Session Information
04 SES 11 B, Enhancing Teacher Competencies
Paper Session
Contribution
The promotion of inclusive education has been of high priority for years for many countries that have devoted themselves to inclusive education and provision of inclusive education practice. These ideologies of inclusion have affected the work and expertise of special educators and altering their practices in all levels of education. The work of special education teachers is transforming partly because of the global trends of inclusive development, but yet it could be stated that it is even more likely due to changes in societal, economic and educational policies affecting the overall provision of education.
This is especially the case with vocational and professional education where connections with the working-life and societal developments are strong. For example in Finland vocational/further education colleges have been challenged by globalisation, the market-economy besides internationalisation and multiculturalism, to mention a few. This is in addition to nationally laid requests such as those placed on efficiency, quality, sustainable development, contribution to regional, and working-life developments and so forth. Furthermore, there are demands being made to develop new learning environments related to, e.g. on-the-job-learning and web-based learning and then, on the top of everything, there are the constantly varying educational philosophies, developments and practices. Consequently, all these have changed the work of vocational teachers in Finland within the last decades.
However, and in spite of the wide demands on more inclusive education and changing practices of educators within it, not so much research of the changing role and practices of special education teachers taking place within the development of inclusive education has been made. E.g. in Finland a thorough study has been lacking and especially that was the case in vocational/further education. Accordingly, a more precise picture of the entire change process occurring in past two decades in Finnish vocational special education teachers' work was conducted in 2008-2010. The aim of study was to clarify the work of special education teachers at present in Finnish vocational/further education, and to define their role and work content, in addition to the changes which have occurred and how these teachers see their future.
This paper presentation will focus especially on the expertise of the special educators as described by themselves (N=532) within this study. Their considerations on changes they experience to happen in their work will be reflected with the more general discussions on expertise in order to try to define what is about to happen for their expertise when moving towards provision of more inclusive education.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
The research report including all references: Kaikkonen, L (ed.) 2010. Vocational Special Education teachers as experts. A National Study of the changing work of special education teachers in Finnish vocational education. Reports of JAMK University of Applied Sciences 109.
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