Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment for all Learners: Qualitative Multi-Professional Team Structures in All-Day Schools
Author(s):
Meike Kricke (presenting / submitting) Olaf Köster (presenting)
Conference:
ECER 2017
Format:
Paper

Session Information

04 SES 09 B, Professional Collaboration in Inclusive Education

Paper Session

Time:
2017-08-24
13:30-15:00
Room:
W6.16
Chair:
Donatella Camedda

Contribution

Since 2003 there has been a nation-wide effort in the German school system to develop all-day schools in which the various professionals – (special education) teachers, educators, social workers etc. – cooperate in creating an inclusive learning environment aimed at improving the attainment of all learners. One of the main goals has been to counteract the social selection German schools are criticized for (e.g. OECD 2016, Meyer-Hamme 2014) by aiming at an inclusive approach that guarantees the right of every child to succeed academically, socially and emotionally. Changing to all-day schools has been seen in terms of reorganising time and space in the traditional German school so that, instead of being a half-day institution with the addition of after-school care and involving mainly teachers and educators, it becomes an all-day learning environment involving multi-professional teams. However, several studies have shown that even after more then ten years, the aimed-at benefits of all-day learning have not been achieved (see: StEG-study 2016): Schools are still selective, various interest groups act with respect to different goals and the most recent nation-wide evaluation (Ganztagsbildungsbericht 2016) draws attention to a lack of cooperation between the professions: “On a yearly comparison with the 2011/12 school year, it is noticeable that the cooperation between the teaching staff and the educational staff is regressive.“ We find a highly complex system, subject to divergent requirements, and frequently torn between different interests. Social selection has not been reduced and meaningful rhythm of time and space is rare (see: KMK 2015; Klemm 2014), so that the German half-day school tradition continues (almost) unbroken. Cooperation between social education and school pedagogy is reduced to an increase in mutual respect (see: StEG 2013, 28f., Fischer et. al 2011).

Against this background the Montag Stifung Jugend und Gesellschaft (Montag Foundation Youth and Society (MJG; Bonn/Germany) has initiated a pilot project with five all-day primary schools to implement an inclusive all-day-school environment. The aim is to develop strategies to create a multi-professional inclusive environment involving all actors. To achieve this the MJG aims to develop and test a "control check" for all-day educational facilities. In this context control structures of five all-day-primary schools will be analysed. The main research questions are:

-       How is this highly complex system to be directed?

-       How can cooperation structures be strengthened?

-       Can this all-day system meet the requirements of an inclusive education?

-       What steps are necessary for meaningful control?

 

Current processes and the organization of the whole day will be taken into account: the deployment of staff, the rhythm of time and space, activities and equipment, environmental conditions and uses, the provision of meals etc. All those involved in the all-day school will be brought together:

  • School teachers
  • Educational staff
  • Heads of youth welfare organizations
  • Social workers
  • Municipal administrators (youth welfare, school administration and school office)
  • Parents
  • Therapists

Research shows that especially the support provided by multi-professional teams is a prerequisite for an inclusive learning environment (see e.g.: Lütje-Klose/Urban 2013; Speck et al. 2011), such as exist elsewhere, as in Finland and parts of Canada (see Köpfer 2013; Porter 1991; Kricke 2015). This contribution will focus on the structures of multi-professional cooperation and collaboration for inclusive all-day learning environments in order to obtain qualitative criteria for improving collaboration.

Method

The analysis is based on semi-structured dialogue interviews (Scharmer 2009) with ac-tors from the five primary schools involved in the pilot project. Semi-structured question formats guarantee that a broad spectrum of issues can be discussed. A semi-structured outline “increases the comprehensiveness of responses” (Cohen et al. 2006: 353) and provides “greater flexibility and freedom” (ibid.: 355). Dialogue interviews (see: Scharmer 2009) are used to initiate a generative dialogue that allows for reflection and thinking together. In this context they will be used to obtain information about the participants’ questions and expectations and the challenges they currently face. (see: ibid.). The data analysis will use the twelve-step analytical model developed by Altheide (1996). In structuring the data, the following categories will be applied so that awareness of joint action, trust, mutual appreciation, the planned time and agreed communication structures are explicit (based on Speck 2014: rules for cooperation in all-day schools): • common development of a mission within the work of the school program, • cooperative monthly/weekly planning, • common rules, • joint support-planning ("Individual learning and development plans") and guidance for all the children, • daily flow of information and agreements, • joint projects, training courses, pedagogical conferences, parental rights, assistance, • flexible, multi-functional and shared use of space, • the common team space (metaphorically and actually). The data analysis will use frequency counts and qualitative content analysis (Mayring 2008).

