Conference Agenda

The Portuguese school buildings were built during the 20th century promoted by educational policies based on four main political regimes – monarchy until 1910, republic from 1910 to 1926, dictatorship from 1926 to 1974, and democracy since 1974 (Moniz & Cordeiro, 2019). These regimes used the schools not only to educate the population but also to represent their power relations. In most cases, the students were not the center of the education process, as John Dewey claimed already in 1916 in his book “Education and Democracy”, where students should “learn by doing”.

Beyond some interesting experiences in the 1960s and 1970s, in the late days of the dictatorship and the early days of democracy, school buildings were designed by architects without any interaction with the school community. The governmental institution prepared an architectural brief based on technical and programmatic regulations, and architects developed proposals supported by their contemporary architecture culture – neoclassic, modern, pavilions, brutalist, minimalist, etc. Beautiful school buildings were designed and built, but without the engagement of the school community - although the rector or the school director was involved in some cases (Moniz, 2018).

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Portuguese government started a programme to renovate secondary school buildings, named Parque Escolar, that worked between 2007 and 2017, where 100 buildings were refurbished. Although the programme aimed for community participation, in most cases that was not possible due to the short time to develop the architectural project and to a lack of participation culture.

Today, the government is transferring the management of the secondary school buildings to the municipalities and an opportunity is created to do things differently, due to the proximity between the municipalities and the schools (Cordeiro et al, 2023). The question is how can the school community be engaged in the redesign of their school buildings and what are the goals that may be achieved with this participation process?

The case of the José Falcão Secondary School, the former Lyceum of Coimbra (Moniz, 2004, 2008; Coelho, 2018a), can offer answers and guidance to achieve a more inclusive education supported by an architectural and pedagogical design process developed with the school community.

The building was designed in 1930 and built in 1936 in the frame of the national competition for modern lyceums, promoted by the dictatorship, in the early years of the so-called New State. The renovation of this school building was not included in the Parque Escolar programme because the teachers were not involved in the decision, and they refused the transformation of the school into a music school – the conservatory of Coimbra. Due to this lack of consensus, the school was excluded from the programme and the renovation is today very urgent and delicate because the building is a national monument, and it has a strong sense of belonging for Coimbra society.

The Municipality of Coimbra understood the exceptional character of this building and started a competition for a research-in-action project opened to universities with research centers in architecture, education and engineering. The University of Coimbra presented a proposal, led by the Department of Architecture, in partnership with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and the Department of Civil and Mechanics Engineering, and several research centers.

This paper aims to discuss the proposal submitted by the University of Coimbra and to present the first results of the participatory process that was developed between November 2023 and January 2024.

Although, UNESCO (2019) calls for schools to become “welcoming spaces … where respect and appreciation for the diversity of all students prevail” (pp. 11, 15), educators and educational systems continue to stive to promote all students’ right to presence, participation and achievement in their education. For inclusive education to be realised, an intersectionality of architecture and inclusive education is emerging in the policy context (UNESCO, 2019, 2020), calling “State parties”/governments to take measures for “removing architectural … barriers to mainstream education” (UN, 2016, p. 15). This paper contributes to the emerging field of the role of architecture in supporting the translation of inclusive policy into practice for all students.

Affirming a collective responsibility to promote inclusive education, the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) – Education 2030 in the “Incheon Declaration and SDG4 – Education 2030 Framework for Action” established the need for the enactment of inclusive education to be “country-led”, requiring a “whole of government” approach. The Framework for Action was informed by three principles: education as a “fundamental human right and an enabling right”, ensuring equal access to inclusive education “free and compulsory, leaving no one behind”; education as a “public good” and a “shared societal endeavour”; and gender equality ensuring access, completion and empowerment for “girls and boys”, “women and men” (UNESCO, 2016, p. 28). Within the “whole of government” approach, the Framework for Action recognised that governments “will need the support of all stakeholders”, that is, “civil society, teachers and educators, the private sector, communities, families, youth and children” and understanding that they “all have important roles in realizing the right to quality education” (UNESCO, 2016, pp. 28, 60). However, this raises the question of how the right to quality education can be fully realised. According to UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (2019) “school infrastructure must be improved, creating safe, accessible spaces” (p. 11). Therefore, allowing the affordances of architecture to emerge, ensuring safety in the architectural design of a school responds to students’ needs, while meeting policy requirements.

Richard Meier (1984) at the 1984 Pritzker Architecture Prize Ceremony described architecture as “vital and enduring because it contains us; it describes space, space we move through, exist in and use” (p. 1). School spaces have been reported in the literature for their role in the education of students with disabilities (Buchner, 2021; Jin et al., 2018), students with English as an additional language (Everatt et al., 2019; Wrench et al., 2018), and all students (Kallio, 2018; Ytterhus & Åmot, 2021). Space has been recommended as one of the resources affecting student learning (OECD, 2013, p. 24) with research providing evidence that school architecture that meets the qualities of being “accessible, suitable and appropriate” is deemed to “benefit all learners” (Ackah-Jnr & Danso, 2019 p. 205). It is now widely accepted globally that inclusive education refers to “an optimum learning environment [that] benefits all students” (Boyle & Anderson, 2020, p. 208). However, this raises the question of what an optimum learning environment for all looks like. Informing the intersectionality of architecture with inclusive education, this case study in a primary school setting in metropolitan South Australia reports on student and educator experiences of ‘suitable’ and ‘designed specifically for children’ material-economic arrangements enabling students’ inclusive education.

