Action research: The key to inclusive education in Cyprus

Constantia, Charalampous; Christos, Papademetriou

doi:10.2478/jped-2019-0006

Abstract

The main aim of the article is to explore the role of Collaborative Action Research (CAR) in promoting inclusive education within a mainstream school in Cyprus. The preliminary data for this research were gathered using a mixed methodology approach. CAR was then carried out in a single school with 150 participants. The study then examined the extent to which CAR enhanced inclusive education, using interviews. Finally, the results showed that CAR is one of the factors which can lead to inclusion.

References

Ainscow, M., Booth T., & Dyson, A. (2006a). Inclusion and the standards agenda: Negotiating policy pressures in England. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10(4-5), 295-308.10.1080/13603110500430633
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ainscow, M., Booth, T., & Dyson, A. (2006b). Improving schools-Developing inclusion. London: Routledge.10.4324/9780203967157
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Altrichter, H., Feldman, A., Posch, P.. & Somekh, B. (2008). Teachers investigate their work; An introduction to action research across the professions. London: Routledge.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Anastasiou, D., Kauffman, J., & Di Nuovo, S. (2015). Inclusive education in Italy: Description and reflections on full inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs, 30(4),1-15.10.1080/08856257.2015.1060075
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Angelides, P., & Avraamidou, L. (2010), Teaching in informal learning environments as a means for promoting inclusive education, Education, Knowledge & Economy, 4(1), 1-14.10.1080/17496891003708168
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Baralt, M., Pennestri, S., & Selvsantin, M. (2011). Action Research using wordless to teach foreign language writing. Language Learning & Technology, 15(2), 12-22. Blackburn, C. (2016). Early childhood inclusion in the United Kingdom. Infants & Young Children, 29(3), 239-246.10.1097/IYC.0000000000000069
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Blackmore, R., Aylward, E., & Grace, R. (2016). ‘One of the kids’: Parent perceptions of the developmental advantages arising from inclusion in mainstream early childhood education services, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 41(2), 13-17.10.1177/183693911604100203
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Campbell, A. (2013). The evolutionary psychology of women’s aggression. Phil Trans R Soc B 368:20130078. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.007810.1098/rstb.2013.0078
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Calhoun, E. (1994). How to use action research in the self-renewing school, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Caro-Bruce, C. (2000) Action researcher: Facilitator’s handbook. National Council of Staff Development.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Charalampous, C., & Papademetriou, C. (2018). Inclusion or exclusion? The role of special tutoring and education district committees in special secondary education units in Cyprus. International Journal of Education and Applied Research, 8(1), 30-36.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Charalampous, C., & Papademetriou, C. (2019). Intermediate inverted leadership: The inclusive leader’s model. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 22 (1), 1360-3124.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cobb, C. (2015). Principals play many parts: A review of the research on school principals as special education leaders 2001–2011. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 9(3), 213-234.10.1080/13603116.2014.916354
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Marisson, K. (2011), Research methods in education. London: Routledge.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cook, J. (2010). Collaborative action research: The ethical challenges. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 4, 141-150.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
EADSNE (Ed.) (2007). Lisbon Declaration. Available online: https://www.european-agency.org/country-information/cyprus/national-overview/special-needs-education-within-the-education-system.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ferrance, E. (2000). Themes in education: Action research. Brown University. Educational Alliance, 1-34.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Frideres, J. (1992). A world of communities: Participatory research perspectives. Cactus Press.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Jacobs, S. (2016). The use of participatory action research within education-benefits to stakeholders. World Journal of Education, 6(3), 48-55.10.5430/wje.v6n3p48
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Holmberg, J., & Jeyaprathaban, S. (2016). Effective practice in inclusive and special needs education. International Journal of Special Education, 31(1), 119-134. Hathorn C., & Dillon, A. (2018). Action research as professional development: Its role in education reform in the United Arab Emirates, Issues in Educational Research, 28(1), 99-119.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hutchinson, S. A. (1998). Grounded theory. In: R. R. Sherman, & R. B. Webb (Eds.), Qualitative research in education: Focus and methods (pp. 123–140). London, UK: Falmer.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ivanova, N. (2015). Mixed methods applications in action research. United Kingdom: Sagepub.10.4135/9781071909843
