Contradictions as Drivers for Improving Inclusion in Teaching Pupils with Special Educational Needs

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of the contradictions that arise in the drive to improve teaching practices among pupils with special educational needs (SENs). A questionnaire was administrated to 167 classroom teachers, subject teachers, special education teachers and teaching assistants in Finland. The analysis, based on thematic coding and analysis of manifestations of contradictions, revealed contradictions related to artefacts of teaching, participation in the community and school staff’s professional ability to teach SEN pupils in mainstream. Four types of manifestations, namely conflicts, critical conflicts, dilemmas, and double binds, could be identified in the data. Focusing the improvement of inclusive practices on all pupils calls for the collective resolution of contradictions and the development of tools and models that facilitate the educational change.

A study of Finnish primary school teachers’ experiences of their role and competences by implementing the three-tiered support

“…Furthermore, they expressed mostly positive attitudes towards the support system and their own role in its implementation. This interesting result is somewhat different from those reported in previous studies (Paju et al 2016(Paju et al , 2018OAJ 2017). In accordance with the study conducted by the Trade Union for Education (OAJ 2017), teachers had a negative view of the support system and their own capability in supporting pupils with learning disabilities in the general class.…”

“…Approximately one-third of the responding teachers experienced a lack of knowledge concerning teaching pupils at the third tier of support (Paju et al 2016). In another study, Paju et al (2018) showed that teachers lacked sufficient special educational knowledge and time to be able to provide good general education for all pupils whilst also offering adequate support to students with learning difficulties.…”

“…Teachers' belief in their own ability is linked to their attitudes towards inclusive education (Avramidis, Bayliss, and Burden 2000;Pit-ten et al 2018;Saloviita 2018;Savolainen et al 2012;). Meanwhile, teachers also experience lack of competence to support pupils with learning disabilities (OAJ 2017;Paju et al 2016, Paju et al 2018). The support system has been in force for approximately a decade, and the Finnish primary teachers may have gradually become accustomed with the system, the principles of inclusive education and their own responsibilities and roles in its implementation.…”

“…However, the teachers' roles and responsibilities when it comes to teaching pupils with learning difficulties remain unclarified (Jordan, Schwartz, and McGhie-Ramong 2009). Many teachers lack competence to meet special educational needs in the classroom, thus further affecting their attitudes towards inclusive education (Paju et al 2018;Pit-ten et al 2018;Saloviita 2018).…”

“…Previous studies have focused on the implementation of the Finnish three-tiered support system (Björn et al 2016;Lakkala and Thuneberg 2018;Lakkala, Uusiautti, and Määttä 2016;Sundqvist, Björk-Åman, and Ström 2019;Thuneberg et al 2014) and on teachers' attitudes and competences in relation to inclusive education (Paju et al 2018;Saloviita 2018;Savolainen et al 2012). Nevertheless, there still remains a lack of qualitative research -specifically on how teachers' experience their role in the three-tiered support system.…”