Dear reader,
The book you have in your hands is the result of the 2022 ISATT French/English language regional conference held in Bordeaux on 6 and 7 October 2022. This conference was organized by the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching – ISATT, in conjunction with the Laboratory Cultures, Education, Societies – LACES, UR 7437 of the University of Bordeaux, the National Institute of Higher education for Teachers and Teaching – INSPÉ of the Academy of Bordeaux, in partnership with the Francophone Association of Comparative Education – AFEC and the National Higher Institute of Training and Research for the Education of Young People with Disabilities and Special Educational Needs – INSHEA.
This conference was in line with the tradition of the previous conferences of the association, with the aim of exploring in greater depth issues relating to the identity, role and work of teachers, as well as the teaching process and its context. The main objectives remain to improve the quality of education at all levels of education and to serve as a forum for promoting, presenting, discussing, and disseminating research results that contribute to knowledge and training in this field. The 2022 ISATT regional conference was held for the first time in the French context at the University of Bordeaux and focused on themes related to the deployment of the inclusive process under the following title: “Inclusive ethics in education, a new horizon for teachers and teaching”. By focusing on the phenomena of ethics, diversity, and inclusion in and outside of school, it not only provided an opportunity to debate and share ideas raised by key themes and issues, but also to explore the interconnection between teaching and research.
The intersection of inclusive ideals and reality is always a fascinating terrain to explore. Inclusive trajectories and practices seem a noble way forward, but the real challenge lies in their application and the ethical considerations that come with it. What specific ideals are we thinking about, and how are they being tested by the hard knocks of reality? Taking a multi-faceted approach to understanding inclusive practices is wise. It’s not just about the lofty ideals or the cold, hard facts, but the dynamic interplay between the two. How are different perspectives contributing to a nuanced and more realistic picture? Are there any specific experiences or examples coming to mind that illustrate the tension between the ideals of inclusion and the realities on the ground?
These questions pose a series of challenges. The tension between inclusive ideals and the complexity of the real world is a delicate one. Each case offers a
The exploration of the different facets of inclusive education also focuses on examining the conditions of implementation and the roles of the different players from a holistic perspective. It is not just about the broad ideals, but also about the details of how these processes of inclusion unfold on the ground. The perspective that examines communication styles and their effects on student motivation and teacher approaches recognises the nuanced ways in which interpersonal dynamics can impact on the success of inclusive education. After all, it’s not just about what is taught, but how it is communicated and received – it’s about an inclusive professional style. It is therefore essential to change course when it comes to politically set standards and their reinterpretation in teacher education. This points to wider systemic influences on inclusive education. How do political and institutional norms facilitate or hinder the practical implementation of inclusive practices in relation to trainee teachers’ moral identities and attitudes towards people with disabilities? Attitudes play a key role in shaping the inclusiveness of educational environments. Analysing the factors that influence these attitudes is undoubtedly a decisive step towards promoting a more inclusive mindset in a global school. At the heart of these considerations is the exploration of inclusion and diversity as a new and topical phenomenon linked to the promotion of critical thinking and reflective professional practices of an inclusive ethos. How can the promotion of critical thinking contribute to a more inclusive pedagogy? Reflection on the fight against stigmatisation is therefore particularly linked to the promotion of democracy, freedom of expression and global citizenship. How can society move beyond stereotypes and prejudice to genuinely support people in crisis? Clearly, these studies are not just about theory; they are practical investigations aimed at creating real change.
As explained by C.J. Craig in the text that follows, the ISATT 2022 regional conference in Bordeaux appears to have been a landmark event, not only in the history of the association, but also in the wider history of qualitative research in education – from this perspective, the event was doubly inclusive in both content and form. The aim was not only to articulate emerging areas of research and themes, but also to bring together passionate researchers who have laid the foundations of a community dedicated to improving the understanding and quality of education. The mention of the areas of research that ISATT has incubated, and the new emerging themes suggest a dynamic move towards diversity, not least in the direction of increased internationalisation of ISATT, with the conference bringing together over 120 researchers from 27 different countries. Education is a global enterprise, and an international perspective can enrich the discourse and bring different points of view, with the aim of creating a humanity that is fairer and more open to diversity.
