Collaborative practices of general and special preschool education teachers in general inclusive preschool education in Greece

Author(s):

Maria Gelastopoulou(submitting)Aikaterini Tavoulari(presenting)Evdoxia Nteropoulou-Nterou Valia Kalogridi

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 09 A, Collaboration between Teachers

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-04

11:00-12:30

Room:

B013 Anfiteatro

Chair:

Dóra Sigríður Bjarnason

Contribution

Inclusive education is one of the major challenges education systems face to remove social and educational inequalities and maximize active participation and access for all students to education (Unesco, 2007). Applying inclusive education programs is rather complicated and multidimensional as it relates to a set of factors that define the context in which each inclusion is attempted (Barton, 2003).

Collaboration between education stakeholders constitutes a major factor in education and learning, which admittedly is the cornerstone of inclusive education promotion. Collaborative practices in school can promote inclusion for all students or may lead to stigmatization and exclusion of a large portion of student population from education or even school dropout (Ainscow et all, 2006; Barton, 2003; Vlachou & Zoniou-Sideri, 2010). In inclusive contexts, collaboration has emerged as a necessity from school reality itself (heterogeneous cultural, linguistic, academic, etc. students’ composition), Collaboration has also emerged from the complex situation that teachers face at school requiring synthesis of knowledge, skills, attitudes and ideas (Vlachou & Zoniou-Sideri, 2010; Morocco & Aguilar, 2002). Furthermore, through collaboration, new effective approaches and methods emerge, the development of an inclusion culture and ethos is promoted, many problems are solved, and diversity receives a positive meaning. Corbet, 2001;Ainscow et all, 2006; Lee, 2007). Overall, collaboration is beneficial for all stakeholders in education on a teaching, learning, social, professional and personal level (Dettmer, Thurston & Dyck, 2005; Argyropoulos & Nikolaraizi, 2009). But how is collaboration determined in inclusive education?

Collaboration as an educational practice is complicated, as it has different meanings by different people, and it is approached using different practices. How everyone perceives real collaboration and what forms of collaboration are thought important, are issues that promote inclusion or exclusion (Vlachou & Zoniou-Sideri 2010). Collaboration refers to all those practices and procedures that contribute to real access and participation of all students in the curriculum. Collaborative teaching requires changes in stereotypes, roles, responsibilities in order for common goals to be achieved (Lee, 2007; Friend & Cook, 2003). The teachers in the classroom collaborate in terms of planning, teaching and assessment, by eliminating the need to maintain "authority" and "power” (Corbet, 2001; Vlachou, 2006; Lee, 2007). Is the development of inclusive collaborative practices favored in Greek inclusive settings?

In Greece, preschool inclusive settings, according to law, are attended by students with and without disabilities or SEN. Two teachers (one general and one SEN) are provided and also a support classroom where students with disabilities or SEN move and attend the individualized educational program from the special teacher. The responsibilities, the roles, the forms of collaboration and the ways the two teachers intervene and the time students with disabilities remain at the support class, has not been clearly stated by the legislative framework (Public Law 3699/2008 ). Thus, roles are adopted in a silent and informal way reflecting beliefs on inclusion and intensifying even more the segregating organization and functioning style of schools (Zoniou-Sideri & Vlachou, 2006). (Vlachou, 2006).

This research focuses on exploring the views and experiences of preschool education teachers in inclusive preschool education settings regarding collaboration and collaborative practices. The research questions are:

1. What meaning do teachers give to collaboration?

1a What are their views on the need for collaboration?

1b What is the teachers’ role in collaboration?

2. What are the teachers’ experiences from collaborative practices regarding differentiation, evaluation, accepting diversity, administration and home -school collaboration?

3. What are their views on education policy applied as far as collaboration is concerned?

4. What are the challenges and perspectives for improving collaborative practices?

4a. Do the views of general and special preschool teachers vary?

