Teaching for inclusion - a review of research on the cooperation between regular teachers and special educators in the work with students in need of special support

• Published in: International journal of inclusive education Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 541 - 555
• Main Authors: Paulsrud, David, Nilholm, Claes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 21.03.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Affordances; Barriers; Chemistry; collaboration; Consultation Programs; Cooperation; Education policy; Educational Research; Inclusion; Inclusive education; Literature Reviews; Qualitative research; Regular and Special Education Relationship; research review; Schools; Special Education Teachers; special needs; Teacher Collaboration; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Team Teaching
• ISSN: 1360-3116; 1464-5173; 1464-5173
• DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2020.1846799

This article presents a review of qualitative research on interprofessional cooperation between regular teachers and special educators published from 2005 to 2019. The aim of the review was to gain knowledge about how different forms of cooperation take shape and about factors at multiple levels that facilitate or constrain cooperation as a means of achieving inclusion. In total, 25 studies were selected. The results are discussed in relation to Thomas Skrtic's theory of bureaucracies within the school organisation in order to compare and analyse different forms of interprofessional cooperation and schools' organisations of special educational work. Cooperative teaching, special educational consultations and mixed forms of cooperation were found to entail different benefits and challenges related to communication and the cooperating actors' roles. Facilitating factors included personal chemistry, an equal distribution of power and responsibilities and support from the school management through provision of professional development and adequate planning time. In several studies, a flexible cooperation was argued to be hindered by curricular constraints and standardised testing. Education policy is therefore emphasised in this review as important for understanding the conditions under which school staff are responsible for inclusion.