Constructing support as inclusive practice : a self-study

• Main Author: Óskarsdóttir, Edda
• Other Authors: Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Faculty of Teacher Education (UI), Kennaradeild (HÍ), School of Education (UI), Menntavísindasvið (HÍ), University of Iceland, Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iceland, School of Education, Faculty of Teacher Education 2017
• Subjects: Skóli án aðgreiningar; Sérkennsla; Starfendarannsóknir; Grunnskólar; Stoðþjónusta; Vatnaskóli; Inclusion; Support system; Special education; Leadership; Reflection; Collaboration; School organization; Doktorsritgerðir; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/388

The compulsory school act in Iceland states that schools should be inclusive. This entails that schools need to provide every pupil with quality education according to their needs and ability, and to remove barriers to participation in learning and social situations to enable pupils and their parents to belong in the school community. Given the fact that the policy calls for significant restructuring of school organisation, it is important to consider how and whether the organisation of special needs education and support operates according to the ideology of inclusive education. The research focuses on how I, a coordinator for support services in a compulsory school in Iceland, worked on developing the organisation of support towards inclusive practice. Inclusive practice is grounded in the ideologies of social justice, democracy, human rights and full participation of all. In using the term inclusive practice, I seek to demonstrate that there are many factors that have an impact on the process of inclusion in a school setting and to emphasise the fact that inclusion is a process that can never be completed. The research is framed by the concepts of collaboration between classroom teachers and support services, leadership for inclusion and reflective practice, as these concepts have been considered crucial for re-conceptualising education practice to become inclusive. Self-study methodology was employed in the research to allow for understanding of my role in transforming practice and how that transpired. The purpose has been to transform the support service in Waterfront School so that it reinforces inclusive practice and to understand my role in improving leadership and collaboration for inclusion. This is a study in and of my practice that was divided into three distinct phases: reconnaissance phase, enactment phase and reflective phase. In the reconnaissance phase I interviewed administrators, teachers and support staff working at the school in order to achieve insight into how the people I work with ...