Enhancing Sustainable Inclusive Education

In recent decades, inclusive education has been the focal point of many international declarations related to children’s and young people’s educational rights [...

Constructing support as inclusive practice : a self-study

The compulsory school act in Iceland states that schools should be inclusive. This entails that schools need to provide every pupil with quality education according to their needs and ability, and to remove barriers to participation in learning and social situations to enable pupils and their parents to belong in the school community. Given the fact that the policy calls for significant restructuring of school organisation, it is important to consider how and whether the organisation of special needs education and support operates according to the ideology of inclusive education. The research focuses on how I, a coordinator for support services in a compulsory school in Iceland, worked on developing the organisation of support towards inclusive practice. Inclusive practice is grounded in the ideologies of social justice, democracy, human rights and full participation of all. In using the term inclusive practice, I seek to demonstrate that there are many factors that have an impact on the process of inclusion in a school setting and to emphasise the fact that inclusion is a process that can never be completed. The research is framed by the concepts of collaboration between classroom teachers and support services, leadership for inclusion and reflective practice, as these concepts have been considered crucial for re-conceptualising education practice to become inclusive. Self-study methodology was employed in the research to allow for understanding of my role in transforming practice and how that transpired. The purpose has been to transform the support service in Waterfront School so that it reinforces inclusive practice and to understand my role in improving leadership and collaboration for inclusion. This is a study in and of my practice that was divided into three distinct phases: reconnaissance phase, enactment phase and reflective phase. In the reconnaissance phase I interviewed administrators, teachers and support staff working at the school in order to achieve insight into how the people I work with understand inclusion and into their views on the support system and collaboration. Analysis of this phase illustrates the voices of staff working with pupils in the school by highlighting their perception of inclusion and their ideas about how the support system could be improved. Based on this analysis I created an action plan that I implemented in the next cycle of the research, the enactment phase. In the enactment phase the organisation of the support service was transformed according to analysis of the data from the reconnaissance phase and the process was recorded in a self-reflective research journal. Furthermore, the viewpoints of parents, pupils and learning support assistants were gathered on inclusive practices in the school and how that could be improved from their standpoint. The analysis of this phase gives an insight into how the coordination of the support system was developed, what the main challenges were, and how collaboration between general educators and the support staff in the school was transformed. In the reflective phase, I reflected on my learning of the practitioner research, alone and with others, as I analysed the data and gained understanding of my development in thinking and practice. Through reflection and with the assistance of critical friends I transformed the findings into a story that others might relate to and perhaps learn from. Findings from this study cast a light on the factors constraining or facilitating the restructuring of the support service as inclusive practice in a school. The findings show that even though I was committed to improving the practices of support, there were influences and barriers to those improvements that made the whole process complex. Breaking away from the discourses of disability, charity and pathology that dictate the practice of support, thereby changing my own and others mind set, proved to be the greatest challenge. My contribution to knowledge is the provision of a first-hand account of a middle manager endeavouring to change practice towards inclusion. Furthermore, I used the understanding gained from the research to form a model of an inclusive education system, which can be employed to inform school change across system levels, to explore inclusive practices, and to support teacher education and professional development. Through the research process I have gained an understanding that creating an inclusive support system is a complex venture. It is bigger than improving collaboration and leadership of the coordinator for support. I have learned that the position of a coordinator for support needs to be reconceptualised. While the teachers are responsible for meeting the daily needs of their pupils, the coordinator for support services has a role to provide the support and advice required to assist each teacher in fulfilling their statutory duties.