Session Information
04 SES 14 A, Teacher Education for Inclusion: Policies and Practices
Symposium
Contribution
Collaborative inquiry (principle 3 and 7 of the grid) is conceived as a systematic process of inquiry-based learning about school-related issues among different actors inside and outside schools, i.e., in-service teachers, pre-service teachers, secondary school students and teacher educators. In the last decade, the authors each conducted a long-term research project in Belgium on various aspects of collaborative inquiry. Willegems (2020) examined how it can contribute to pre-service and in-service teachers' professional learning (professionalization). Strijbos (2022) probed how and under what conditions it might enhance student participation in their schools. Both research projects were situated in the context of urban secondary schools since evidence suggests major challenges in terms of both sustainable teacher engagement and student participation (Milner & Lomotey, 2017; Nasir et al., 2011; Sampermans et al., 2017). Regardless of their disparate research foci, both authors found that when actors share their divergent perspectives and voices with each other it causes a disruption of the familiar practice. Moreover, they both observed in real-life settings that such disruption can be constructive in nature when the right level of turbulence is achieved, stimulating actors to adjust their daily practice and beliefs (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). Collaborative inquiry, in other words, through constructive disruption, has the potential to change school practice. Drawing on research findings from both PhD projects (Strijbos, 2022; Willegems, 2020), we will summarize how constructive disruption, provoked by voicing professionals and youth in the context of collaborative inquiry, can contribute to more inclusive urban school practices. For three focus areas, we infer how teacher education can prepare pre-service teachers to do so. First, it proves critical to balance the prevailing multiple voices. To this end, an adequate learning and working environment characterized by an overall positive approach should be created, allowing ample opportunities to make the different perspectives explicit. Second, it requires specific expertise among teachers to establish inclusive school practice: (1) expertise in emotional interaction, recognizing and adequately dealing with emotions between participants, and (2) expertise in conflict, provoking and channeling disagreement and controversy for depth in relationship and communication to be obtained. Finally, unambiguous assignment and interpretation of the roles and responsibilities of all actors appears of paramount importance. Without this, participants prove to fulfill their roles in accordance with their own judgments, causing frustration when unspoken expectations are not put into practice.
References
Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (2009). Inquiry as stance: Practitioner research for the next generation. New York: Teachers College Press. Milner IV, H. R., & Lomotey, K. (2017). Handbook of Urban Education. Routledge. Nasir, N. S., Jones, A., & Mclaughlin, M. (2011). School Connectedness for Students in Low-Income Urban High Schools, 39(8), 1755–1793. http://www.tcrecord.org/Content.asp?ContentId=16173 Sampermans, D., Maurissen, L., Louw, G., Hooghe, M., & Claes, E. (2017). ICCS 2016 Rapport Vlaanderen. KU Leuven, Centrum voor Politicologie. Strijbos, J. (2022). Student Participation in Urban Schools: Investigating the Democratic Potential of Student-Teacher Partnerships. Willegems, V. (2020). Inside Stories of Collaborative Teacher Research Teams: Spaces for Developing Extended Professionalism in School-university Partnerships.
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