Innovative ICT Strategies for Inclusive Education: Enhancing Teacher Competencies and Student Engagement - Volume II

The field of educational technology is currently grappling with numerous emerging challenges, particularly in the realm of accessibility and inclusivity for students with disabilities. These challenges include the accessibility of learning environments and resources for students with disabilities, as well as a lack of essential competencies among teachers to effectively use online learning environments. This has underscored the critical need for capacity building and training of teachers to utilize open, inclusive, and accessible learning environments that leverage the latest learning technologies. Inclusive ICT in education competency is now more crucial than ever for teachers. Students with disabilities face significant barriers in accessing learning resources and environments, which severely impacts their motivation and engagement. Various impairments, such as visual and hearing disabilities, create specific challenges in accessing and utilizing educational resources. Additionally, in multicultural contexts, students with special needs and their families encounter difficulties adapting to learning environments. Despite the availability of learning technologies, the lack of preparedness among teachers to effectively use inclusive ICT in education remains a significant barrier to equitable access to high-quality education. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore different examples of professional development for teachers through the use of ICT to enhance the education of all students, including those with disabilities.This research topic aims to investigate the innovative use of technologies to support learners with disabilities and ensure effective ICT practices within the specific educational practices of teachers. The main objectives include examining how educational technologies can be leveraged to create more inclusive learning environments, identifying the competencies teachers need to effectively use these technologies, and exploring professional development strategies to build these competencies. Specific questions to be addressed include: What are the most effective technologies for supporting learners with disabilities? How can teachers be trained to use these technologies effectively? What are the barriers to implementing inclusive ICT in education, and how can they be overcome?To gather further insights into the capacity building of teachers for open and accessible learning spaces, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Innovative technologies for supporting learners with disabilities- Professional development strategies for teachers in inclusive ICT- Barriers and solutions to implementing inclusive ICT in education- Case studies of successful inclusive ICT practices in education- The role of multicultural contexts in the adaptation of learning environments- Impact of inclusive ICT on student motivation and engagement- Comparative studies on the effectiveness of different ICT tools in education- Policy recommendations for enhancing teacher competencies in inclusive ICT Topic editors: Fahriye Altinay, Zehra Altinay, Ahmed Tlili Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81470/innovative-ict-strategies-for-inclusive-education-enhancing-teacher-competencies-and-student-engagement---volume-ii