ERIC Number: EJ1046087
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0885-6257
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Conflicts in Teachers' Professional Practices and Perspectives about Inclusion in Icelandic Compulsory Schools
Gunnþórsdóttir, Hermína; Bjarnason, Dóra S.
European Journal of Special Needs Education, v29 n4 p491-504 2014
Inclusive education policy, now the norm in many parts of the world including Iceland, is highly dependent on teachers for its successful implementation. Research on inclusion often attempts to identify teachers' attitudes of inclusion (against/for). This article takes a different approach. It focuses on teachers' perspectives of their professional practices; that is, how teachers understand what it means to be and practise as a teacher. We interviewed 10 Icelandic compulsory school teachers and also examined teaching logs and associated documents. The findings suggest that the teachers participating in this study have conflicting expectations towards their professional practice. They have unclear ideas about the inclusive ideology, and external factors influence teachers' perception of their professional practice more than reflective practices. We suggest that these findings may well be applicable beyond the Icelandic context, and that they have implications for the overall in-service and pre-service education offered to teachers.
Descriptors: Inclusion, Mainstreaming, Educational Policy, Teacher Attitudes, Documentation, Content Analysis, Ideology, Reflection, Environmental Influences, Foreign Countries, Teaching Methods, Educational Practices, Qualitative Research, Semi Structured Interviews, Diaries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Iceland
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Author Affiliations: N/A