention à des incohérences dans les pratiques et croyances de l’éducateur encore nous faire ressortir des convictions communes, enracinées dans « l’amour de l’enfant. » Notre étude dérive de comprendre l’importance de l’amour en tant que clé de Paulo Freire à lapédagogie de l’éducation (1968/1970, 2005) et nous défendons l’amour comme un point de convergence pour les parents, les éducateurs et les autres intervenants éducatifs pour des approches plus cohérentes pour l’éducation inclusive. Mots-clés : l’éducation inclusive, les étudiants qui ont des difficultés d’apprentissagesévères, étude de cas, la pédagogie critique, conférant valeur, amoure Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 38:4 (2015) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Introduction Unified systems of education, which welcome and include all students, continue to be the gold standard for educational leaders worldwide (Marope, 2014; Opertti, Brady, & Duncombe 2009; UNESCO, 2015). The Government of Alberta, Canada, recently undertook a series of education reform initiatives to combine separate worlds of regular and special education (Alberta Education, 2010, 2011). Driven by findings of widely varying practices for including students with severe disabilities (Alberta Education, 2009), initiatives are aimed at having parents, teachers, and administrators (i.e., school principals), who were once immersed in either “regular” or “special” education programming, unify goals for a shared student population. However, t

FAQs

What is the core issue the article highlights about inclusive education in Alberta?

The article argues that despite reform efforts, inclusive education still falls short of consistently making students with severe disabilities feel welcome and valued.

Why does the article focus on parent and educator beliefs and practices?

It contends that deeper understanding of how beliefs and everyday practices align is necessary to promote “mutual adaptation.”

How does the article study inclusion for a student with severe disabilities?

It uses an instrumental case study approach examining one Canadian student’s inclusion experience from multiple parent and educator perspectives.

Oct 15, 2026

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