In 2023, the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons announced the 19th edition of the National ‘Open Door’ Competition for the best Master’s and Doctoral theses, the topic of which was disability in the social, professional or health dimension.
Anna Wojtas-Rduch, PhD, an employee of the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia, took second place for her work ‘Integration class space’, written under the supervision of Prof. Zenon Gajdzica from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Silesia.
The work covers the stage of early school education, however, the proposed ideas can also be used in higher grades.
The issue of space in constructing an optimal learning environment for students in integration classes is one of the topics that is overlooked in pedagogical research. Meanwhile, locating students with diverse educational needs (especially those with disabilities) in the classroom space plays an important role in creating high-quality education for all students.
An important motive for taking up this topic was also the need to construct practical methodological solutions illustrating possible spatial arrangements of the classroom in integrated education, conditioned by various variables.
Information about the competition can be found on the events website.
The full list of winners and results can be found at: https://www.pfron.org.pl/aktualnosci/szczegoly-aktualnosci/news/lista-laureatow-i-wyroznionych-w-xix-edycji-ogolnopolskiego-konkursu-otwarte-drzwi-na-najlepsz/
