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What strategies did educators use to cultivate a sense of belonging, self-competence, and agency among students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)? Did educators face any challenges in implementing these strategies? Were the findings of this study specific to the inclusive school in Macau, or can they be generalised to other educational settings? This study brings to light educators' inner perspective of students' sense of belonging, self-competence, and agency. Specifically, it aims to uncover the academic and emotional needs of students with SEN and the importance that these may have in promoting a positive educational experience. By gathering the perspectives of educators in an inclusive school in Macau who work side-by-side with these students daily, we can understand how essential these elements are in contributing to their overall development. The purposive sampling approach was used in this study to further investigate various experiences and perspectives of educators within an inclusive classroom setting. The educators interviewed provided insight into an inclusive classroom with students with SEN in full-time attendance. The educators sampled in this study facilitated the search for strategies, challenges and support systems to cultivate a sense of belonging, self-competence and agency, among students with SEN. Findings showed educators' understanding of the importance of students with SEN's sense of belonging, self-competence and agency. The educators' awareness of their students' interactions with peers, and the educators themselves, was prominent, revealing how the sense of belonging for students with SEN affected these relationships. Regarding students' sense of self-competence, according to educators, students with SEN had opportunities to showcase their confidence in specific classroom areas and to exercise independence in the classroom, within the set curriculum and lesson plans. In the findings, educators illuminated the importance of agency in students with SEN. However, they were apprehensive about changes in lesson plans, cultivating a fully independent classroom setting and providing choices to students with and without SEN. The study's implications highlight the educational practices and policies that effectively supplement students with SEN's academic and social environments. The findings of this study aim to guide curriculum developers, educators and parental figures in fostering positive learning experiences for students with diverse learning needs

Muslim community is one of the minority groups in Macau SAR China. Muslims are an interesting group in terms of research because of its diversity in respect to language, nationality, social status, and education level. Groups of people migrate for various reasons such as religion, politics, economy, and education. Individuals experience the age in between nineteen and twenty-four, which fall in the category of youth. Studies of Muslim youths have gained more attention in scholarship, statistical data, and research. The study seeks to understand Muslim students’ life and the needs of this minority group and explores how Muslim students perceive Islam and their own ability to cope with school related cultural pressures through qualitative, phenomenological approach, and focuses on exploring the common experiences of Muslim students in this city. This study used a conceptual framework based on critical race theory (CRT). We use in-depth interviews of five Muslim youth, ages between 19 and 24, to investigate their school life experiences and Islamic practices. We also administered questionnaires and field note to understand their social mobility, social capital and to gain a deeper understanding of their daily lives. A thematic analysis of the interview data produced the following themes: 1) Social mobility; 2) Social capital Relationship with friends; 3) Discrimination and micro-aggressions; and 4) Religion Identity. The study found that the Muslim status of the participants did not have a significant impact on their school experience, as they were able to find accommodation in their practice of religion and school life. However, the multiple identities of the participants as Macau citizens and their ethnic backgrounds did affect their social capital and sense of belonging. The study also examined the experiences of the participants within Macau society, including social factors such as racism. The results indicated that language and ethnicity were factors that hindered their integration into the community. In addition to the original themes, the analysis of the participants' stories in this research revealed two counter-narratives that challenge prevailing narratives. These counter-narratives include the deconstruction of oppressed Muslim women's narratives and the influence of local mainstream religious schooling on Muslim students' religious loyalty. These alternative narratives provide new insights into the lives of Muslim youths and challenge conventional stories. The findings of this study have important implications for educators, academics, and members of both Muslim and non-Muslim communities. By allowing youth to establish broader connections with society and increasing their motivation to participate in and contribute to the community, this study highlights the need for inclusive educational environments that support the diverse identities of students. Furthermore, the study provides young Muslims with a voice in society, empowering them to challenge dominant narratives and promote counter narratives that reflect their experiences and perspectives to meet critical race theory ethos of ongoing active struggle

