Action Research for Inclusive Education Participation and Democracy in Teaching and Learning

Exploring practitioner research and the possibilities it creates for increasing student participation and developing inclusive practices in educational contexts, this insightful text presents a range of original and innovative approaches to Action Research, and highlights the critical relationship between educational theory, research and practice in transformative action. Focussing on social constructivist approaches to teaching and learning, Action Research for Inclusive Education offers first-hand insights from researcher-practitioners from international settings including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Granada, Greece, Singapore and England. Chapters explore diverse participatory and collaborative research practices which draw on the strengths and contributions of teachers and support staff, pupils, and families to foster inclusive practices across the school community and strengthen the participation and independence of all students. Topics considered include collaboration in Participatory Action Research, friendships and the development of students’ social skills, student voice and the role of pupils as co-researchers and peer mentors. Making an important contribution to debates on inclusive education and the role of practitioners and students in bringing about change, this text will be key reading for students, teachers and educational researchers.

Acknowledgements List of figures List of contributors Foreword – Michele Moore Introduction - Felicity Armstrong and Diana Tsokova 1. Social Constructivism and Action Research: transforming teaching and learning through collaborative practice – Felicity Armstrong 2. Voices of the unheard: Dialogues with mainstream primary school teachers of students with visual impairments in Grenada - Dhana Lazarus 3. Listening to students’ voices to build an inclusive school with deaf students in Saudi Arabia – Abeer Alasiry 4. Scaffolding friendships and social relationships in a primary school in England – Preeti Varghese 5. Developing positive social interactions among children in a Danish preschool – Maria José Alvarez-Miranda 6. "The Art of Making Friends": Encouraging dialogue and active participation in an early years classroom in Greece – Andromachi Popi 7. Promoting inclusive actions beyond classrooms in an Institute of Higher Learning in Singapore – Wai Sum Wilkson Lam 8. A social constructivist approach to teaching poetry with Year 8 in England – Jessica Greenham 9. Encouraging the Inclusivity of International Students in Singapore through the Literature Curriculum – Erin Woodford 10. A collaborative action research project within a data driven culture: improving teaching and learning through social constructivism in England – Sarah Wakefield 11. Changing Perceptions of Teachers in Special Needs Education in Ireland using the Mainstream Science Curriculum to Encourage Inclusive Education – Therese Leahy 12. ‘Supporting’ young people identified as having a special educational need in their work experience in England: critical reflections – Hannah D’Aguiar 13. From homework to home learning: creating and implementing a non-traditional homework policy in an international school in London – Maria Elizabeth Arrarte 14. Creating a culture of dialogue and transparency with parents and teachers in a primary school in Germany – Lisa Simone Pfaffenrath Index

Felicity Armstrong is Professor of Education at the Institute of Education, University College London, UK. Diana Tsokova is an independent Higher Education researcher and practitioner. She formerly worked as a Senior Lecturer in the Psychology of Special Needs in Primary Education at the Institute of Education, University College London, UK.