Books
Symeonidou, S. (2014). Dimensions of disability in Cyprus. Analysing experiences of everyday life and political struggle. Athens: Pedio. (in Greek)
Symeonidou, S., & Beauchamp-Pryor, K. (Eds.). (2013). Researching disability: purpose, process and future directions. London: Sense Publishers.
Symeonidou, S., & Phtiaka, H. (2012). Teacher education for inclusion: from research to praxis. Athens: Pedio. (in Greek)
Papers in refereed journals
Symeonidou, S. & Chrysostomou, M. (2024). The use of vignettes in research on the social and educational inclusion of people with disabilities: a review of the literature.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2024.2413157
Symeonidou, S. (2024). Curricula for exclusion: Interpreting the ideologies and forces underpinning policy developments in relation to the education of children with disabilities.
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2024.2321867
Mavrou, K., Symeonidou, S. & Tsakiri, M. (2024). Once inclusive always inclusive (?): experiences of Cypriot teachers and parents of children with disabilities on the use of technology and collaboration before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
International Journal of Inclusive Education.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2024.2326615
Symeonidou, S., Tsakiri, M. & Mavrou, K. (2024). Inclusive education in the aftermath of the pandemic. Lessons from mainstream and special teachers who ‘escaped the room’.
European Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041241236895
Demetriou, K. & Symeonidou, S. (2023). Stamped allegories of disability: Representations of the disabled body on postage stamps. Disability & Society, 38(7), 1091-116. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2021.1983417
De Vroey, A., Lecheval, A., & Symeonidou, S. (2023). Supporting all educators to take part in teacher professional learning for inclusion. Trends in Higher Education, 2(2): 320-321. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu2020018
Symeonidou, S., Loizou, E. & Recchia, S. (2023). Editorial. The inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood education: interdisciplinary research and dialogue.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 31(1), 1-7,
DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2022.2158632
Symeonidou, S. & Loizou, E. (2023). Bridging early childhood education and inclusive practices in classrooms that serve children with disabilities: a narrative portrait.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 31(1), 92-105,
DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2022.2140817
Symeonidou, S. (2022). Unpacking ableist discourses in Cypriot education policy during the pandemic. European Educational Research Journal, 22(6), 834-851. DOI: 10.1177/14749041221117885
Symeonidou, S. (2022). Teacher education for inclusion and anti-oppressive curriculum development: innovative approaches informed by disability arts and narratives. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(7): 659-673, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1711819
Kefallinou, A., Symeonidou, S. and Meijer, J. W. Cor (2020). Understanding the value of inclusive education and its implementation: A review of the literature. Prospects, 49: 135-152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09500-2
Symeonidou. S. & Mavrou. K. (2020). Problematising disabling discourses on the assessment and placement of learners with disabilities: can interdependence inform an alternative narrative for inclusion?, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 35(1):70-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2019.1607661
Symeonidou, S. & Chrysostomou, M. (2019). ‘I got to see the other side of the coin’: Teachers’ understandings of disability-focused oppressive and anti-oppressive pedagogies, International Journal of Educational Research, 98 (2019), 356-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.09.012
Symeonidou, S. (2019). Disability, the arts and the curriculum: Is there common ground?, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 34(1),50-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2018.1435012
Symeonidou, S. & Loizou, L. (2018): Disability studies as a framework to design disability awareness programs: no need for ‘magic’ to facilitate children’s understanding, Disability & Society, 33(8), 1234-1258. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2018.1488677
Symeonidou, S. (2017). Initial teacher education for inclusion: a review of the literature. Disability & Society, 32(3), 401-422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2017.1298999
Chrysostomou, M. & Symeonidou, S. (2017). Education for disability equality through disabled people’s life stories and narratives: working and learning together in a school-based professional development programme for inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 32(4), 575-585.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08856257.2017.1297574
Jones, C., & Symeonidou, S. (2017). The Hare and the Tortoise: A comparative review of the drive towards inclusive education policies in England and Cyprus. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(7), 775-789. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2017.1283715
Gibson, S., Baskerville, D., Berry, A., Black, A., Norris, K., & Symeonidou, S. (2017). Including students as co-enquirers: matters of identity, language and labelling in an International Higher Education participatory research study. International Journal of Educational Research, 81, 108-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.11.008
Gibson, S., Baskerville, D., Berry, A., Black, A., Norris, K., & Symeonidou, S. (2016). ‘Diversity’, ‘Widening Participation’ and ‘Inclusion’ in Higher Education. An international study. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 18(3), 7-33.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5456/WPLL.18.3.7
