The Management of Inclusive Education Practice in Libyan Universities: Empirical Investigation

The aim of this research is to explore the inclusive education practice in Libyan universities. This thesis developed a model of inclusive education based on a review of the literature to empirically investigate in one single model: (1) the affect of philosophy and policy on inclusive education practices; (2) the affect of curriculum design on inclusive education practices; and (3) the affect of teaching methods on inclusive education practices. The researcher designed a questionnaire to investigate attitudes of faculty members towards inclusive educational practice within their universities, and their concerns about inclusive educational practice. Four hundred questionnaires were distributed to faculty members working in four Public universities in Libya; 288 questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 62%.Of these, 41 of the questionnaires received were excluded and 247 were processed for analysis.

The data collected for the purpose of this study is analysed. The analysis includes two parts: First, descriptive analysis is presented, starting with the main characteristics of the respondents and covering the trends of their opinions obtained from their answers, presented in percentages. Second, inferential analysis is conducted using the Structural Equation Model(SEM), applying Exploratory Factor Analysis in the first stage to identify the model that contains the factors that have the most significant impact on Inclusive Education using SPSS, then in the second stage the fitness of the model is tested through Confirmatory Factor Analysis using AMOS. Before implementing the SEM, the data is tested for normality and consistency, in order to ensure its validity for the analysis.

The findings of this thesis largely support the hypothesised relationships proposed in the theoretical model. The model suggests some correlations to complement these factors and work together to influence inclusive education, correlations are suggested to be implemented regarding the dimension of policies, curricula and teaching; this means that when policy factors are designed they should be linked to the factors of curriculum and teaching, as the interaction of these factors could be considered as a new dimension. The results also provide strong evidence of the relationship between policies; curriculum and teaching, which in turn are necessary determinants of inclusive education. This thesis contributes to theoretical and practical knowledge by providing for the first time, evidence about relationship between policies, curriculum and teaching. The study makes recommendations and suggests strategies to deal with the identified challenges and finally provides a roadmap to policymakers educational in Libyan universities that may assist in the successful implementation of inclusive education in Libyan higher education.