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Older men’s participation in learning initiatives is low in Estonia (SHARE, 2015). The national plans for active ageing (Welfare Development Plan 2016–2023, 2016) indicate that activities related to inclusion and development are vital to improving older individuals’ quality of life in the context of the ‘longevity revolution’. There is little discussion about the ways in which older people themselves affect the success of these plans, and about the potential roles and opportunities for all members of the community to foster the inclusion of older people. Two qualitative studies conducted in Estonia in 2012 and 2017 expand upon the involvement of older men in different contexts. A content and thematic analysis revealed latent factors that may hinder older men’s learning, such as loneliness, expectations about masculinity inherited from the cultural background, a restrictive domestic comfort zone, and a lack of demand for older men’s experience. The main finding from the analysis is that older rural men in Estonia do not feel responsible for their own social health. As older men’s personal initiative to create their own learning opportunities tends to be low, the community needs to provide more support for the reduction of men’s indirect barriers.

Purpose The aim of this study is to unveil how professional trainers and training managers describe the learning conditions of their workplaces, what informal and formal learning activities they intend to accomplish and what barriers to learning at work they encounter. Design/methodology/approach Barriers to learning in the workplace fall under individual, team or organizational aspects that hinder the initiation of or interrupt successful learning, delay proceedings or end learning activities much earlier than intended. Professional trainers (N = 16) and training managers (N = 10) participated in this interview study. Their answers were recorded, transcribed and analyzed via qualitative content analysis. Findings The participants assessed their work tasks as highly complex and balanced between new challenging tasks and routines. Their formal and informal learning activities were also fundamental to maintaining high performance. The trainers described a broad range of situations in which they suffered barriers to learning at their workplace, with most identifying external learning barriers such as vague supervisor requirements or disruptions from others. Originality/value The results of this study describe workplace complexity, which offers stimuli for learning through learning conditions, possibilities to engage in learning and also barriers to learning. To understand workplace complexity, all of these dimensions have to be understood and addressed.

BackgroundInclusive Education acknowledges that all children can learn, but requires support. However, addressing learning barriers and responding to diverse needs remains a challenge in some South African schools, leading to the exclusion of some learners.ObjectivesThis study explored teachers’ perceptions of including learners who experience barriers to learning and responding to their diverse learning needs.MethodA qualitative case study was conducted using purposive sampling to select six schools across two geographical contexts within one district in the North West province, South Africa. Focus groups were conducted with six school-based support teams (three to five members each), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with six school principals.ResultsTeachers expressed concerns about inadequate and limited training in inclusive education, which contributes to persistent negative attitudes. The continued application of the medical model still prevailed. Systemic challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, limited teaching and learning time, insufficient policy guidance, and inadequate support from district-based support teams were also highlighted.ConclusionTeachers’ reluctance to implement inclusive education policies may be linked to perceptions of inadequate training and lack of resources to address diverse learner needs. Many teachers still follow the medical model rather than an inclusive approach to equitable education. A shift towards inclusive practices requires regular review and support to prevent learner exclusion.ContributionThe study contributes to policy and practice by advocating for ongoing review and enhancement of inclusive education strategies and pedagogies.

The COVID-19 crisis has encouraged a major shift towards greater environmental awareness and sustainable consumption. However, in times of severe crisis, SMEs primarily look to return to normalcy and their own survival rather than implementing a sustainable agenda. This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the learning problems faced by small tourism enterprises in a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores the learning capacity of SMEs and the importance of establishing mechanisms that provide SMEs with the keys to organizational learning as a source of continuous knowledge. Open-ended semi-structured interviews with 39 tourism SMEs managers in Galicia (Spain) were conducted during the toughest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that SMEs have not been fully involved in the learning process, which is mainly related to knowledge transfer and integration. DMOs can act as promoters of knowledge management for organizational preparedness by providing SMEs with learning mechanisms and strategies to go beyond simple problem solving when they arise.

Inclusive education has featured strongly in the South African education landscape since it was first incorporated into policy in 2001. Although parents are key stakeholders in the successful implementation of inclusive education, there has not been much research exploring parents’ understanding within this space. Therefore, this study aimed to explore parents’ understanding of inclusion and exclusion in education from seven primary schools in the Johannesburg area. This paper is based on the qualitative data drawn from a larger mixed methods study where 559 written responses exploring parents of primary school learners’ understanding were analysed and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the results. Four core themes were identified, namely, inclusion/ exclusion criteria, levels of inclusion and exclusion, effects of exclusion and the effects of inclusion. Sub-themes of interpersonal and extra-personal characteristics emerged for the theme of inclusion/exclusion criteria, while further analysis of levels of inclusion/exclusion resulted in the sub-themes of formal and epistemological access. It was clear that parents’ understanding of inclusion and exclusion was grounded more in the practices of inclusion/exclusion as opposed to a more abstract, theoretical understanding. These results are discussed within the context of the SASA and Education White Paper 6 policy within South Africa, as well as literature around the types of educational access.

