Northern Ireland Special Educational Needs Coordinators Creating Inclusive Environments: An Epic Struggle

Autor/in	Abbott, Lesley
Titel	Northern Ireland Special Educational Needs Coordinators Creating Inclusive Environments: An Epic Struggle
Quelle	In: European Journal of Special Needs Education, 22 (2007) 4, S.391-407 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0885-6257
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Inclusive Schools; Mainstreaming; Interviews; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Education; Student Needs; Special Education Teachers; Teacher Responsibility; Educational Policy; United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Inclusive school; Integrative Schule; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Lehrerverhalten; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Special education; Teacher; Teachers; Sonderpädagoge; Sonderpädagogik; Sonderschulwesen; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Lehrverpflichtung; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik
Abstract	A key role in the development of inclusive practices in schools and classrooms is that of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), a role that has changed most radically since the introduction of the Code of Practice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Through interviews with SENCOs in primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, the present study sought to examine the extent to which they created inclusive environments. Specifically, it investigated the scope and main challenges of their work, the support received and how far initial teacher education and in-service training underpin inclusion and, thereby, the SENCO's role. The findings showed that the responsibilities, skills and attributes expected of the SENCO were numerous and that it was a core position, yet carried a substantial teaching load, that the role was strongly managerial and that there was fragmented support in practical terms. Despite expectations that the SENCO would initiate and implement improved inclusive strategies, many significant obstacles persisted and progress could be slow considering, for example, teacher knowledge of, and attitudes towards, special needs. A much sharper focus is needed on all phases of the teacher education continuum as they impact on inclusive cultures at whole-school and classroom level. The SENCOs identified their own perceptions of key factors to make inclusion work. (Contains 3 tables.) (Author).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10