Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

In the global context, prioritizing inclusive education is crucial due to the significant number of individuals worldwide facing disabilities and related challenges. This research is a vital part of an ongoing effort to create an evaluative framework for successful inclusive education, focusing on the inclusion of students with disabilities into elementary schools in Delhi. Using consensus analysis with 25 experts through two rounds of fuzzy Delphi, the study identified 33 assessment indicators distributed across 7 broad domains of inclusive education. The prioritization of these indicators has been previously ascertained through diverse Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodologies, including TOPSIS, GRA, and RIDIT analysis. However, the intricacies associated with Delphi and other MCDM techniques have left the weighting and prioritization of the seven pivotal domains unresolved. In addressing this gap, this research endeavors to employ the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assign weights to and prioritize these seven fundamental domains. The primary survey, administered through a paper-based approach, engaged respondents with substantial experience in the educational domain, including teachers, special educators, and principals. From the 71 collected responses, a meticulous analysis revealed that the domain of “Availability of appropriate resources” garnered the highest weightage while “Teacher’s attitude” secured the lowest weightage among the identified domains. The outcomes of this research not only contribute to the development of the appropriate scoring methodology under the assessment framework for effective inclusive education but also offer valuable insights for budgetary planning, strategic direction, and policymaking associated with the establishment and administration of inclusive schools in India.