This article explored the academic barriers that prevent the inclusion of learners with visual impairment in mainstream schools. It is a purposive study that was conducted in two schools in Tigray Regional State in Ethiopia. The data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions from 2 school principals, 4 teachers, and 12 learners with and without visual impairment. The findings reveal a lack of books in braille, a shortage of computers with “Job Access With Speech” (JAWS) software, few audio-recorded materials, and minimal curriculum adaptation to suit learners with visual impairments. It was discovered that these academic barriers affect the teaching and learning as well as the implementation and actualization of inclusive education. Therefore, this article calls for the Ministry of Education (MoE), schools, communities, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to intervene and ensure the balance between accessibility of education and availability of resources to cater to all learners with visual impairments.

This article explores the possible barriers to effective organizational learning from crisis events. A number of themes are considered including learning from crisis, learning as crisis and learning for crisis. One of the key issues to emerge from a systematic study of crises is the striking similarity between the underlying causes of such events. The article outlines the nature of the crisis management process and identifies a number of barriers to the learning process. A key argument developed in the article is that the barriers to learning can themselves serve to generate the conditions which will allow an incident to escalate into a crisis. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which organizations can develop more effective learning capabilities for crisis events.

This article reports on experiences of teachers and learners with visual impairments (LVI) in inclusive high schools in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Qualitative research used face-to-face interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, document analysis and observation instruments for data collection. The study employed purposive sampling and the sample comprised six LVI, three high school principals and ten teachers. Data analysis included reading data, transcription, coding, interim analysis, and finding themes. Study findings illuminated the lack of professional training for teachers. Policies and school documents did not promote inclusive education and there was limited curriculum reform to implement IE policies. There is a need for professional capacitation of teacher(s) on IE. School documents, curriculum and national policies must embrace IE. The 19 participants representing the overall population was a limitation. The researchers concluded that inclusive high school teachers must be trained and provided with suitable materials for teaching and learning.

BackgroundSupport for learners experiencing barriers to learning is critical for their successful inclusion in mainstream classrooms. This article presents the findings of a study that examined school-based support teams’ self-reported efficacies in supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning.AimThe study investigates how members of school-based support teams’ perform their roles in supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning in four South African mainstream primary schools.SettingThis study was done in Johannesburg South District of Gauteng province of South Africa. It was executed in public mainstream schools serving learners mainly from low to middle income communities.MethodsThe study used a multiple case study research design immersed in a qualitative research approach. The study was viewed through Sen’s capability theoretical framework. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and analysed thematically. Eight members of school-based support teams from four Johannesburg South mainstream primary schools were purposefully selected for this study.ResultsFindings of the study revealed that members of the school-based support teams see their role as screening, identification of learners facing barriers to learning, advocacy, as well as collaboration with parents of children facing barriers to learning. Furthermore, the findings showed that the school-based support teams (SBSTs) members also refer learners to the district-based support teams and collaborate with other stakeholders. Strategies to strengthen SBSTs’ efficacies, which were identified in this study, are that there is a need for continuous in-service training for school-based support teams members and the reduction of workload for them. However, the study established that there is a dearth of literature on how SBSTs perceive their roles in Johannesburg South District. This study addresses the gap in existing literature by contributing new insights into the perspectives of SBSTs within a specific district of South Africa.ConclusionThe study concludes that members of the school-based support teams, who were the participants in this study, reported that they performed most of their mandated roles in supporting learners experiencing barriers to learning. However, they also identified a need to strengthen their work in supporting learners.ContributionThis research has highlighted the views of school-based support teams, which may add to the knowledge base of the portfolio of SBSTs in promoting inclusion within mainstream schools. Moreover, this study could assist in alleviating the challenges encountered by SBSTs in executing their roles.

Kazakhstan has adopted a path to implement inclusive education. As in many other countries of the world, transition to an inclusive education system is not easy and sometimes riddled with anomalies, contradictions, and challenges. This qualitative study takes account of inclusive education in Kazakhstani schools, analyzes the current state of the move toward inclusive education in Kazakhstani schools, discusses achievements to date, highlights some challenges, and makes recommendations on how the implementation of inclusive education in schools could (if necessary) be improved. A generic qualitative research design was used, involving semistructured interviews conducted with school directors, teachers, professionals, and regional representatives of the Department of Education, representatives of the Psychological Medical and Pedagogical Commission, nongovernmental organizations, and parents. The study uses Ainscow’s levers of change as a theoretical lens to analyze the implication of the transition and implementation toward inclusive education in schools. The study was conducted in 12 inclusive schools in one region north and one region south of Kazakhstan. Data were analyzed using an inductive and thematic content analysis framework, from which themes were derived and used to harvest findings and draw some conclusions. Among the findings of the study is that although there has been some shift toward inclusive education, the concept is still not well understood by stakeholders in Kazakhstani schools, as it is currently mainly aimed at disabled children rather than other categories of diversity.