Transcript LIM (Learning in Motion) Jane Brodin & Magnus Magnusson

IRIS
Improvement through Research in the Inclusive School
EU-Comenius-project (2006-2009)
Equal opportunities and education for all
in tomorrows school!
Jane Brodin
Stockholm University, Child and Youth Studies
Presentation at South West University, ’Neofit Rilsky’, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
April 22-29th, 2009
Partners (7)
 Jean-Claude De Vreese, Service Général d’Inspection, Belgium
 Eva Bernat, Spezialhochschule Graz, Austria
 Jenny Evans, Devon County Council, UK
 Joan-Luis Vats Calzada, Department d’Educació, Tarragona, Catalonia,
Spain
 Adelinda Maria Araújo Cadeias, Universidade d’Evora, Portugal
 Natalia Cabral, Escola de Paranhos, Porto, Portugal
 Jane Brodin & Anna-Lena Ljusberg, Stockholm University, Sweden
The partners represent both research and practical work
Aim of the project
 The overall aim is to develop, implement and
disseminate materials for initial and in-service
training of teachers and other educational staff
based on research
 Focus is on developing a multi-dimensional
approach to facilitate and improve participation
and learning of ALL CHILDREN
A multi-dimensional approach
 Improve understanding of the potential or multiple skills of
children (teachers need knowledge of each child’s prerequisites
and limitations)
 Improve teacher’s capacities for research, evaluation and
assessment (teachers need tools for their work)
 Support collaborative work between teachers, families and other
professionals in school (to puzzle with different pieces)
 Support effective planning and intervention, including the use of
IEP (Individual Education Plans) (teachers need information
about new and pioneer-making important research)
Two keyconcepts
 Research as basis for decision-making in
practical work, which means that theory and
practical experience go hand-in-hand
 Inclusion and inclusive education for ALL
irrespective of race, sex, language, religion,
political opinion, national, ethnical or social
origin, or disability
From integration towards inclusion
 Integration means to be inserted into
something that already exists (e.g. a school,
a class or a group)
 A prerequisite for Integration is segregation
or exclusion and
only a child who has been segregated or
excluded can be integrated
Cont. Integration - inclusion
 Inclusion means to be part of a class or a
group already from the start without having
been excluded from his/her peers
 The child starts in preschool with peers from
the neighbourhood and is included all the
way through school
 Inclusion is never just a physical placement
A school for all is the basis for increased
understanding of diversity
 ALL children have the right to education (UN, CRC,
1989) but research has shown that exclusion starts early
 Inclusive education involves ALL children (no child
should be left behind…)
 Inclusion is a process in which diversity is seen as a
resource not a problem without any solutions
 Inclusion promotes participation and equal
opportunities for all children
International documents support
inclusion
 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
 The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
 United Nations Standard Rules on the equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993)
 The Salamanca declaration (1994)
 The Dakaar agreement (2000)
 The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008)
Swedish National documents:
 Pupils with disabilities in school (State investigation (1998)
 Curricula and Swedish Education Act
The Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UN, 1989)
 The Convention has 54 articles with four main
principles:
 Article 2 – all children have the same value
 Article 3 – the best of the child to be in the front
 Article 6 –the right to life and development
with focus on the early years and play
 Article 12 – children’s opportunities to be heard
and influence their own situation
The Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (2008)
Shift in focus
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From
Rehabilitation
Charity of medicl treatment
Adjust to the norm
Exclusion
Consultation
To
Rehabilative society
Rights
Acceptance of diversities
Inclusion, participation, citizen
Self-determination
 ”Nothing about us without us”
The new convention
(May 3rd, 2008)
 The word ”special” is not mentioned in the
convention
 ”Inclusive education system” is the norm
 Children have the right to diagnosis, assessment,
intervention, efforts and evaluation from policy,
organisational, educational and clinical
perspectives (Judith Hollenweger, 2008)
Health, education, equality and protection
are the keywords
All official documents support
 The right to education for boys and girls
(some countries still prioritate boys for various reasons)
 To avoid special solutions (e.g. for children with
disabilities, for different ethnic or religious groups)
when possible
 To stress placement in regular inclusive settings which
means a school for all (e.g. to avoid building up a
segretating school systems with special schools)
Cont. Official documents support
 Education should be free of charge, compulsory
and within reach for everybody. Today many
children do not go to school as they have to
work at home or outside the home
 Parents should be allowed to choose other
schools than state schools, which is a challenge
for the established school system
 (e.g. free schools based on religion, ethnicity)
What are the challenges?
