Strengthening Inclusion Through Parent Perspectives: A Qualitative Study in Alberta's Education System

Inclusive education aims to provide equitable learning opportunities by creating supportive environments that address the diverse needs of learners. Strong parent-school partnerships can improve student outcomes. However, parents often encounter barriers that hinder their ability to engage effectively and advocate within the education system. This qualitative study involved interviews with parents of children with disabilities in Alberta to explore their lived experiences. Through reflective thematic analysis, three overarching themes emerged: navigating barriers, parent engagement and action, and pillars of parent experiences. Parents reported facing significant systemic barriers when attempting to access resources. These included insufficient teacher training, lack of individualized support, and difficulties accessing reliable information. Parents discussed advocacy as an essential part of their role and often described it as a heavy responsibility. However, participants identified strong home-school partnerships as a critical factor that mitigated burdens. This research is important as it highlights gaps between inclusive education policy and practice from the perspective of parents. This thesis critically discusses whether inclusive education, in its current form, adequately supports children and their families.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Elliott, Katharine

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Schroeder, Meadow

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Wilcox, Gabrielle
• Chu, Man-Wai

• Inclusive Education
• Parent Involvement
• Advocacy
• Home-School Partnerships

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/50209

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/122616