Multicultural orientation of inclusive education in the modern school of the USA

Abstract

The relevance of the research is caused by the need to study the features of the learning process of children who are a cultural group with special educational needs and opportunities, as they have alternative (physical or mental) development. The aim of the study is to systematize and characterize the leading concepts of American scientists on this problem, to identify and justify the multicultural orientation of the essence of inclusive education. The following methods have been used in this research: historical and logical analysis, retrospective analysis of the problem of inclusive education and multicultural education in Russia and the USA; content analysis of legal documents of Russia and the USA in the field of education; theoretical and comparative analysis of the concepts of inclusive education and multicultural education of Russian and American scientists; translation, synthesis of scientific works of American researchers. The main sources for this study are the works of US scientists on the problems of multicultural education and inclusive education, as well as foreign and Russian pedagogical publications. This study demonstrates the close relationship between inclusive education and multicultural education, which provided access to quality educational services for all U.S. citizens, including people with alternative development. The multicultural orientation of inclusive education is clearly manifested in the requirements for the creation of inclusive educational environment, which correspond to the principles of multicultural education: anti-racist nature of education; focus on achieving social justice; liberating nature; transmission nature; transactional nature; transformational nature. The emphasis on raising an alternative child as the most independent and active subject rather than the object of lifelong care of the family, unites the approaches of American scientists to determining the goals, objectives and content of inclusive education. The results of the study can be applied to the development of new methods and technologies of inclusive education in order to create inclusive educational environment in educational institutions.