Inclusion in action: an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive secondary school in the south-west of England

Abstract

This paper represents the outcomes of an in-depth case study of a secondary school in the south-west of England, identi®ed as inclusive by the local education authority (LEA). The study, which formed the second part of a`bricolage' approach, utilized ethnographic research methods, with the aim of investigating inclusion in a holistic way, at the school level. Data were collected through interviewing of a variety of school constituencies and participant observation. The analysis suggested that: (a) the participants were enculturated into the integration model; (b) although there were strong perceived academic bene®ts for the included students, the evidence is contradictory regarding the social outcomes of inclusion; (c) successful implementation of inclusion requires restructuring of the physical environment, resources, organizational changes and instructional adaptations; and (d) there was a perceived need for ongoing professional development. The ®ndings reported in this investigation may be used to illuminate current practice in the LEA and to provide directions for formulating policies to support`inclusive practice' in ways which are acceptable to teachers, parents and students.

A learning experience: case study of an integrated resource teacher

“…These changes have been observed locally and provincially and have also been noted in the literature (Special Education Implementation Review Committee, 2001;Avramidis et al, 2002;Frederickson et al, 2004). Experience with inclusion has helped teachers set more realistic goals.…”

“…Studies such as that by Avramidis et al (2002) have found that over time the implementation of inclusion becomes easier. As mentioned earlier, program planning teams composed of teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, psychologists, parents and, sometimes, students are now jointly responsible for deciding many of the issues that resource teachers had to do alone many years ago.…”

Developing the capacity of teacher‐librarians to meet the diverse needs of all schoolchildren: Project ENABLE

“…The literature of inclusive education has addressed making adaptations and modifications to teaching practices and materials (Avramidis et al., 2002; Barnes, 2003), providing accessible books and other learning resources (Dieker et al., 2008), acquiring administrative support for inclusive practices (Frederickson, Dunsmuir and Lang et al., 2004; Scruggs, Mastropieri and McDuffie, 2007), and using UDL principles (NCD, 2007), among other practices.…”

The influence of teacher practice placement on one's beliefs about intellectual disability: a student's reflection

“…Real inclusion occurs when there is a genuine opportunity for all pupils to participate, to the best of their abilities, in all that school has to offer (Bishop, 2001; Corbett, 2001). Therefore, until this time comes, special schools should continue to coexist so that disabled young people can choose according to their perceived strengths and weaknesses and focus on developing a policy of inclusion (Thomas, 1997; Avramidis et al ., 2002).…”