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kamler, E. (2016). Preparing school leaders: Action research on the leadership study group. Ιnquiry in Education, 8(1), 1-21.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kapenieks, J. (2016). Educational action research to achieve the essential competencies of the future. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 18(1), 95-110.10.1515/jtes-2016-0008
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kemmis, S. (2010). What is professional practice? In C. Kanes (Ed.), Elaborating professionalism: Studies in practice and theory (pp. 139-166). New York: Springer. Lewis-Pierre, L. J., Kovacich, J., & Amankwaa, L. (2017). The application of grounded theory: An example from nursing workforce research. The Qualitative Report, 22(5), 1269-1283.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Makoelle, T. M. (2012). Analysing the use of action research to develop practices of inclusion: A case of a south african school. J Sociology Soc Anth, 3(2), 83-91. Manzano-García, B., & Fernández, M. T. (2016). The inclusive education in Europe. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(2), 383-391.10.1080/09766634.2012.11885568
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
McDonald, C. (2012). Understanding participatory action research: A qualitative research option. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 13(2), 34-50.10.33524/cjar.v13i2.37
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Messiou, K. (2018). Collaborative action research: Facilitating inclusion in schools. Educational Action Research, 27(2), 0965-0792.10.1080/09650792.2018.1436081
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Mettas, Α. (2010). A framework for action research for investigating children’s decision-making skills within design and technology education, Idater online Conference. Morales, M.P.E. (2016). Participatory action research (PAR) cum action research (AR) in teacher professional development: A literature review. International Journal of Research in Education and Science. (IJRES), 2(1), 156-165.10.21890/ijres.01395
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Navarro, S.B., Zervas, P., Fabregat Gesa R., & Sampson, D. (2016). Developing teachers’ competences for designing inclusive learning experiences, Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 19(1), 17-27.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Parker, V., Lieshke, G., & Giles, M. (2017). Ground-up-top down: A mixed method action research study aimed at normalising research in practice for nurses and midwives, BMC Nurse, 16(52).10.1186/s12912-017-0249-8
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Razer, M. (2018). From power struggle to benevolent authority and empathic limit--setting: Creating inclusive school practice with excluded students through action research. Action research.10.1177/1476750318776730
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Rendani Sipho, N. (2012). Mixed methods-triangulation war: Hidden challenges to their conceptual survival. Journal of Applied Global Research, 5(14), 45-55.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sale, J. (2002.) Revisiting the quantitative-qualitative debate: Implications for mixed--methods research, Quality and Quantity, 36(1), 43-53.10.1023/A:1014301607592
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sharma, U., Simi, J., & Forlin, C. (2015). Preparedness of pre-service teachers for inclusive education in the Solomon Islands, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(5), 103-116.10.14221/ajte.2015v40n5.6
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Shpigelman, C., Reiter, S., & Weiss, P. (2008). E-mentoring for youth with special needs: Preliminary Results. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 11(2), 196-200.10.1089/cpb.2007.0052
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Symeonidou, S. (2018). Disability, the arts and the curriculum: Is there common ground? European Journal of Special Needs in Education, 34(1), 0885-6257.10.1080/08856257.2018.1435012
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Soulis, S., Georgiou, A., Dimoula, K., & Rapti, D. (2016). Surveying inclusion in Greece: Empirical research in 2683 primary school students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(7), 770-783.10.1080/13603116.2015.1111447
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory- procedures and techniques. London: Sage.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Symeonidou, S., &, Phtiaka, H. (2009). Using teachers’ prior knowledge, attitudes and beliefs to develop in-service teacher education courses for inclusion. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 543–550.10.1016/j.tate.2009.02.001
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Symeonidou, S., & Phtiaka, H. (2014). ‘My colleagues wear blinkers…If they were trained, they would understand better’. Reflections on teacher education on inclusion in Cyprus. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 14(2), 110-119.10.1111/j.1471-3802.2012.01234.x
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Tariq, A., Deppeler, J., & Umesh, U. (2013). Predicting pre-service teachers’ preparedness for inclusive education: Bangladeshi pre-service teachers’ attitudes and perceived teaching-efficacy for inclusive education, Cambridge Journal of Education, 43(4), 517-535.10.1080/0305764X.2013.834036
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Tschannen-Moran M., & Gareis, C. (2015). Principals, trust, and cultivating vibrant schools. Societies, 5, 256–276.10.3390/soc5020256
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005: The quality imperative, Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Action research: The key to inclusive education in Cyprus

Abstract

Paradigm

My account