Monoyiou, E. & Symeonidou, S. (2016). The wonderful world of children’s books? Negotiating diversity through children’s literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(6), 588-603.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1102338
Symeonidou, S. (2015). Rights of people with intellectual disability in Cyprus: Policies and practices related to greater social and educational inclusion. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 12(2), 120-131.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12120
Symeonidou, S. (2014). ‘Ψηφίδες Γνώσης’: μια έρευνα-εργαλείο για την επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη των εκπαιδευτικών. [‘Tesserae of Knowledge’: using research as a tool for teachers’ professional development]. Επιθεώρηση Συμβουλευτικής κα ιΠροσανατολισμού [Counseling and Guidance Review], Issue 104. (in Greek)
Mavrou, K., & Symeonidou, S. (2014). Employing the principles of Universal Design for Learning to deconstruct the Greek-Cypriot new national curriculum. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18
(9), 918-933. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2013.859308
Symeonidou, S., & Mavrou, K. (2014). Deconstructing the Greek-Cypriot new national curriculum: to what extent are disabled children considered in the ‘humane and democratic school’ of Cyprus? Disability and Society,
29
(2), 303-316.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2013.796879
Symeonidou, S., & Phtiaka, H. (2014). ‘My colleagues wear blinkers… If they were trained, they would understand better’. Reflections on teacher education on inclusion in Cyprus. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs
, 14
(2), 110-119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-3802.2012.01234.x
Symeonidou, S., & Damianidou, E. (2013). Enriching the subject of Greek Literature with the experience of the ‘Other’: an approach that fosters citizenship education in Cyprus. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17
(7), 732-752. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2012.717638
Symeonidou, S., & Phtiaka, H. (2009). Using teachers’ prior knowledge, attitudes and beliefs to develop in-service teacher education courses for inclusion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(4), 543-550.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.02.001
Symeonidou. S. (2009). Trapped in our past: the price we have to pay for our cultural disability inheritance. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 13(6), 565-579.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603110801972069
Peters, S., Gabel, S., & Symeonidou, S. (2009). Resistance, transformation and the politics of hope: imagining a way forward for the disabled people’s movement. Disability and Society, 24(5), 543-556.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687590903010875
Symeonidou. S. (2009). The experience of disability activism through the development of the disability movement: how do disabled activists find their way in politics? Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 11(1), 17-34.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15017410802461905
Symeonidou, S. (2007). Parental involvement in education politics: the case of disabled children. Mediterranean Journal of Educational Studies, 12(2), 45-67.
Symeonidou, S. (2002). The changing role of the support teacher and the case of Cyprus: the opportunity for a cooperative teaching approach. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 17(2), 149-160.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08856250210129065
Research projects
DISARTS was located in the Disability Studies theoretical framework and aimed to provide teacher professional learning opportunities on disability issues. The purpose of the programme was to empower teachers to design and implement lesson plans, that include the work of people with disabilities, either directly or indirectly. The programme used poems, literary texts, works of art, songs, videos, interviews and other material developed by people with disabilities. Participating teachers were involved in school–based professional learning activities. Through the knowledge, attitudes and skills developed through DISARTS, teachers were able to develop anti-oppressive curricula in order to (re)construct the concept of disability among learners in all levels of education. DISARTS received internal funding from the University of Cyprus (2019-2021), following a review process. It used the digital archive created in the programme "Tesserae of Knowledge" (www.ucy.ac.cy/psifides-gnosis). The scientific co-ordinator of the programme was Simoni Symeonidou.
'Tesserae of Knowledge' (in Greek, Psifides Gnosis) is a research project aimed at collecting, digitizing and disseminating material related to disabled people and people with chronic illnesses, primarily in order to promote inclusive education. In the context of the project, a digital archive was developed. The archive comprises of 'digital portfolios' for each person, entailing his/her biography, representative work (e.g. poems, literary texts, artwork, songs, videos, documentaries), and interviews. The digital portfolios can be used by anyone who is interested in disability issues, and particularly by teachers, as part of the curriculum. To this end, a search tool was developed, to facilitate teachers locate material that is suitable for different subjects, thematic areas, and class levels. The project runs a number of activities, such as professional development programmes for teachers, school based seminars, school based interventions addressed to teachers and students, presentations at conferences, and publications. The project 'Tesserae of Knowledge' was initiated in 2011, thanks to the funding provided by the University of Cyprus, and it continues its educational and social contribution to date. The project co-ordinator is Simoni Symeonidou.
