Inclusion and diversity: Fundamental questions to be asked at PhD-level

The main course goal is to introduce Ph.D. students to some fundamental questions within the inclusion and diversity debate in contemporary research and develop their understanding of some main controversies in education.

More specifically, the Ph.D. students will develop their understanding of different approaches to the phenomenon of disability and how the diversity debate relates to the special case of disability regarding inclusion. Likewise, the Ph.D. students will develop their comprehension of how the intercultural issue pertains to inclusive education and shed light on the concept of inclusion compared to the contribution from special education.

The students also will reflect on the intercultural paradigm, its content, and outlines in times of climate change. In addition, the course aims to develop the Ph.D. students’ abilities and knowledge for posing fundamental questions in the field of inclusion and diversity and examine issues at stake in this research field from the perspectives of intercultural and special education.

The course is organized using a hybrid teaching and learning model where participants can be present online via Zoom/Teams or physically on the NLA campus in Bergen.

By completing the course, the Ph.D. students will have completed the following learning aims, which are here defined as knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

• The student will have knowledge about different interpretations of diversity regarding the special case of disability and intercultural education in relation to the issue of inclusive education
• The student will be familiar with some controversies in these research fields and have knowledge of which fundamental questions that are asked in the field and will have knowledge of critical questions that still has to be posed in the research literature

Skills

• The student will be able to identity various controversies in the contemporary debate on diversity and inclusive education in an independent way and recognize which fundamental issues are at stake

General competence

• The student will be able to develop an original problem statement, regarding fundamental questions within the field of diversity and inclusive education in relation to the contemporary debates in the field