Effective Integration of Assistive Technology Into Inclusive Education: An Implementation Model For Egypt / Magi Hossam- Eldin Atta Mahfouz

Supervisor: Tarek Khalil

Thesis (PH.D.)—Nile University, Egypt, 2020 .

"Includes bibliographical references"

Contents:
Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 TECHNOLOGY USAGE IN PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION: ............................................................................................. 1
1.2 TECHNOLOGY USAGE FOR ASSISTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SWDS): ................................................................ 1
1.3 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................................. 6
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION ............................................. 6
2.1 FROM EXCLUSION TO INCLUSION: ......................................................................................................................... 6
2.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: ......................................................................................................... 7
2.3 DISABILITIES THAT REPRESENT A CHALLENGE IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: ....................................................................... 8
2.4 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND AT: .......................................................................................................................... 8
2.5 USA AS A MODEL FOR AT INTEGRATION INTO INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: ........................................................................ 9
2.6 THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLAN (IEP): ................................................................................................... 10
2.7 CATEGORIZATION OF AT: ................................................................................................................................. 11
2.8 BENEFITS OF AT: ........................................................................................................................................... 14
2.8.1 Educational and Academic Benefits: .................................................................................................. 14
2.8.2 Individual Benefits: ............................................................................................................................. 18
2.8.3 Social Benefits: .................................................................................................................................. 18
2.9 BARRIERS TO AT PROVISION AND USE: ................................................................................................................ 19
2.9.1 The Equipment as a Barrier: ............................................................................................................... 21
2.9.2 The Individual as a Barrier: ................................................................................................................ 23
2.9.3 Financial Barriers: .............................................................................................................................. 26
2.9.4 The Teacher as a Barrier: ................................................................................................................... 27
2.10 ROGERS’ DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: ......................................................................... 31
2.11 MODELS FOR THE PROCESS OF AT IMPLEMENTATION: .......................................................................................... 34
2.11.1 Beigel’s Model for the Assessment of SwD Needs for AT: ................................................................ 35
2.11.2 The SETT Framework: ....................................................................................................................... 36
2.11.3 The Quality Indicators of AT Services (QIAT): ................................................................................... 36
2.11.4 Edyburn’s Model for AT Choice, Acquisition and Implementation: .................................................. 37
2.11.5 Edyburn’s Framework for the Effectiveness of AT: ........................................................................... 37
2.12 INCLUSIVE EDUCATION HURDLES IN EGYPT: ........................................................................................................ 38
Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................ 41
PROBLEM STATEMENT, OBJECTIVES & RESEARCH METHOD .............................. 41
3.1 THE PROBLEM STATEMENT: ....................................................................................................................... 41
3.2 THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: ....................................................................................................................... 42
3.2.1 Main objective: .................................................................................................................................. 42
3.2.2 Sub-objectives: .................................................................................................................................. 42
3.3 THE PROBLEM SIGNIFICANCE: .................................................................................................................... 42
3.4 THE RESEARCH METHOD: ........................................................................................................................... 43
3.4.1 The Hypothesis: ................................................................................................................................. 43
V
3.4.2 The Theoretical Framework: .............................................................................................................. 43
3.4.3 The Experiment: ................................................................................................................................ 44
3.4.4 Participants and Setting: .................................................................................................................... 45
3.4.5 AT devices and procedures for assessment: ....................................................................................... 46
3.4.6 Data Analysis: ................................................................................................................................... 47
3.5 THE RESEARCH VALIDITY: ........................................................................................................................... 47
Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................................ 50
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 50
4.1 CATEGORIZATION OF RESPONSES ACCORDING TO THE SUB-OBJECTIVES: ..................................................................... 50
4.1.1 THEME ONE (Sub-objectives 1 & 2); Shortage of Available AT devices in Egyptian Schools and
Limited Usage: ........................................................................................................................................... 51
4.1.2 THEME TWO (Sub-objective 3); Academic, Individual and social Benefits constrained by Inadequate
Assessment: ............................................................................................................................................... 54
4.1.3 THEME THREE (Sub-objective 4); Multiple Significant Barriers including Financial Constraints and
Limited AT Knowledge: ............................................................................................................................... 59
4.1.4 THEME FOUR (Sub-objective 5); Lack of IEP Team Guidance to the AT Implementation Process: ..... 70
4.2 TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS ................................................................................................................................ 73
4.3 SUMMARY OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS’ RECOMMENDATIONS: ................................................................................ 75
Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................................ 77
ASSITIVE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION MODEL .............................................. 77
5.1 THE IMPLEMENTATION SUBPROCESS: ....................................................................................................... 77
5.1.1 PHASE 1: NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND IEP DEVELOPMENT .................................................................... 80
5.1.2 PHASE 2: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................... 89
5.1.3 PHASE 3: ONGOING ASSESSMENT OF AT EFFECTIVENESS ................................................................. 94
5.2 THE BARRIER ELIMINATION SUBPROCESS .................................................................................................. 99
5.2.1 AT Awareness: ................................................................................................................................. 100
5.2.2 Teachers’ Training: ........................................................................................................................... 102
5.2.3 Financial Affordability: ..................................................................................................................... 105
5.2.4 Laws and Legislations to Enforce the AT Implementation Process: ................................................. 107
Chapter 6 ............................................................................................................................... 109
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 109
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: ................................................................................................................................ 110
FUTURE RESEARCH WORK: .................................................................................................................................. 110
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 112
APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................... 120
APPENDIX (A): TEACHER’S QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................................................................. 120
APPENDIX (B): PARENT’S QUESTIONNAIRE .............................................................................................................. 123
APPENDIX (C): TEACHER’S QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS CODED ...................................................................................... 126
APPENDIX (D): PARENT’S QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS CODED ....................................................................................... 127
APPENDIX (E): SPSS ANALYSIS OF TEACHER’S AND PARENT’S QUESTIONNAIRES .............................................................. 128
APPENDIX (F): MINISTERIAL DECREE NO. (42) FOR THE YEAR 2015 ............................................................................. 139
APPENDIX (G): IEP TEMPLATE .............................................................................................................................. 144
APPENDIX (H): A GUIDE LIST OF AT DEVICES ........................................................................................................... 156
APPENDIX (I): MAHFOUZ, MAGY. " THE USE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO EMPOWER THE DEAF & HARD OF HEARING FOR
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & SELF-EMPLOYMENT IN EGYPT.” IOSR JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE (IOSR-JHSS). VOL.
24 NO. 10, 2019, PP. 52-58. ..............................................................................................................................

