School Inclusion in Lebanon: Integrating Research on Students with Giftedness and Learning Disabilities into Practice

This book addresses the impact of inclusion on the performance of students with and without special needs in Lebanese schools. It examines the performance of regular students to the performance of students with learning disabilities (LD) and gifted students as perceived by them to identify the population that is best served by inclusion. The book investigates three domains affecting student performance in inclusive settings: management and organization. Teaching and learning, and student support and school ethos. In addition, it compares the ways in which these domains affect student performance for each population.

In addition, the book presents a detailed description of the inclusive practices that affect student performance and the indicators that contribute most positively to fostering the performance of regular students, gifted students, and students with LD. Finally, it describes the inclusion model applied and proved empirically to affect the positive performance of all student groups as a response to the increasing call for inclusive schooling in Lebanon.

Key areas of coverage include:

• Inclusive education, social justice, and equity in Lebanese schools.
Student perceptions of inclusion in Lebanon.
• Inclusion of gifted learners and students with learning disabilities.
Comparison of student performance among different populations in inclusive settings.
• Domains affecting student performance in inclusive settings.
Proposed model of student inclusion in Lebanese schools.

School Inclusion in Lebanon is an essential resource for researchers, professionals and policymakers, and graduate students in such interrelated fields as school psychology, inclusive education / educational psychology, and social work.

Nidal Jouni, M.A., is an Instructor of Educational Management and Leadership at the American University of Beirut (AUB). With a diverse academic background, she holds a B.S. in biology, a teaching diploma in special education specializing in learning disabilities and gifted education, and an M.A. in educational psychology with a focus on school guidance and counseling, all from AUB. In 2001, Nidal co-founded a K-12 school and served as its principal until September 2017. During her tenure, she introduced the first inclusion program for learners with disabilities in South Lebanon, as well as a pioneering program for gifted students. Nidal is Lebanon's delegate at the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) and has conducted numerous workshops on general education, special education, and educational leadership. Ms. Jouni is also involved in the TAMAM Project at AUB, providing coaching to schools aspiring to become inclusive. As a fellow at the Middle East Initiative for Professional Learning (MEPLI) at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education in 2017, Nidal expanded her expertise. In 2020, she received the Fouad Haddad Award for the best M.A. thesis at AUB.

Anies Al-Hroub, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Education Psychology and Special Education and the former Chairperson of the Department of Education at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Dr. Al-Hroub completed his Ph.D. and MPhil in Special Education (Giftedness and Learning Disabilities) from the University of Cambridge and his M.A. (Special Education) and B.A. (Psychology) from the University of Jordan. He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Connecticut (2018-2019), the British Academy Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge in 2010, and a Visiting Scholar to the School of Advanced Social Studies (SASS) in Slovenia. His publications appear in leading international gifted and special education journals. In addition, Dr. Al-Hroub has published three books entitled, “Theories and Programs of Education for the Gifted and Talented” (Shorouk, 1999), “ADHD in Lebanese Schools: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment” (Springer, 2016), and “Giftedness in Lebanese Schools: Integrating Theory, Research, and Practice” (Springer, 2018). Dr. Al-Hroub’s research interests focus on gifted and talented education, special education, learning disabilities, twice-exceptionality, creativity, vulnerability, educational assessment, and school counseling. He is an elected member of the executive committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). Dr. Al-Hroub has led several educational projects sponsored by UNICEF, UNRWA, UNESCO, the British Academy, USAID, World Bank, European Commission, and Welfare Association. Dr. Anies Al-Hroub is the co-founder and advisor of the Middle East Professional Learning Initiative (MEPLI) at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. Dr. Al-Hroub is a member of the expert team responsible for drafting the Lebanese national policy on inclusive education for children with special needs. Additionally, he assumed a leading position in formulating a policy specifically addressing inclusive education for gifted and talented learners in Lebanon.