Expected Outcomes

The expected outcome of the study is the ability to carry out a control check of the all-day school and analyse current processes and the organization of the school day. A da-tabase is created by the system’s stakeholders that can make more explicit its strengths and weaknesses and the next steps to be taken for a qualitative development of multi-professional teamwork in all-day schools.

References

Altheide, David L. (1996): Qualitative Media Analysis, London: Sage. Köpfer, Andreas (2013): Inclusion in Canada – Analyse inklusiver Unterrichtsprozesse, Unterstützungsstrukturen und Rollen am Beispiel kanadischer Schulen in den Provinzen New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island und Québec, Bad Heilbrunn: Klinkhardt. Fischer, N., Holtappels, H. G., Klieme, E., Rauschenbach, T., Stecher, L. & Züchner, I. (Hrsg.) (2011). Ganztagsschule: Entwicklung, Qualität, Wirkungen. Längsschnittliche Befunde der Studie zur Entwicklung von Ganztagsschulen (StEG), Weinheim: Juventa. Lütje-Klose, B./Urban, M. (2013): Kooperation im multiprofessionellen Team als Gelingensbedingung schulischer Inklusion. Vortrag im Rahmen der Blick über den Zaun Tagung: Lernen – all inclusive. DOI: www.uni- bielefeld.de/erziehungswissenschaft/ag3/ pdf/urban_luetje_vortrag_2013_09.pdf. Kricke, M.: Lernen und Lehren in Deutschland und Finnland: eine empirische Analyse zu Schulsystem und LehrerInnenbil- dung im Ländervergleich. Dissertation, Universität zu Köln. DOI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/6070/. Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) (2015). Ganztagsschulen in Deutschland. (Bericht der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 03.12.2015). Berlin. Klemm, Klaus (2014). Ganztagsschulen in Deutschland: Die Ausbaudynamik ist erlahmt. Gütersloh. Meyer-Hamme, Alexa (2014). Außerunterrichtliche Aktivitäten und herkunftsbedingte Diversität. Konzeption und Wahrnehmung an Ganztagsschulen. Weinheim. Mayring (2008): Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse: Grundlagen und Techniken, Beltz Pädagogik. OECD (2016), PISA 2015 Results (Volume I): Excellence and Equity in Education, OECD Publishing, Paris. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264266490-en. Porter, Gordon L. (1991): The Methods & Resource Teacher: A Collaborative Consultant Model. In: G. L. Porter & D. Richler (Hrsg.): Changing Canadian Schools. Perspectives on Disability and Inclusion, North York, Ontario: Roeher Institute, pp. 107‐154. Scharmer, Otto C. (2009): Theory U: Learning from the Future as it emerges. San Fran-cisco: Berrett- Koehler, Chapter 21. Speck, Karsten/Olk, Thomas/ Böhm-Kasper, Oliver/Stolz, Heinz-Jürgen/Wiezorek, Christine (Hrsg.) 2011: Ganztagsschulische Kooperation und Professionsentwicklung: Studien zu multiprofessionellen Teams und sozialräumlicher Vernetzung, Weinheim und München: Beltz/ Juventa-Verlag. Speck, Karsten (2014): Multiprofessionelle Kooperation an Ganztagsschulen. Zwischen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit. Vortrag auf dem Ganztagsschul-Bundeskongress 2014 „Ganz-tagsschule – Bilanz, Praxis und Perspektiven“ am 21.11.2014 in Neuss im Auftrag des Ganztagsschulverbandes GGT Bundesvorstand. Das Konsortium der Studie zur Entwicklung von Ganztagsschulen (StEG) (2016): Ganz-tagsschule: Bildungsqualität und Wirkungen ausserunterrichtlicher Angebote. Ergebnis-se der Studie zur Entwicklung von Ganztagsschulen 2012–2015. DOI: http://www.projekt-steg.de.

Author Information

Meike Kricke (presenting / submitting)
Montag Stiftung
Jugend und Gesellschaft
bonn
Olaf Köster (presenting)
Montag Stiftungen Jugend und Gesellschaft
Bonn

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