Action research: The key to inclusive education in Cyprus

Constantia, Charalampous; Papademetriou, Christos

doi:10.2478/jped-2019-0006

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The teachers and the school principal, as well as the teachers and the authors of this study, actively discussed and reflected on the process of action research from the preparation stage to the end of the last cycle of action research. Charalampous and Papademetriou (2019) stated that teacher engagement in collaborative dialogue promotes their deeper reflections. Collaborative action research is efficient while transforming the established routine practices, especially when there is a wish to test the influence of new strategies (the UDL approach in this case) of improving education quality (Rowell et al, 2017;Insuasty & Jaime Osorio, 2020).…”

Section: Methodological Approach Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Knowledgeable and Resourceful Learners

Galkienė

Monkevičienė

2021

Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity

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This chapter introduces a study carried out in the context of the transformation of the Lithuanian education system towards inclusive education, with the aim of revealing the educational factors that contribute to students becoming knowledgeable and resourceful expert learners in the universal design for learning (UDL) approach. The UDL framework was chosen as a systematic reasoning instrument for the teacher and the school, aiding in achieving the development of expert learner qualities in every student in the general education context and ensuring the quality of inclusive education. The chapter briefly introduces the theoretical approach of the research, the context of Lithuanian education and the school where the research took place, which is relevant for the interpretation of the results, and other important methodological aspects. The research data show that applying the UDL approach helped the teachers to modify the educational process in order to develop in students the qualities of knowledgeable and resourceful expert learners. The results, presented in a structured manner in the chapter, reveal the process and contributing educational factors to students’ becoming actively perceiving, self-directed, knowledge-creating and co-creating learners and learners constructing their own deep comprehension. The research data reveal the methods used by the teachers to recognise and overcome the barriers in cultivating these qualities in their students. We also identified the emerging changes in teachers’ dispositions when applying the UDL approach and designing lessons aimed at promoting the qualities of knowledgeable and resourceful expert learners.

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Section: Methodological Approach Of the Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Knowledgeable and Resourceful Learners

Galkienė

Monkevičienė

2021

Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity

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“…Transformational changes are more radical compared to developmental or transactional ones because they embrace not only improvement of existing practices, structures and procedures but transformation of values, goals, roles, relations, learning and thinking of individuals, teams and organisations. The researchers state that action research is an efficient methodological approach for developing inclusive education (Charalampous & Papademetriou, 2019;Armstrong & Tsokova 2019).…”

Section: Methodological Approach Of the Participatory And Collaborative Action Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Meanwhile, other researchers single out a separate type of action research, i.e. collaborative action research (Ferrance, 2000;Charalampous & Papademetriou, 2019). Two types of action research-participatory and collaborative-are employed in the present research with an emphasis on the participatory approach, which prevails in participatory action research.…”

Section: Methodological Approach Of the Participatory And Collaborative Action Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some researchers (Kemmis et al, 2014) express a position that action research has to be carried out by teachers themselves, since this type of research involves a self-reflective and self-transformative process. However, the studies conducted by the teachers and researchers working together contradict this approach (Charalampous & Papademetriou, 2019;Kapenieks, 2016). In the research carried out by Olander and Holmqvist Olander (2013), teachers joined researchers to design and reflect on lessons, with the results of one planned and delivered lesson of biology serving as a basis for planning a second and then a third lesson.…”

Section: Collaborative Action Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Action research is a cyclical process that involves identifying areas where there are problems and room for improvement, devising an action and implementation plan, setting up data collection, assessing and reflecting action and changes, and modifying the action plan. These all need to be considered for results to occur (Ferrance, 2000;Cohen et al, 2013;Charalampous & Papademetriou, 2019). Models of action research vary.…”

Section: Cycles Of Action Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Theoretical and Methodological Validation of the Action Research: Methodology of the Scientific Study

Monkevičienė

Galkienė

2021

Inclusive Learning and Educational Equity

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This chapter presents the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the action research, which was used by collaborating research teams from Poland, Lithuania, Finland and Austria for the study “Improving Inclusive Education Through Universal Design for Learning”. The chapter discusses different sociocultural contexts in the participating countries and what led to the research question, which asks “How does the implementation of universal design for learning enrich the practice of inclusive education in different educational contexts”. This question was looked at in terms of its relevance to the four above-mentioned countries. It can be argued that the action research is favourable for the development of theory and that inclusive education can be changed and reflected by it. The types of action research chosen by the research teams are discussed, those being collaborative, and critical participatory. The cycles of action research and their goals are also presented. Seeking to substantiate the choices of research teams regarding the process and methods of action research, this chapter elaborates on the aspects of action research organisation that are interpreted differently by the researchers: Can the action research be conducted only by the researcher–teachers or can it be carried out by teachers in cooperation with researchers? Is it possible to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research? The problem with quality and validity of action research is discussed.

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Inclusive Leadership in a Centralized Educational System

Constantia¹

2022

EUROPEAN J ED MANAGE

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<p style="text-align: justify;">Special Unit students at a secondary education school in Cyprus were to be included in an action research project. Its primary objective was to study the challenges the headmaster/leader or other school leader faces while attempting to involve Special Unit students in the school's leadership, which was based on an inclusive leadership approach. The researchers concluded that Cyprus' centralized educational system is the biggest impediment. The primary research methods used to carry out the action research were interviews, focus groups, and observations. 85 teachers, 210 students, and 15 parents participated in the 8-month research, which was conducted in a secondary school in Cyprus with a special unit. By completing the research process, the researchers finally concluded that the solution to the problem might be the recruitment of an inclusive leadership model, which aims to use decentralized inclusive practices.</p>

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Action research: The key to inclusive education in Cyprus

Cited by 5 publications

References 30 publications

Development of Knowledgeable and Resourceful Learners

Development of Knowledgeable and Resourceful Learners

Theoretical and Methodological Validation of the Action Research: Methodology of the Scientific Study

Inclusive Leadership in a Centralized Educational System

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