The aim of this research project is to investigate inclusive classroom practices. The research design of the study and some preliminary results have been presented during the last ECER Conference, the complete results will be discussed in this paper.

The identification of elements that characterise inclusive education classroom practices is an important issue at least for two reasons.  On one side, for research it has been hypothesized that classroom practices play a relevant role both in relation to learning and social outcomes. On the other side, exporting best practices of inclusive classrooms could be easier by means of clearly identified and described single elements that can be combined and adapted to single concrete situations that occur in other contexts .

As far as the first reason concerns, even if an inclusive trend characterizes the development of most of the European Countries nowadays, the traditional discussion that opposes special education to inclusive education is still alive and is well conceptualized with the Dilemma of Difference (Norwich 2008). In educational research inclusive and special education settings have been experimentally investigated with the aim to find out which of the two settings is the most effective one in terms of learning and social outcomes for all pupils. Some meta-analysis of the results of these research projects show that a univocal and reliable interpretation of the data is not possible and so the greater effectiveness of one setting compared to the other can’t be demonstrated (Elbaum, 2002; Freeman e Alkin, 2000; Lindsey, 2007). These results show the need of a critical review of inclusive and special educations settings as variables that effect learning and social outcomes. Hypothesis about a significant role of classroom practices and micro-teaching aspects have been developed (INCLUD-ED 2012; Lindsey, 2007; Norwich e Kelly 2004).

As far as the second reason concerns, going beyond the simple narration of inclusive classroom practices and identify instead single elements that characterize these practices could support the export of these meaningful elements to other schools and contexts. A list of well described elements that seem to be relevant in some good working inclusive school systems can be adopted and adapted to other contexts that try to develop inclusive classroom practices.

The main aim of this research project is to find out elements that characterize good inclusive classroom practices in 14 primary schools in Italy. It is a research project with a bottom-up approach: qualitative data collected through observation of everyday school practice and through interviews with teachers, pupils and parents will be analysed and categories of significant elements will be identified. The ambiguous term element was consciously chosen  in order to comprehend the large range of aspects that may emerge. The term inclusive classroom practices describes the focus on processes that take place on the level of the classrooms and on the fact that we look for practices that support learning and socialization for all. The term good refers to teachers’ perception about the practice: a part from two quality criteria indicated by the research group the sample selection was based on teachers’ quality perception (see the sample selection in the part about methods).

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