Special Needs, Special Efforts: Learners With Intellectual Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
通过定性研究分析英国高校教师对智力障碍学生特殊学习需求的响应，发现教师虽注重教学调整，但未充分利用可持续发展目标和应对新冠疫情挑战。
This article was undertaken to evaluate the responsiveness of academic faculty teaching various courses at higher education institutions (HEIs) to the special learning needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Conducted as an exploratory investigation, this article also sought to understand if and whether the awareness of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic motivated the faculty teaching individuals with intellectual disabilities to revise their teaching-learning approach to make it more effective for such students. Data for addressing these objectives were collected through a qualitative study, which resulted in 38 valid responses from academic faculty teaching at different levels in the United Kingdom. The content of these responses was analyzed to reveal two main themes-academic faculty's experiences in class and HEIs’ responsiveness to the learning needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Each main theme comprised three subthemes that discussed the practices as they existed and the changes made by faculties in the light of SDGs and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated that while the academic faculty were mindful of introducing pedagogical adjustments to make learning inclusive for individuals with intellectual disabilities, they had not undertaken adjustments in their teaching-learning process to leverage relevant SDGs and counter challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison, the faculty respondents perceived their HEIs to be much more responsive to new opportunities and threats presented by the SDGs and the pandemic.