All European countries have signed the UNCRPD and, as a result, they are challenged to “develop an inclusive education system at all levels” (Art. 24). Inclusive education reforms and change processes have to be understood as complex phenomena that pertain different levels of historically grown education systems worldwide. Confronted with the same global demands, actors of education systems in European states and regions follow different strategies for this transformation process. The Erasmus+ Project Governance In(clusive) Education aims to foster the dialogue between European countries on educational reforms towards inclusion, change-management strategies, the structure and constellations of actors in the governance systems and their role for an inclusive education reform. Furthermore, it seeks to increase the quality and coherence of governance in inclusive education reforms in European countries. As the Global Education Monitoring Report 2020 shows, delivering inclusive education requires multiple actors to work together. Indeed “Weak collaboration, cooperation and coordination of stakeholders can impede implementation of ambitious laws and policies” (UNESCO, 2020, 90). While many countries have developed legislative frameworks to establish more inclusive education systems, “neither laws nor policies are sufficient, as the implementation record remains weak” (UNESCO, 2020, 57). This leads to the question of which other aspects actors perceive as relevant for the successful implementation of attempts to steer inclusive education reforms. The educational governance perspective as an analytical approach understands steering processes not as linear top-down or bottom-up procedures. Instead, it perceives them as a multidimensional product of actors’ coordination. It allows a comprehensive description and analysis of steering processes and related issues in education systems. Educational Governance therefore “aims to understand these changes by concentrating on the question of how regulation and performance of school systems is achieved, sustained and transformed under the perspective of coordination of action between various social actors in complex multi-level systems” (Altrichter, 2015, 10). As “Achieving inclusion requires a whole-system approach” (UNESCO, 2020, 57), to ensure true innovation and sustainability, all players, agents and stakeholders need to be actively committed and involved, moreover updated on the entirety of ongoing change-processes. The agents and stakeholders in inclusive education reforms are institutions and individuals in education policy and practice - with and without special needs all together - such as school administration, school leaders, teachers, parents, students, as well as tertiary institutions, like training institutions, colleges and universities. The universities are responsible for the qualification and professionalization of many professionals within the future inclusive education system. From a governance perspective, rights and aims, obstacles and challenges, guidance and different control functions of every subsystem and institution involved need to be considered in change processes. The substantial differences between the 4 participating countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain) in terms of the development-stage of inclusive education, the actor constellations in governance and the strategies for the reform-processes are essential. Yet, these differences represent a significant resource due to the possibility of comparing, discussing, exchanging and reflecting upon examples and experiences in the field of inclusive education governance. The research goals are to explore how and why coordination or implementation does or does not work in all levels of the governance system (multi-level-analyses of governance) and to gain knowledge and expertise that can be shared through professionalization of stakeholders on governance of inclusive education. The consortium consists of higher education institutions, representatives from regional school-authorities, communities of practice established in all of the 4 participating countries, comprising all systemically relevant actors e.g. parents, teachers, diversity managers, school supervisors, ministry representatives etc. All are invited to contribute originally and to validate the project outcomes consensually within the countries first and foremost targeting the international comparison.

Within the framework of a pilot study (Merz-Atalik & Beck, 2020, 2022) in 2018, the Participatory Multi-level Network Analyses (PMNA) was developed referring to the structure-laying techniques as a dialogue-consensus procedure (according to Scheele & Groeben, 1988; see also Merz-Atalik, 2001) on the basis of Scheele's Dialogical Hermeneutics (1992). The new method makes it possible to generate a common picture of the current actions in the network through dialogue between the actors. The approach does not aim to collect subjective theories, but rather to collect the (implicit) knowledge of action in the network (e.g. impulses and motives for action, interactions, coordination) and to map it in order to make it accessible through dialogue and to enable critical reflexion (Merz-Atalik & Beck, 2023). The methodological approach comprises multilevel network analyses and the participatory involvement of relevant actors in the context of inclusive education transformation processes and ongoing reform efforts of the partner regions (Styria, Tübingen, Bolzano, Barcelona - as representatives of the participating countries). In so called “round table meetings” in each country the moderating research team uses the PMNA to gain insight about governance constellations, processes, coordination and the individual experiences of the actors involved. While the moderated group discussion was recorded, a visual cartography in the centre of the happening evolved. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the original project plans the PMNA was further developed into a digital format. By connecting all actors online via a conference tool (live-online fact-finding-mission part 1), the group discussion could be recorded while one person of the research team created the cartography via Conceptboard on a shared screen. The cooperative format of the round table meetings enables gaining access to the impulses and motives for action of the respective other actors is made possible and thus the dialogue is strengthened (Merz-Atalik & Beck, 2023). To ensure that the power of interpretation over the actions and processes of steering inclusive education reform in the complex multi-level system generally remains with the actors, the findings obtained on the basis of the data collected as well as their interpretations are confirmed by the actors (Merz-Atalik & Beck, 2023). Misjudgements or misinterpretations from the external perspective of the researchers are avoided by presenting the results at a later meeting and putting them up for discussion (in person fact-finding-mission part 2), in order to reach a consensual agreement with the participants (Merz-Atalik & Beck, 2023).

The main objective of the international project is to gain insight into the governance of inclusive education in four European countries through Participatory Multi-level Network Analyses (PMNA). This allows to compare, reflect and discuss the substantial differences between the four participating countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain) in a dialogue with the actors of each region in terms of the development-stage of inclusive education, the actor constellations in governance, dependencies and influences and the underlying as well as constitutive strategies for reform-processes. The data sets comprise mappings of the four regions in the first place. Second, it includes transcripts based on the respective speech and transferred sensitively and with an adequate level of field expertise to English as the main project language from a research perspective. From this point of view and interest, the unique project constellation of professional authorities and universities becomes an indispensable element. The presentation invites to discuss first findings of a content deductive analysis (Kuckartz, 2018). Onwards these results are contrasted with partial aspects of effective governance. Beyond that, based on the Participatory Multi-level Network Analyses (PMNA), the gained knowledge and expertise, an OER for training and professionalization of main actors of inclusive education reforms will be developed. The development objective contains a barrier-free web-based e-Learning and information platform providing AI-supported access to materials and resources on governance of inclusive education. Through the project, a transfer of experience and competencies focused on the successful implementation of inclusion at multiple levels, taking into account the specific needs of all individuals and stakeholders involved at each stage or level of the project activities, is expected which might then lead to target-oriented and effective measures in the 4 project countries.

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