Í lögum um grunnskóla á Íslandi er kveðið á um að skólar eigi að vera án aðgreiningar. Það þýðir að skólum ber að veita öllum nemendum góða menntun í samræmi við þarfir þeirra og hæfni auk þess að fjarlægja hindranir fyrir þátttöku í námi og félagslegum aðstæðum til að gera nemendum og foreldrum klei ft að tilh eyra skólasamfélaginu . Í ljósi þess að stefna n kallar umtalsverðar breytingar á skipulagi skólastarfs er brýnt að huga að hvernig og hvort fyrirkomulag sérkennslu og stuðnings fellur að hugmyndafræði skóla án aðgreiningar . Rannsó knarverkefnið fjallar um hvernig ég, í hlutverki deildarstjó ra stoðþjónustu í grunnskóla á Íslandi , leitaðist við að þróa skipulag stuðnings og sérkennslu í átt til þess að vera á n aðgreiningar. Starf í skóla án aðgreiningar byggist á félagslegu réttlæti, lýðræði, m annréttindum og þátttöku allra sem þýðir að það eru margir þættir sem hafa áhrif á ferilinn í átt til þess að skólar séu án aðgreiningar . Á hersla er lögð á að þessi feri ll sé án enda, verði ætíð verk í vinnslu eða eitthvað til að stefna að. Rannsóknin byggir á hugmyndum fræðimanna um þætti sem taldir eru mikilvægir fyrir þróun skóla án aðgreiningar: samstarf kennara og stoðþjónustu, forystu fyrir skóla án aðgreiningar og ígrundun í starfi. Tilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að umbreyta skipulagi stoðþjónustu í einum grunnskóla, Vatnaskóla, þannig að stuðningur yrði án aðgreiningar auk þess að öðlast dýpri skilning á hlutverki mínu sem deildarstjóra við að efla forystu og samstarf. Ég nýtti aðferðir starfstengdrar sjálfsrýni, á ensku self - study, við rannsóknina til að öðlast skilning á breytingarferlinu og hlutverki forystu í starfi. Hér er um að ræða rannsókn á og rannsókn í starfi mínu sem deildarstjó ri stoðþjónustu og va r henni skipt upp í þrjú skeið : undirbú ningsskeið , framkvæmda skeið og ígrundunar skeið . Á undirbúnings skeiðinu tók ég viðtöl við stjórnendur, kennara, starfsfólk stoðþjónustu og námsráðgjafa. Flest viðtalanna voru rýnihópaviðtöl en tvö voru einstaklingsvið töl. Tilgangur viðtalanna var að öðlast innsýn inn í skilning samstarfsfólks míns á skóla án aðgreiningar og hverjar hugmyndir þeirra væru um stoðþjónustuna og samstarf. Greining gagna frá þessu skeiði varpar ljósi á hvernig starfsfólk og stjórnendur skilj a skóla án aðgreiningar og á hugmyndir þeirra um hvernig hægt er að þróa stoðþjónustuna og samstarf innan skólans. Á þeirri greiningu byggði ég síðan áætlun sem var framkvæmd á næsta stigi rannsóknarinnar: framkvæmdaskeiðinu. iv Á framkvæmdaskeiðinu vann ég a ð breytingum á skipulagi stoðþjónustunnar samkvæmt því sem fram kom í niðurstöðum greininga gagna af undirbúningsskeiðinu og var breytingarferillinn skráður í rannsóknardagbók. Á þessu stigi tók ég einnig viðtal við mæður nokkurra barna í skólanum, gerði v erkefni með nemendum í 4., 6. og 9. - 10. bekk og tók viðtöl við nokkra þeirra, og tók viðtal við hóp af stuðningsfulltrúum. Tilgangurinn með þessari gagnaöflun var að fá fram sýn þessa hópa á starf í skóla án aðgreiningar og hvernig bæta mætti starfsemi sto ðþjónustunnar. Greining á gögnum af þessu skeiði gaf innsýn inn í hvernig til tókst með að breyta skipulagi stoðþjónustunnar, hverjar voru helstu áskoranirnar og hvernig samstarf kennara og starfsfólks stoðþjónustu breyttist á tímabilinu. Á ígrundunarskei ðinu rýndi ég í það sem ég hafði lært á rannsókninni, ein og með aðstoð annarra, í þeim tilgangi að greina gögnin og skilja hvernig ég þróaðist í starfi og hugsun . Með ígrundun gagna og samvinnu við rýnivini náði ég að setja fram í niðurstöðum sögu sem aðr ir geta samsamað sig við og jafnvel lært af . Niðurstöðurnar sýna að það reyndist ekki auðvelt að ná markmiðum verkefnisins varðandi umbreytingu á stoðþjónustunni. Það voru ýmis ljón í veginum sem gerðu ferlið flókið. Stærsta áskorunin reyndist vera að bre yta orðræðu fötlunar, meðaumkunar og læknisfræði sem stýrði hugarfari mínu og annarra og setti mark sitt á hvernig stoðþjónustunni var háttað. Framlag mitt til þekkingar er frásögn millistjórnanda af því hvernig hægt er að breyta stoðþjónustunni í átt til þess að vera án aðgreiningar. Til að ná yfirsýn yfir flækjurnar og hvernig aðilar, stofnanir, lög og reglugerðir í lagskiptingu skólakerfisins tengjast og vinna saman útbjó ég kerfisbundið yfirlit yfir stefnu skóla án aðgreiningar og hvað hún felur í sér. Þetta yfirlit getur nýst kennurum, stjórnendum, skólum eða skólakerfum sem vilja gera breytingar á stuðningi og sérkennslu eða gera athugun á skó lastarfi . Auk þess getur þetta yfirlit verið upplýsandi í kennaramenntun og endurmenntun kennara og stjórnenda í starfi. Ég hef öðlast skilning á því í gegnum rannsóknina að það að breyta stoðþjónustu skóla í átt til þess að vera án aðgreiningar er flókið framtak, mun flóknara en að bæta samstarf eða forystu deildarstjóra stoðþjónustu. Kennarar eru ábyrgir fyrir þ ví að mæta daglegum þörfum nemenda sinna, en deildarstjóri stoðþjónustu hefur það hlutverk að styðja kennara og veita þeim þá ráðgjöf sem dugar til þess að þeir geti uppfyllt lögbundnar starfsskyldur sínar