Common objections against inclusion:
 Obstacle 1. The environment is not adapted
 Obstacle 2. Too many pupils in the class
 Obstacle 3. No teaching material is available
 Obstacle 4. Lack of time to support each child
 Obstacle 5. Lack of experienced teachers/leisure time leaders
 Obstacle 6. Limited support from the head of school
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The obstacles concern both the pupils and the teachers/leaders and
the parents
Solutions for improving inclusion
 The physical environment need to be adapted, e.g. the
classroom, the school yard, the lunch room – Physical
accessibility (1)
 The accessibility can also deal about technical devices
(e.g communication aids) to be able to participate in all
activities (1)
 Few pupils in each group/class would improve and
facilitate communication between the teacher and the
pupils, and between the pupils (2)
Solutions for improving inclusion
 Teaching material need to be developed by the teachers
in good time before the lessons (4) but the teachers then
need more time for preparation
 The activities need to be planned in detail in order to
avoid obstacles (5)
 The teacher must choose activities that fit all or most
pupils (5)
 The teachers need support from the school leader (head
of the school) (6)
IRIS activities
 Two project meetings a year to report and share new
working tasks
 Research concerning certain issues relevant for the
project, e.g. assessment and tools for assessment, IEP
(Individual educational plans), support systems in
school, classroom climate
 Dissemination through workshops, poster sessions and
presentation of papers on conferences and on the web
page www.irisproject.eu
 Final conference in 2009 in Evora, Portugal
Research in the IRIS-project
Cont. IRIS activities
 Studies based on interviews and questionnaires on
assessment, IEP, classroom climate and support services
in all six partner countries. These activities have been
conducted by the researchers in Portugal and Sweden
(The final report will be published on the web during
the first half of 2009)
 Development of an Aide Memoir for teachers (one brief
and one extended version). The Aide Memoire is a tool
to facilitate inclusion in practice and has been
developed by the partners working in practice
 www.irisproject.eu
AIDE MEMOIR (BOOKMARK)
Am I including?
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Welcome
Participation and sharing
Communication
Barriers to learning and participation
Level of work and Motivation
Value and Respect
Roles and Responsibility
Positive experience
IEP/PEP (Individual or Personal Education Plan)
Friendships
Environmental aspects –
Is my classroom inclusive?
 Accessibility
 Resources Availability
 Ambience
 Rules and routines
 Safety / security
Collaborative approach –
Have I involved all pupils?
 Parents
 Grandparents
 Carers
 Support Staff
How can I adjust my teaching?
 Clarity of approach
 Clear expectations
 Clear explanation
 Teaching styles
 Resources and materials
 Planning
Cont. Adjust teaching
 Barriers to learning
 Interest and motivation
 Feedback
 Prepared materials
 Time
 Challenge
 Reflection
What have we learnt from research?
We have learnt that:
 The regular school system is responsible for
education of all children
 A holistic view of children and their immediate
environment is needed
 Inclusion requires will, motivation and a goal
directed work from the teachers and the school
leaders
Cont. A school for all
 Teachers need basic and in-service training with
focus on IEP, collaborative work, evaluation and
assessment of children in need of special support
 A child with disability has the same rights as all
children and inclusion will promote participation
and equal opportunities
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Further information: www.irisproject.eu or
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[email protected] or