“This is me”: Using Bronfenbrenner's Systems Model to Prioritize Student and Stakeholders’ Voices in the Co-Design of Individualized Education Programs

Abstract

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are used to document the needs of students with disabilities and outline provisions with which to support access and inclusion in educational settings. However, often the programs focus on students’ specific needs rather than giving agency to students or considering how wider ecosystems impacts students’ ownership of learning. This study adopted Bronfenbrenner's Systems Model (BSM) to support two Australian general secondary education students with low vision to identify factors which impacted access and participation in the process of codesigning their IEPs. Using Bronfenbrenner's Systems Model (BSM) both students were able to identify factors which impacted access and participation in their educational context. Additionally, the model was useful to gain information about their learning needs from pertinent stakeholders within their ecosystem. Results from the two case studies show positive benefits from using the Systems Model within the educational context to give voice to the individual student and to understand intersecting factors impacting students with disability in their education contexts. Information gained from the IEP co-design process, using the BSM, can be used to personalize the student's learning in educational contexts.