Breaking Free from the Needs Paradigm: A Collaborative Analysis of Inclusion

The Version of Record of this manuscript has been published and is available in Studying Teacher Education 2019 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi:10.1080/17425964.2018.1541290This self-study, based on research, conducted over five years, focuses on my leadership role employing an inclusion model of education in a school in Iceland serving students from ages 6 to 16. In this article, we examine how Edda’s practice helped support inclusion for the students, their families, and the teachers who engage with them. This multilayered self-study research project included feedback and insights from others in order to inform my understanding of my practice within the context of inclusion. Findings reveal Edda’s focus on the discourse of diagnosis as a dominant structural issue within her practice. The resulting themes on perceptions of inclusion, coordination of support, deployment of people, and collaboration across different entities have informed my understanding about my practice and my perspective on the meaning of a support system within inclusive education and improved student performance.Peer Reviewe

Policies for Inclusion in Iceland : possibilities and Challenges

publishedVersio

Development of teacher self-efficacy for teaching in rural schools in the circumpolar north:Lessons for teacher education

Teachers across the circumpolar north often share similar experiences working in small communities in remote areas with distinctive cultures and livelihoods. However, teacher education programmes tend to be universal, ignoring an ecological understanding of teaching. This paper describes the findings from a desktop study investigating the specific demands made of teachers working in rural schools and the implications for teacher education in supporting them to develop the necessary self-efficacy for this role. The results indicate that attention to specific teaching and teacher competences is required but that this must be undertaken with an awareness of the importance of place-based education

Analysis of Policies Supporting Teachers to Tackle Linguistic and Cultural Diversity and Facilitate Inclusion from the Perspectives of Iceland and the Faroe Islands

In today’s fast changing multicultural societies, governments and organisations must use their agency to ensure the contribution and inclusion of all cultures and ethnicities. A key factor for enabling this is ensuring education plays a leading role in facilitating the creation of an inclusive society. In this context, the education of teachers must be a priority given the reach and impact teachers have on a society. Therefore, teacher education with its role in preparing pre-service teachers for teaching in a multicultural setting is uniquely placed to enable focus on and engender a foundation for enabling inclusivity, equality and social justice in education. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the policy framework needed for preparing preservice teachers to work with learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The aim is to gain knowledge and understanding of how the concepts of inclusion and culturally responsive pedagogy are reflected in teacher education policy in the island nations of Iceland and the Faroe IslandsPeer reviewe

Teaching Diverse Learners in Europe: Inspiring Practices and Lessons Learned from Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden

Teaching in inclusive settings may be considered a new, challenging task; however, successfully supporting diverse pupils in their learning process has always been at the heart of outstanding pedagogy. Vast differences both in the extent and the quality of inclusive schooling exist between and within European countries. Promoting comparison and cooperation among countries with long-institutionalized inclusive schooling and countries with less inclusive structures, cultures, and practices proves crucial in education research and reform. Building upon a multi-year collaboration, we synthesize lessons learned about inclusive education reforms and “inspiring practices“ in inclusive education in partner schools in Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden. Contemporary practices take the diversity of groups of learners into account, building upon diversity as a resource; this served as the framework for our collaboration. The TdiverS consortium—as an EU-funded Comenius Network Project “Teaching Diverse Learners in (School-)Subjects“ (TdiverS)—was built on the following principles and goals: (1) diversity in theory and practice, resulting from collaborations of practitioners and scientists exchanging knowledge about teaching in inclusive settings; (2) strengthening awareness of the diversity of frameworks, conditions, and determining factors of teaching inclusively in varying cultural contexts; and (3) inclusive education research uniting multilevel, multicultural, and multidisciplinary perspectives. We highlight the values of inclusive education, map its contemporary European geography, summarize contemporary country-level education reforms and the local development of inclusive practices in six countries, and discuss lessons learned across Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Europe