This study presents a case study that explores teachers’ perspectives on the role of cooperative learning as a pedagogical approach in promoting equity, inclusion, and collaboration within inclusive classrooms. Additionally, it identifies both the perceived benefits and challenges associated with its application. The researcher sought data from primary school teachers in one inclusive school in Macau and employed in-depth semi-structured interviews. Twelve participants were involved in this qualitative study. The findings underscore the significant impact of cooperative learning in creating inclusive, engaging, and equitable educational environments, particularly for students with special educational needs. Overall, the participants viewed cooperative learning as a valuable pedagogical approach that fosters equity, interaction, student engagement, and collaboration in inclusive classroom settings. While cooperative learning presents several benefits in promoting an inclusive and equitable learning environment, the findings also reveal unique challenges that require careful management and adaptation by teachers. Some of these challenges include certain students dominating group work, difficulties in integrating students with different disabilities, and time management issues for effective cooperative learning implementation. Overall, the case study contributes valuable insights into to the complex dynamics of cooperative learning in mixed ability classes

Although Macau students received years of English lectures as compulsory, the outcome could be more favorable when applied to English written performance. In that written communication requires the individual to consider audience perception of the message, a challenge for ESL writers, this study explores whether different forms of feedback can enhance one’s cultural intelligence.The current study looked into the effect of incorporating peer involvement and instructor feedback in written communication, gaining insight into cultural nuances. In order to attain the objective, data were gathered through the utilization of an action research methodology employing a mixed-method design. Grade twelve local students attended a six-week six-week intervention consisting of two cycles. The focus of the intervention nurtured essay writing; the topics of which were inspired by popular musical lyrics, and involved a drafting process that incorporated feedback both from peer editing and the instructor.. The data collected throughout the study involved analysis of written samples (scores of draft and final version) using a paired samples t-test. In addition, students completed a pre-test and post-test survey of the cultural intelligence instrument (CQ), which measured their performance across four domains. There were statistically significant differences between cognitive CQ and motivational CQ between the scores attained before and directly after the intervention.. This study's findings suggest that the written communication of ESL students may be enhanced by adjusting . These findings enriched our understanding of how peer editing and teacher feedback with songs affected the outcomes of second language learners

Quality inclusive education creates educational opportunities for all students to achieve enhanced educational outcomes, and the quality of inclusive teaching depends on teachers’ knowledge, skills, resources and school support. However, not all schools are implementing inclusive education well enough to cater to the learning needs of students with special educational needs. This phenomenological case study explored the perspectives and experiences of five teachers in one inclusive secondary school in Macau. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the in-depth semi- structured interview data revealed four themes: varied conceptualisations of inclusive education, professional training in inclusive practice, professional knowledge and practice experiences, and challenges to implementing inclusive education. Generally, while the teachers demonstrated awareness and some understanding of inclusive education, they also expressed the need for more knowledge and skills to implement inclusive education effectively in their schools. Additionally, they referred to time pressure, workload and insufficient professional development as impeding their personal processes of evolving inclusive teaching in their school. Recommendations were made considering Booth and Ainscow's (2002) Index of Inclusion to enable effective development and practice of inclusive education in the Macau secondary school and extend this to other schools

