The aim of the paper is to present a part of the dissertation research focusing on the processes in inclusive education. Specifically, it answers through a case study design the research question: What teaching/learning process/activities do Finnish primary school teachers choose to ensure quality inclusive education? What steps in the teaching process lead to quality inclusive education?

The poster presents part of the initial results of a dissertation research on the nature of the primary school teacher in inclusive education. The presented part presents results focusing on teaching processes in Finnish schools, i.e. the notion of teaching/learning activities chosen by the teacher to ensure quality inclusive education. A case study design with observation and interview method with 10 Finnish primary school teachers was chosen for data collection. The results show the modesty of the Finnish teachers in their choice of teaching strategies, with independent work or group work with peer learning predominating, but with the help and cooperation of a number of teaching staff working in the classroom at the same time. Thus, the simplicity of the chosen forms and methods, with a high degree of differentiation and the involvement of a number of other teaching staff, seems to be essential to ensure quality inclusive education.

Inclusive education has been a high priority worldwide in recent decades and teachers need to be able to manage the increasing diversity of pupils and students in practice. Despite increased policy focus, there is often a lack of support for teachers in understanding and developing heterogeneous classrooms in more tangible and meaningful ways. Yet, the right instructional setting promotes opportunities for student learning and school success. It proves crucial to address the learning processes in heterogeneous classrooms, in what methods and teaching forms teachers use and whether they are supported in their work. Teachers often ask for a manual that shows them the exact steps to take in a heterogeneous classroom, but such a manual does not exist on a global scale. There is, however, research examining the relationship between selected teaching strategies and the quality of inclusive education (Forlin, 2010; Mitchell, 2013; Kratochvílová, 2015; Loreman, 2017). However, the aim of this paper is not to provide a search of this research or a detailed description of the educational processes leading to quality inclusive education. The aim is to present these processes in a Finnish primary school setting and to reflect on the development of a unified strategy. 

Qualitative research, specifically a case study, was chosen for this paper to provide an understanding of the social object in its uniqueness and complexity. Let us specify the method used as an instrumental case study whose main interest is to find out how a certain phenomenon works and the case is only a means to achieve the research goal. The case chosen for this study was a first grade teacher in the context of inclusive education (Stake, 1995; Mareš, 2015). The selection of participants was derived from the selection of primary schools, which was guided by the following criteria: (1) a clinical school, (2) an urban school, (3) a school with a significant Swedish minority, (4) a school in a capital city, and (5) a school with a large number of socially disadvantaged pupils. The criteria were chosen to include cases with high predictive value. Subsequently, 2 primary class teachers were randomly selected from each school. The total number of participants involved in the case study was 10. Data collection and analysis The first phase of the research was based on the study of legislative documents, research findings and professional publications, which led to the identification of four thematic areas that, according to the sources studied, seem to be essential for the teaching profession in the heterogeneous classroom. The themes were then located and studied using thematic analysis in a Finnish setting. The crystallized themes became the basis for classroom observations and interviews. The observations were participant-led, comprehensive and field-based, and the Spradley funnel method was used to record the data, from which case studies were created after each observation, which further informed the semi-structured interview questions with the classroom teachers. The interviews included backbone questions and a further 2-3 follow-up questions. Audio recordings were made of the interviews, which were transcribed and further analysed by axial coding. Due to the nature of the research, an emic perspective was used to interpret the data. The results are presented as a description of one finding after another (Hendl, 2008; Novotná et. al., 2019). For this paper, a topic focusing on teaching processes in a heterogeneous primary school classroom was chosen.

The results show considerable analogy in the learning processes in all the schools involved. From the data analysis, two main areas crystallized that the Finnish teachers consider crucial in the teaching process in an inclusive classroom: (1) teaching strategies, (2) staffing. Conclusion: In summary, primary school teachers choose a range of different instructional strategies, although the instructional processes are identically chosen in different schools and by different teachers. The Finnish teacher principally uses a form of individual or group work, where pupils are divided into smaller groups according to predetermined criteria, and thus there is almost individual learning and greater scope for differentiation. During the activities, pupils are supported in peer learning and are given continuous feedback. For a good implementation of inclusive education, it is crucial to choose simple strategies - working in small groups using differentiation and sufficient staffing declares an individual approach for all pupils with respect for their possibilities.

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