Inclusive Education in Practice: Exploring Inclusion Teachers' Interactional Dynamics and Their Impact on Collaboration

• In Event: Inclusive Education in Practice

Abstract

Grounded in positioning theory, this study used a microethnographic discourse analysis approach to examine the collaborative interactions of 5 second grade general and special educators as they implemented inclusive practices. Data sources included audio-recordings, field notes and analytic memos from formal and informal interviews, classroom observations, and observations of professional learning communities and co-teaching planning sessions. Findings highlight the role of language in teacher collaboration, demonstrating ways in which teacher identities and positions are influenced and changed through interactions with colleagues. Results also demonstrate the dynamic role that school culture plays in teacher collaboration. The study breaks important ground in our understanding of the complex interactional dynamics that influence teacher collaboration and ultimately determine its success.

Author

• Stephanie H. Johnson, Elmira College