Method

Aiming at highlighting the challenges and perspectives for improving collaborative practice as a basic requirement of inclusive education a qualitative methodological approach was followed. This research project comes under the spectrum of qualitative methodological approach, due to the nature of research questions and the purpose of research, both requiring focus to be given on the interviewees’ perspective, discovering causal relationships and correlations between views and practices, phenomena and realities that have taken place in the socio-political and educational field. Moreover, the qualitative methodological approach allows a critical and in-depth view of education practices (Mason, 2003; Robson, 2007). The methodological tool of the present study is the semi-structured interview, which enables obtaining rich quality material about experiences, opinions, attitudes and representations of participants and in-depth exploration of complicated social processes, personal perceptions, thoughts in relation to the research topic or even procedures which are not obvious in the participants’ attitudes or are not easily observed. Prior to the interviews, a pilot study was conducted to test functionality, clarity and giving a different meaning to the interview questions (Robson, 2007; Iosifides, 2003; Grawitz, 2006). Data analysis was based on thematic content analysis using procedures of meaning-giving, classification, correlation, discovery of causal relationships and theorizing of quality material in order for research questions to be answered (Mason, 2003; Iosifides, 2003). This research involved 20 pre-primary teachers working in preschool inclusion classes in the area of Attica; 10 were general pre-school teachers and 10 Special Education teachers accordingly. From every inclusion class both preschool teachers (general and special) took part in the research.

Expected Outcomes

The data from this study are expected to help identifying collaboration and, at the same time, highlighting the deficits in giving diverse meaning to collaboration and collaborative practices on behalf of the participants. Furthermore, the research findings could help identify factors that prevent collaborative practices associated to education policy from developing. Indicating the limited collaborative practices and formal collaborative relationships, in terms of preschools management and problem solving, can help collaborative practices be developed, practices that promote inclusion and upgrade education and learning. When appropriate collaborative practices are implemented, prospects for upgrading professional identity, role, and work of teachers are created (Ainscow et all, 2006; Lee, 2007)

References

Ainscow, M., Muijs, D. & West, M. (2006). Collaboration as a strategy for improving schools in challenging circumstances. Improving schools, Vol. 9, No 3, pp. 192-202 Argyropoulos, V. & Nikolaraizi M.(2009). Developing inclusive practices through collaborative action research. European Journal of Special Needs Education 24, no. 2: 139–53 Barton, L., (2003). Inclusive education and teacher education: a basis of hope or a discourse of delusion. Retrieved from, http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/library/Barton-inclusive-education.pdf 20/11/ 2006. Corbett, J. (2001). Teaching approaches which support inclusive education: a connective pedagogy. British Journal of Special Education, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp.55-59. Dettmer, P.,Thurston, L.P. & Dyck, N.J. ( 2005). Consultation, Colloboration and teamwork for students with special need. Boston: Allyn & Bacon Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2003). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Grawitz, M. (2006). Social Sciences Methods, Volume B΄. Athens: Odysseas [in Greek] Iosifides, Th. (2003). Qualitative Data Analysis in Social Sciences. Athens: Kritiki [in Greek] Law No 3699 /2-10-2008, Special Education for persons with disabilities or Special Education Needs. Retrieved from on October 30th 2008: http://edu.klimaka.gr/arxeio/nomothesia-fek/fek-199-2008-eidikh-agwgh-kai-ekpaidevsh-klimaka.pdf [in Greek] Lee, H. (2007). Collaboration: A must for Teachers in Inclusive Educational Settings, Retrieved from, http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/infoBriefs_local/shure/collaboration.pdf 16/07/2009 Mason, J. (2003). Qualitative Researching. London: Sage. Morocco, C.C., & Aguilar, C.M. (2002). Co-teaching for content understanding: A school wide model. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 13, 315-347. Robson, C. (2007). Research in the real world . Athens: Gutenberg [in Greek] Unesco, (2007). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Retrieved 14 May 2008 from http:www.mlsi.gov.cy/mlsi/dsid/dsid.nsf/9EA85834AB487A10C2257A7C002CEDA5/ $file/Symbasi%20OHE%20kai%20Prwtokollo.pdf Vlachou, A., (2006). Role of special /support teacher in Greek primary schools: a counterproductive effect of “inclusion” practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol.10, No 1, pp.39-58. Vlachou, A. & Zoniou-Sideri, A. (2010). School inclusion and collaborative practices of general and special education teachers. Hellenic Journal of Psychology v. 7/2, p. 180-204 [in Greek] Zoniou-Sideri, Α. and Vlachou, A. (2006). Greek teachers’ belief system about disability and inclusion Education. International journal of Inclusive Education, vol.10, No. 4-5, pp. 379-394.

Author Information

Maria Gelastopoulou (submitting)

Institute of Education Policy, Athens Greece

Aikaterini Tavoulari (presenting)

None

Athens

Evdoxia Nteropoulou-Nterou

National and Kapodistrian University Of Athens

Valia Kalogridi

none