We have arranged the themes in three parts, which approach the issue from complementary angles to provide a picture of experiences of inclusive practices, challenging inclusive ideals and the reality of the situation on the ground.
Part 1 – Current Situation: The Influence of National Contexts in Question
This part examines specific cases of inclusive integration in a range of research studies rooted in national contexts across the globe.
In the second chapter, written by Dorota Bazuń, the challenge addresses a topical issue, regarding the inclusion of Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Among the many paradoxes highlighted, the authors show us that differences in emotional needs in terms of feeling of school security seriously affect integration.
Tunisia is the research context for this third chapter, written by Dhahri Amen, who examines the educational inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder. The point of view adopted is that of an inclusion that is both pedagogical and ethical, situating the issue between pedagogical practices and the representations of schoolteachers.
The following chapter deals with inclusive issues in Guadeloupe (French overseas department). Elisabeth Issaieva and Axelle James adopt a diachronic perspective to examine changes in initial and in-service teacher training with regard to facing inclusive education. In particular, the question of the relationship between representations and practices is addressed.
Chapter five deals with the issue of refugees, this time in a context that is the opposite of France, with regard to New Zealand. Fiona Smythe uses several case studies to examine the impact of changing government policies on the learning and inclusion of young refugees.
In chapter six, which focuses on the issue of inclusion in education in the American context, Fernando Naiditch, Frances Rust, Carrie Nepstad, and Diane Yendol-Hoppey look at the educators who are in a position to contribute to the development and implementation of inclusive education The model that emerges from this collaborative research identifies the tensions at work in teacher training.
Part 2 – Facilitators: Conditions for Implementation
In this second part, the different actors involved in the inclusive process are examined from as close to the ground as possible. Relational issues are discussed from a series of perspectives.
In their chapter, Sophie Sanchez-Larréa and Pascal Legrain adopt an inclusive education perspective to examine on the basis of self-determination theory, the effects of communication styles on student motivation and on teachers’ approach to managing diversity.
The focus is on student teachers’ moral identity and their attitudes towards people with disabilities in the following chapter. Stella Danou, Aikaterini Vassiou, Vassiliki Tzika, Efstathios Xafakos, and Stavroula Kaldi propose an analysis of what affects student teachers’ attitudes towards persons with disabilities with the aim of facilitating inclusion.
Martin Strouhal’s study focuses on inclusion and diversity as a newly topical phenomenon in the Czech environment. This chapter looks at critical thinking in this context and considers that inclusive ethics needs to be closely related to critical thinking while wondering to what extent it can help support the implementation of an inclusive pedagogy.
The chapter by Mariusz Kwiatkowski deals with the issue of solidarity in the case of a project called BARKA acting for people in a crisis of homelessness, addicted to psychoactive substances, vulnerable migrants, and refugees. The reflection that is conducted focuses on the stigmatization of vulnerable groups and ways of overcoming it.
Part 3 – Facilitators: Strategies and Tools
This final section looks at the implementation of methodologies and actions meant to facilitate inclusion.
The first chapter, written by Laura Sara Agrati, analyses the protocols used to support Ukrainian refugees in Italy. The complexity of the emergency context prompts reflection on the opportunity to prepare teachers through adequate initial and in-service training.
Technological forms of intervention are explored in the chapter written by Josh N.W. Gray, who explores the issue of self-directed telecollaboration as a means of inclusion within an intercultural dynamic that can play a role in helping students gain an awareness of learning mechanisms.
The next chapter, written by Panagiota Diamanti, Maria Chatzi, and Stavroula Kaldi, deals with a methodological aspect of primary school teaching, namely the Flipped classroom model. The study is aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the model in the development of collaboration skills, teamwork, and students’ participation in the multicultural and democratic society.
Methodologies in teaching are at the heart of Heidi Flavian’s study, which examines how the implementation of transdisciplinary teaching can contribute to promoting inclusive education. In this approach, different disciplines
To conclude this section on strategies and tools to promote inclusion, the chapter co-authored by Joanna Frątczak-Müller and Anna Mielczarek-Żejmo looks at the different paths of the agency investigated in study visits, which are seen as having a role in promoting cohesion at local level through active education techniques aimed at building the agency of their participants.