Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

Summary

Collaborative working methods in every level aim at cooperative learning, with co-operation in many levels: pupils in inclusive groups, in learning situations, in teachers’ pedagogical planning, working and evaluation and in project decision-making.

Keskusta School in Salo, Finland has approximately 390 students, 90 of whom are in SNE provision within the school. The school has 14 mainstream classes, 9 SNE classes and 2 classes for orientation learning for immigrant students. The school is an elementary school, with pupils aged 6–13 years.

Salo is located in southern Finland, 120 km west of Helsinki. The school has music classes (grades 3–6) which work closely with the music school in Salo. The school curriculum stresses the basic academic skills, such as a strong knowledge of the mother tongue, maths, science and foreign language (English). Art, sports and craft are well supported with good resources in terms of class assistants and equipment. School clubs, including an afternoon club for the youngest pupils, support the learning path and also guide students to find suitable hobbies.

During the annual development discussions with the staff members, it was seen that the individual integration of a pupil from a SNE class to a mainstream class had come to the end of its line. SNE pupils were experienced as a burden to class teachers, there was a lack of pedagogical discussion at school and the special needs education knowledge was seen only as the property of SNE teachers.

As the national SNE strategy (2007) pointed out the importance of pedagogical co-operation, assessment and enhanced support, the school had the opportunity to increase attention to well planned co-operation. As the research in this area shows, social integration plays a key role in helping SNE pupils to adjust to society and its demands, and this also works the other way around: it gives the mainstream class students the opportunity to work together with other students with special needs.

Project object:

Collaboration in different levels and forms: the aim is to provide support for special education pupils within the common learning environment. The support is partly given as upthrust: pupils with special needs study closely in the same environment with all the social aspects as the main stream pupils.

The increased teacher collaboration enhances pedagogical discussion at school. Two teachers plan, work and evaluate as a team, normally with the help from the class assistant.

This shared teachership acts as a platform for pedagogical development, as the team members can learn and compare continuously their pedagogical choices.

Co-operation is aimed at two levels: from increased teacher collaboration it is transferred to cooperative teaching methods and pupil collaboration. Team of teachers work more effective on taking the full responsibility of the constant development of teaching methods, which means changing from teacher centered teaching towards cooperative classroom.

Methodology

> Changing the school culture towards inclusive approach (e.g. Mittler 2000)
> Cooperative teaching and learning (e.g. Sahlberg & Sharan 2002)
> Teacher collaboration
> Forming teams, team evaluation, evaluation in teams
> Inclusion as process, not as a target
> Main stream classes and SNE classes study together in the same classroom with two teachers (class teacher or subject teacher + SNE teacher + class assistant). The whole group is divided into different subgroups and teams depending on the subject or working method. Usually the division does not follow the original division for main stream and SNE pupils, but it supports the different learning strategies, speed, level of needed aid etc. All the pupils have a clear vision that they have two teachers. Pupils themselves do not know their class mates personal levels of support.
> STAD-method is used in order to increase cooperative approach in learning and assessment.
http://lemill.net/lemill-server/methods/tiimioppiminen-stad-menetelma

Target

Socializing SNE pupils in an inclusive school – transferring from special needs education into intensified support in education ( two levels of enhanced support for pupils in Finland)
Strengthening  teacher collaboration

Good practice innovations

This project started as two 5-week pilots in 2010. As a result of thorough assessment of the pilot achievements, some teachers wanted to continue and deepen the collaboration.

Good practice achievements

DVD filmed in 2012. Websites.

Chosen to IEA-webportal:

http://www.inclusive-education-in-action.org/iea/index.php?menuid=25&reporeid=207

Participating regional and national conferences and seminars, presenting the project aims and methodology.

http://www.educlusterfinland.fi/fi/sites/default/files/Salo_yhteis%C3%B6llinen%20ped.%20Keskustan%20koulussa.pdf

https://oph.etapahtuma.fi/eTaika_Tiedostot/5/TapahtumanTiedostot/348/OHJELMA_Erityisopetuksen%20kansalliset%20kehitt%C3%A4misp%C3%A4iv%C3%A4t.pdf

http://lawpoint-bin.nettiavain.fi/@Bin/6ec87ddbc1534870cd8736a51bfa395e/1360061361/application/pdf/124424/tuusulan%20diat.pdf

Project partners and other stakeholders

Before the school enrollment: preschool teachers and SNE preschool teachers, multi-professional teams

Parents

Student welfare team (school psychologist, school social worker, school nurse, principal, general SNE teacher)

Good practice testimonial

According to the experience so far, the pupils achieved their goals well. SNE pupils succeeded at least as well in larger groups as in smaller ones as regards cognitive learning outcomes.  Several observations prove that pupils in collaborative classes socialize themselves better and they confront disparity more skillful than those studying in normal groups.  SNE pupils in collaborative classes are more self-acting; hence they follow the main stream pupils in different ways.

Evaluation

The project outcomes are evaluated each school year according to the aims which are written to the annual school plan. Regular discussion forums for participating teachers. Reflective discussions with visiting teacher groups several times a year.