In this project we intend to promote the creation and development of one Transformative Learning Community (TLC), in a school cluster where it still do not exist. Thus, our research problem is: how does the development of one TLC, around the issue of diversity, promote an inclusive school?

To study this problem, we focused on three main goals: (1) analyze the development process of inclusive education through the present policy framework; (2) identify the perspectives and practices of teachers and students; (3) understand the influence of a TLC, focused on issues of inclusion and diversity, in teachers’ professional development.

Diversity in schools takes many different forms: learning styles, readiness for learning, interests, linguistic and sociocultural resources (Kaldi et al., 2018; Pinho et al., 2011; Szelei et al., 2019) and diverse values/expectations towards school and education (Booth & Ainscow, 2002). Inclusion requires building collaborative communities that welcome diversity and promote the success of all students, requiring a deep restructuring of schools’ cultures, policies and practices (Booth & Ainscow, 2002; Ainscow & Messiou, 2018; Florian, 1998).

The involvement of students in these collaborative processes will make schools more aware of what is going on within their borders, identifying barriers to students’ participation and learning (Ainscow, 2020; Caetano et al., 2020), improving school environment and students’ engagement with the school (Keisu & Ahlström, 2020). Besides this, OECD results (Ainley & Carstens, 2018) indicate that most teachers who participate in formal professional development initiatives, addressing issues related to these, reported improvements in self-efficacy regarding teaching in diverse environments. Therefore, it is essential to create continuing development opportunities for professionals to discuss and reflect on their practices towards diversity, and to develop specific knowledge and skills for facing the challenges associated with inclusion and diversity (Szelei et al., 2019). This is a central issue in the development of inclusive schools (Ainscow, 2020).

According to Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, “the process involves transforming frames of reference through critical reflection of assumptions, validating contested beliefs through discourse, taking action on one’s reflective insight, and critically assessing it” (Mezirow, 1997, p. 11). It involves sharing dialogue and experiences in collaborative processes, crossing the boundary of experiential and theoretical knowledge, making invisible learning visible and building the unknown through co-authorship and networking (Wenger et al., 2014).

Systemic school based intervention have been gaining strength (Admiraal et al., 2019), particularly, the development of learning communities in the school, involving not only teachers, but also students and other members of the educational community (Pinho et al., 2011). Transformative Learning Communities (TLC) appear here as a proposal to create collaborative contexts, supported by a socio-reconstructionist and emancipatory philosophy, that can respond to needs felt by schools, giving rise to transformative learning empowering all community participants. Indeed, TLC can promote shared research and critical reflection within the community, facilitating change in conceptualizations and practices (Wenger et al., 2014), the creation of relationships and the transformation of school culture towards greater equity, with significant gains in behaviour and student learning. To this end, it is essential to create participation structures, which include the organization of meeting spaces and times, the development of productive interdisciplinary teams and of effective collaborative processes (Admiraal et al., 2019).

Given the project's participatory nature we adopted a Design-Based Research (DBR) approach, blending empirical educational research with theory-driven design of learning environments. This an innovative research approach that “integrates the development of solutions to practical problems in learning environments with the identification of reusable design principles” (Herrington et al., 2007, p. 2), adding the advantages of qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In this context, the design process, and interactive and cyclical reformulation, characteristic of DBR, are fundamental to promote transformative learning, creating usable knowledge and develop contextualized teaching/learning theories in complex school environments in order to foster their transformation Considering that DBR protocols require intensive and long-term collaboration between researchers and practitioners, instruments were collaboratively developed within the community. 3 types of instruments were used: questionnaires; focus group interview protocols; and observation field notes. The applied questionnaires where adapted and validated for the Portuguese population from the works of Admiraal et al. (2019) – focusing on the development of the proposed learning community; and Booth and Ainscow (2002) – focused on the educational inclusion issues and strategies being used.

Through a socially responsible process we expect to (1) produce usable knowledge sensitive to the differentiation of stages of development of the TLC (Admiraal et al., 2019; Messiou et al., 2016; Mezirow, 1997); (2) encourage and support the development of inclusive practices and foster greater student participation in the educational process; (3) promote reflection on the issues of diversity (Ainscow, 2020; Szelei et al., 2019) to promote the inclusion of all students (Booth & Ainscow, 2002), contributing to their success and, consequently, for the teachers’ professional development and the improvement of the school (Ainscow, 2020). The results point to the students' positive recognition of the affective environment they experience at school, highlighting the role of the network of friendships they establish. On the other hand, classroom management emerges as a barrier to inclusion. In the case of teachers, there is a dichotomy regarding the devices supporting inclusion: on the one hand, they identify them as an asset in the school and, simultaneously, as an area that needs to be strengthened. Furthermore, teachers recognize that “the vision is very much to work on diversity issues. Inclusion as a way for the school to organize itself to meet the challenges posed by the diversity of students” (teacher 4, interview) and to “create school and partnership contexts that end up translating into culture [...]. And for something to become culture, we have a repeated, accepted, participated and collaborative practice” (teacher 2, interview). Participating teachers recognize the potential of the TLC to foster their willingness to organize a culture of research, innovation and exploration (Admiraal et al, 2019; Wenger-Trayner et al., 2014)

Admiraal, A.; Schenke, W.; De Jong, L.; Emmelot, Y. & Sligte, H. (2019). Schools as professional learning communities: what can schools do to support professional development of their teachers?. Professional Development in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1665573 Ainley, J. & Carstens, R. (2018). Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. Conceptual Framework. OECD. Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587. Ainscow, M., Messiou, K. (2018). Engaging with the views of students to promote inclusion in education. Journal of Educational Change, 19, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-017-9312-1. Booth, T. & Ainscow, M. (2002). Index for Inclusion: developing learning and participation in schools. Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education. Caetano, A. P., Freire, I. P., & Machado, E. B. (2020). Student voice and participation in intercultural education. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 9(1), 57-73. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2020.1.45. Kaldi, S., Govaris, C., & Filippatou, D. (2018). Teachers’ views about pupil diversity in the primary school classroom. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 48(1) 2-20. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2017.1281101. Keisu, B. & Ahlström, B. (2020). The silent voices: Pupil participation for gender equality and diversity, Educational Research, 62:1, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2019.1711436. Messiou, K., Ainscow, M., Echeita, G., Goldrick, S., Hope, M., Paes, I., Sandoval, M., Simon, C. & Vitorino, T. (2016). Learning from differences: a strategy for teacher development in respect to student diversity. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(1), 45-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2014.966726. Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74, 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.7401. Pinho, A. S., Gonçalves, L., Andrade, A. I., & Araújo e Sá, M. H. (2011). Engaging with diversity in teacher language awareness: teachers’ thinking, enacting and transformation. In S. Breidbach, D. Elsner & A. Young (Eds.), Language Awareness in teacher education: Cultural-political and socio-educational dimensions (pp. 41-61). Peter Lang. Szelei, N.; Tinoca, L. & Pinho, A.S. (2019) Professional development for cultural diversity: the challenges of teacher learning in context. Professional Development in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1642233. Wenger-Trayner, E.; Fenton-O'Creevy, M.; Hutchinson, S.; Kubiak, C. & Wenger-Trayner, B. (2014). Learning In Landscapes Of Practice: Boundaries, Identity, And Knowledgeability In Practice-Based Learning. Routledge.