Inclusive school leaders – their role in raising the achievement of all learners

Purpose This article presents a model based on a review of international and European policy and current European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education work on school leadership for inclusive education. The model aims to support analysis of the policy context and interactions between the structures and processes at different levels to ensure effective support for inclusive school leadership and development of appropriate competences. Key issues addressing competences for inclusive school leadership, support and professional development opportunities for inclusive school leaders and policy frameworks that support inclusive leadership across the whole education system are explored. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on a current Agency project, Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL), a cross-national project that considers how best to ensure that school leaders meet the needs of all learners in their school communities. The SISL project examines current theories of school leadership together with the core functions of school leaders in participating countries in order to develop a model specifically focused on inclusive school leadership. Findings Agency projects such as SISL focus on research findings and policy developments that support countries to chart their own course toward a common goal. This process of cross-national working permits member countries with their distinctive national, ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversities to work together on common goals. In this project an ecosystem model of inclusive education was adapted to reflect on the policy context needed to enable school leaders to fulfill the complex responsibilities associated with inclusive school development. Originality/value Although the Agency is strongly associated with the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities, all member countries have the shared vision to support inclusive education systems so that all learners of any age are provided with meaningful, high-quality educational opportunities in their local community. While its projects are firmly rooted in the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, its work is also influenced by the concept of inclusion as promoted in the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4) “to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”Peer Reviewe

Cosa Nostra: Félags- og stjórnmálaleg staða mafíunnar á Ítalíu

Ritgerð þessi fjallar um félagslega- og stjórnmálalega stöðu mafíunnar innan ítalska samfélagsins. Einblínt er á sikileysku mafíuna, Cosa Nostra, þar sem hún er sú þekktasta og búið að rannsaka mest af mafíum á Ítalíu. Til að öðlast betri skilning á stöðu mafíunnar innan ítalsks samfélags er fjallað um sögu, uppbyggingu, skipulag og útbreiðslu Cosa Nostra á Ítalíu og á heimsvísu. Fjallað verður um tengsl Cosa Nostra við stjórnmálamenn og ríkisvaldið og hvernig mafían hefur öðlast ítök innan hagkerfisins. Einnig verður tekið á andófi almennra borgara gegn mafíunni og stöðu kvenna innan samtakanna. Til að átta sig betur á tilvist mafíunnar er umfjöllunarefnið sett í samhengi við leikjakenningar úr mannfræði stjórnmála. Leikjakenningar fjalla um þau átök sem eiga sér stað á pólitískum vettvangi þar sem hópar keppa um völd og líkja þeim við félagsleg leikrit. Leikjakenningar greina frá mismunandi tegundum stjórnmálahópa, reglum sem notast er við til að vinna leikinn og þeim breytingum sem stjórnmálahópar þurfa reglulega að ganga í gegnum

Á valdi neyslumenningar: Rannsókn á tengslum sálfélagslegra þátta og fataneyslu.

Breytingar á neyslumynstri Vesturlanda hafa orðið til þess að offramleiðsla og ofneysla er á fötum og textíl með neikvæðum afleiðingum fyrir umhverfið og loftslagið. Með tilkomu hraðtísku (fast fashion) kaupa neytendur sér margfalt fleiri flíkur en á árum áður og nota þær sjaldnar. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar var að skoða tengsl milli sálfélagslegra breyta annars vegar (efnishyggju, sátt við sjálfan sig og lífið og innfæringu á útlitskröfum samfélagsins) við keypt magn af fötum og textíl og hins vegar tíma og peningum eytt í föt og textíl (fyrirhöfn). Rannsóknin er hluti af samstarfsverkefni Umhverfis- og auðlindaráðuneytisins og Umhverfisstofnunnar um umhverfis- og félagsleg áhrif tísku- og textíliðnaðar. Könnun með stökum mælingum var lögð fyrir netpanel Gallup og fengust 854 svör. Aðhvarfsgreining leiddi í ljós að samvirkniáhrif sáttar og efnishyggju spáði fyrir um innkaup og tíma og peningum eytt í föt og textíl ( fyrirhöfn). Breyturnar spáðu ekki fyrir um innkaup eða fyrirhöfn einar og sér þvert á tilgátur og rannsóknir. Innfæring á útlitskröfum samfélagsins var sú breyta sem gaf hvað bestu forspánna fyrir bæði kaupum á fötum og textíl og tíma og peningum sem eytt er í föt og textíl (fyrirhöfn).Changes in Western consumption patterns have led to overproduction and increased consumption of clothing and textiles, with negative consequences for the environment and climate. Fast fashion has resulted in consumers buying increased amounts of clothes which are seldom used and frequently discarded. The aim of this study was to explain the purchase, time and money spent on clothes and textile (effort ) and discard of clothing and textiles using psychosocial variables; materialism, general satisfaction with life and self, and internalization of societal appearance standards. The study is part of a joint project between the Icelandic Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Icelandic Environmental Agency on the environmental and social impacts of the fashion and textile industry. A survey (n = 854) consisting of single item measures was administered to an online panel by Gallup. Regression analysis showed that general satisfaction of life and self and materialism combined did predict purchases and efford (time and money) spent on clothing and textile. The results were inconsistent with previous studies as satisfaction with self and life and materialism did not show main effects. Internalization of societal appearance standards predicted increased purchases and effort (time and money) spent on clothing and textiles in a consistency with previous results