Abstract:
Students with Disabilities (SwDs) have been for long incapable to learn at the same level of
normal students. The use of Assistive Technology (AT) tools and devices in teaching and
learning of SwDs in general education is rapidly expanding in the developed countries. This is
critical in inclusive education where SwDs are being taught in the same classroom side by side
with normal students. Effective integration of AT devices in the classroom can provide SwDs
the capability to access the general education curricula like normal students. Therefore, the
adoption of AT devices in the inclusive education classes is an essential step for SwDs to
interact with their peers and teachers to achieve the required gains from
education. Unfortunately, in developing countries and Egypt in particular, there are many
obstacles that hinder the proper progress of SwDs in education especially when they are in
inclusive classes.
The objective of this study is to develop a model for an effective and successful integration of
AT into the inclusive education in Egypt. The research work included desk research to explore
the different previous experiences worldwide, and the findings of other research works. A twomonths
field experiment was carried out. The experiment was done by availing selected AT
devices to be used by a number of Egyptian SwDs. The used AT devices included low-tech
devices, software applications on the iPad, and FM system for the hearing-impaired students.
After sixty school days, a questionnaire was presented to their teachers and parents to reflect
their opinion regarding the impact of the AT devices on their education progress. Fifteen
teachers and ten parents were included. The data analysis was mainly qualitative.
The outcome of the experiment was arranged in four major themes. 1) Scarcity in availability
of AT devices in the Egyptian schools; and even though in those schools where AT devices are
available, their usage is limited. 2) Although there are obvious academic, individual, and social
benefits from using these devices, yet these benefits are inadequately assessed. 3) A multiple
of significant barriers exist including financial constraints and limited AT knowledge. 4) Last
but not least, the lack of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for the AT implementation
process is a significant obstacle.
This research work suggests an implementation model for effective inclusive education system.
The model augments the benefits of the AT devices through an implementation process and
eliminates or at least mitigates the barriers through a barrier elimination process. The
implementation process consists of three phases. Phase one includes the identification of
students’ weakness; IEP team formation; and identification of the abilities and the needs of the
students with difficulties or disabilities, examining the different environments within the
school, and plan the required appropriate tasks. Phase two includes the selection, acquisition,
and implementation of the appropriate AT devices. Phase three is the follow-up for the progress
and applying any necessary modifications of the process. A suggested template for the IEP has
been developed to assist teachers of inclusive education in integrating AT devices according
to the proposed model. Eliminating the Barriers includes augmenting awareness, the training
of teachers of SwDs, financial facilitations and modification of laws and legislations. The study
was limited by the relatively small sample size.
KEYWORDS: Students with Disabilities (SwDs) - Assistive Technology (AT) - Inclusive
Education - Individualized Educational Plan

Text in English, abstracts in English.