Inclusive and Engaging Lessons are Better for all Students
摘要
Inclusive education, by its very nature, must also be quality education. Indeed, there should be no distinction between the two. In inclusive classrooms, every student, by definition, must be engaged, their needs accommodated, and their differences valued. In this way, the genuine inclusion of all students necessarily leads to more adaptable and engaging learning—learning that is built around creativity rather than conformity, and problem solving rather than memorisation. In short, the inclusion of all students means that all students can be better engaged and will enjoy better learning opportunities. In this chapter, Xammie Likoko, a junior school science teacher working in Nairobi, discusses his experiences in the laboratory. Likoko is, as he admits, lucky enough to work in a school that gives him and his students the space to be creative, and the support to work in a hands-on, engaging, and, above all, inclusive way. Through personal experience, he recounts how, in science lessons that promote creativity and active learning, students that are known to struggle in more traditional classroom environments thrive. They appear more confident, are more willing to work as part of a team, and enjoy higher levels of engagement. But, importantly, by encouraging experimentation, and allowing students to work at their own pace and to learn in their own unique styles, Likoko finds that all children benefit. Learning is more playful—something that is crucial to development (Ilgaz et al., 2018; Nowak, 2023)—and more creative. Through this, as Likoko notes, his lessons become fundamentally more inclusive.