Research suggested that students struggle because of lacking understanding of basic concepts, formulas, and procedures in algebra, leading to inefficiency in logical thinking and problem-solving skills. (Julius et al., 2018; Jupri et al., 2021). Schemabased instruction (SBI) aims to enhance learning and problem-solving by activating and building upon students' prior knowledge structures, known as schemas (Powell et al., 2008). The common schemas include the total, difference, change, equal groups, comparison, ratios/proportions (Hughes & Cuevas, 2020). SBI has been found to be effective, particularly for students who struggle with mathematics word problems (Marshall, 2012; Hughes & Cuevas, 2020). Research related to SBI has not yet been conducted in Macau region. An early pre-test was administered by the researcher, thirty-one students were asked to solve 10 questions about percentages. The results showed that some students lacked the fundamental knowledge needed to investigate and explore the abstract ideas, patterns, and relationships in percentages problems. A daily schema-based instruction (SBI) as a part of an experimental intervention study was implemented, pre-test and post-tests were administered to investigate the effect of SBI on students' mathematical procedural fluency skills. Thirty-one students from the researcher’s class were invited to engaged in 40 minutes of daily SBI lessons for two weeks, 12 lessons in total. During each of the twelve 40-minute session, students practiced schemas to develop procedural fluency competencies, such as solid number sense and arithmetic operations, to solve percentages problems. Within-group descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted. The results indicated that after SBI, students can solve mathematical problems with greater procedural fluency. This research shares implications and provides suggestions regarding SBI and procedural fluency

Since 2006, the Government of Macau has been promoting inclusive education. This has now been ongoing for seventeen years. As education policies gradually improve, the focus has shifted from students in inclusive settings to the realm of teachers. With an increasing number of inclusive students, the corresponding work pressures faced by teachers has also increased. The aims of this study are to better understand the work-related stress, sources of stress, and subsequent coping strategies used by mainstreamteachers within the inclusive education sector of Macau. This study used qualitative research methods, interviewing twelve frontline teachers from eight different private primary educational institutions. Eight of these teachers work in schools practicing inclusive education, while four were employed in regular schools. However, all twelve participating teachers had experience in teaching inclusive students but also lacked any specialized background in special education. Following and obtaining and meticulously analyzing interview data, supported by relevant literature, the study findings are presented as follows: 1. Views and Attitudes of Regular Teachers in Inclusive Schools towards Inclusive Education The interviewed teachers support the concept of inclusive education but were concerned about student behaviors and their learning challenges. These concerns included inappropriate behaviors, learning disabilities, and the teachers’ own pedagogical demands. In managing student behaviors, teachers found it difficult to handle the emotional control of inclusive students, leading to disruptions in class. Regarding learning, teachers had to use additional and extra time on after-class tutoring, increasing their workload. Teaching inclusive students also complicated the instruction, requiring teachers to undergo additional training and preparation. 2. Work-Related Stress and its Sources among Regular Teachers within Inclusive Schools The participating teachers rated their stress-resilience as not low, but rather they experienced medium to high levels of work-related stress, mainly due to long working hours and extensive workloads. The study identifies four main sources of stress: （i） The nature of work, including extensive teaching and non-teaching tasks, including heavy class management, or multiple roles. （ii） Social relationships, where regular teachers lacked an understanding of resource teachers’ roles, leading to ineffective communication and an underutilization of resource teachers in schools. （iii） Organizational structure, where schools involved in inclusive education required improvements in facilities and teaching environments, particularly in the safety of sports areas. Additionally, not all mainstream teachers had access to inclusive education resources, and the instructional adjustments for inclusive students did not fully meet their needs. （iv） Social aspects, where the public did not fully understand the concepts of inclusive education, and expectations on teachers were excessively high. Furthermore, teachers were dissatisfied with their salaries and benefits, which they felt were not commensurate with their heavy workload. The study also found that female teachers faced additional stress from both work and family responsibilities, as they also bear the burden of caring for and educating their own children at home. 3. Responses and Coping Methods of Regular Teachers in Inclusive Schools to Work-Related Stress The study analyzed the negative impacts of work-related stress on teachers’ physical health, psychological state, and behavior. The impacts included poor sleep quality or insomnia and emotional states of worry and anxiety. In response to stress, teachers engaged in communication and social activities, exercise and rest, and dietary adjustments. However, these stress-relief methods did not effectively address the root causes of the stress, making long-term stress management a crucial issue for teachers. Based on the findings regarding stress perceptions, sources, and coping methods, the researcher proposes recommendations for teachers, educational institutions, and relevant government departments, with an aim to support and aid future policymaking in the area of inclusive education in Macau