Title:

How Can I Improve My Practice as an Inclusion Officer Working in Children's Services?

Abstract: (Your abstract must use 10pt Arial font and must not be longer than this box)

Relevance of Study or Enquiry (to BERA members)

Furlong and Oancea (2005) highlight some of the issues about judging the quality of practice- based research and Snow, in her presidential address to AERA (2001) calls for the elevation of personal knowledge in order to enrich research-based knowledge.

In my work as an Inclusion Officer, working with educators within Children's Services, schools and with other professionals, I feel that the values I hold and demonstrate in my practice, contribute to standards of judgement for evaluating the validity of inclusional, practice- based research.

Clarity of Research Questions and or Focus of Enquiry

One of my main responsibilities as an Inclusion Officer has been to implement an Inclusion Quality Mark in the authority and to work with and assess schools in their working towards and achieving this award. I do not want the achievement of the Inclusion Quality Mark to be the result of ticking the right boxes. When I walk into a school, I want not only to see inclusive practice in action, but I want to see and feel the quality of relationships in the school community: pupils, parents governors and school staff working together inclusionally, valuing each other for who they are and the contributions they make and demonstrating the values of inclusionality (Rayner) to which I aspire in my practice.

To this end, the following questions seem pertinent:

How do I maintain the integrity and implement my values in awarding a school with the Inclusion Quality Mark when confronted and challenged by educators with different values?

How can I work with other educators to develop understandings inclusionally?

How do I know that my standards of judgements are valid?

Appropriateness of Research Methods and or Literature

A living theory action research approach (Whitehead and McNiff, 2006) seems to be appropriate whereby practitioners demonstrate and explain the educational influences in their own learning, in the learning of others and the learning of social formations (Whitehead, 2005)

Robustness of Analytical and or Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework of living educational theories developed by Whitehead (1989) has been adopted by educational researchers worldwide and their enquiries have withstood evaluations of validity.

Research Findings and or Contribution to Knowledge – Significance for Educational Practice, Policy or Theory

As an educational researcher, my research findings will be based on my personal knowledge and practice and will contribute to the development of appropriate standards of judgement for evaluating the quality of educational knowledge about inclusion. Through my work with schools and other educators in the authority the development on educational practice and policy will be significant.

References

Furlong, J. & Oancea,A. (2005) Assessing Quality in Applied and Practice- Based Educational Research. A Framework for Discussion. Retrieved 15 January 2007 from

http://www.aare.edu.au/05papc/fu5018y.pdf

Rayner, A. (2006) Essays and Talks about Inclusionality by Alan Rayner, retrieved 15 January 2007 from

http://people.bath.ac.uk//bsssaadmr/inclusionality/

Snow, C. E (2001) Knowing What We Know: Children's Teachers, Researchers. Presidential Address to AERA, 2001, in Seattle, in Educational Researcher, Vol.30, No.7, pp.3-9.

Whitehead, J. (1989) Creating a living educational theory from questions of the kind, 'How do I improve my practice ?' Published in the Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 19, No.1, 1989, pp. 41-52

Whitehead, J. (2005) Living Educational Theory and Standards of Judgement: A contribution to the debate about assessing the quality of applied and practice–based educational research. Retrieved 15 January 2007 from

http://www.actionresearch.net

Whitehead, J. and McNiff, J. (2006) Action Research Living Theory. London, Sage.

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