The research questions that underpinned the study were:

• What role does architecture play in students’ inclusive education?
• What do school community members perceive to be the enabling and/or challenging arrangements to students’ inclusive education?

The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge about teachers’ experiences of implementing and using visual support with the graphic symbol program “Widgit Online” (WO) in a Swedish primary school to promote an accessible learning environment. As the overarching theoretical framework the study used inclusive pedagogy, which involves a pedagogical practice that compensates for individual student differences during whole-class teaching and activities (Brennan et al., 2021; Florian & Black-Hawkins, 2011). The pedagogical practice should focus on creating rich learning opportunities accessible to all students enabling participation for everyone (Florian & Black-Hawkins, 2011). Within the Swedish discourse, however, the term employed is "accessible learning environment" instead of "inclusive pedagogy." Essentially, the essence of this concept corresponds with that of inclusive pedagogy. The Swedish National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (SpecialPedagogiska SkolMyndigheten; SPSM, 2023b) states that “accessibility encompasses the conditions necessary for all children and students to participate in an inclusive school environment”. According to “The Accessibility Model” developed by SPSM, creating accessible learning environments involves adapting the pedagogical, social, and physical environment to support the learning of all students (SPSM, 2023a). The model is widely referred to in Swedish schools and aligns with the Swedish education act (SFS 2010:800) stating that in education, it is essential to address the diverse needs of students, providing support and stimulation to maximize their development while striving to equalize student differences. Accessible learning environment was therefore used as a second theoretical framework in the current study.

The use of visual supports of different kinds are one way of creating an accessible learning environment in schools. Previous studies have shown that visual supports in the school context may be beneficial to students with disabilities, such as language disorders, autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability (Lequia et al., 2012; McDougal et al., 2022; Van Dijk & Gage, 2019; Wellington & Stackhouse, 2011) as well as second language learners (e.g., Dixon et al., 2020). Importantly, however, visual supports have also demonstrated broad benefits for all students in a classroom setting, contributing to vocabulary development, supporting listening skills, enhancing social communication skills, aiding literacy, and improving higher-order thinking and language skills (Crosskey & Vance, 2011; Gil-Glazer et al., 2019; John & Vance, 2014; Mavrou et al., 2013; Pampoulou & Detheridge, 2007). The notion of using visual supports as part of the everyday pedagogical practice to support the learning of all students in the classroom thus aligns with both the accessible learning environment as well as the inclusion pedagogy theoretical frameworks.

One type of visual support is graphic symbol sets, systematically designed to symbolize all types of words in a language, such as Widgit symbols (Kambouri et al., 2016). Widgit symbols in Swedish schools have become more prevalent with the widespread adoption of the web-based program WO, which also comprises a variety of templates, such as mind-maps and schedules. WO is accessible in many classrooms across Sweden, often with individual teacher access. Widgit symbols and the specific WO program are also available in several countries in Europe and beyond. Yet, there is a paucity in research investigating the implementation and utilization of visual support with graphic symbols and programs such as WO in mainstream classrooms. Through an interview study with nine primary school teachers we thus aimed to explore the following research questions: 1. How do the teachers describe implementation and use of WO as a tool for promoting an accessible learning environment? 2. What impact does use of WO have on the students’ learning, development, and participation, according to the teachers? 3. What important organizational factors are described in implementing and using visual support with WO?

Our research is based on the triangle of expectations the early educations care teachers meet from the parents, the society, and what`s best for the child; how the ethical dilemma in inclusive education is a balance between different considerations for the teacher (Afdal, 2011, Reindal, 2016, Reindal, 2019).

The Norway`s society today have a more diversity of cultures, economic, social, religions and geographic background than earlier (Morken &Karlsen, 2019). Each family has roles, traditions and a background who have an impact for their meanings of what`s important for their children’s education, different expectations to how they want to be met by the society and early childhood teachers (Wolf, 2018). The ideal of equality in Norway; that everybody have the same rights to be treated equally regardless of function and capabilities (Sen, 1993,1999), is still an important value who can make it difficult se the variety in parents and families (Bendixen, Bringslid & Vike, 2018).

The “Professional ethic for the teaching profession” (Union of Education Norway and Norwegian Union of School Employees, 2012) are an important guideline for basic values of the teaching profession. Understanding early childhood parenting and care are based on universal human rights and especially the UN convention on the rights for children. (UDF & SL, 2012). The value of “what`s children’s best?” is an important guiding principle for the teaching profession (Kunnskapsdepartementet, 2017). The principle towards corporation and understanding parents in early childhood care are the first rule and premises in Norwegian right for early childhood care § 1. (Barnehageloven, 2005, §1).

Early childhood teacher’s everyday life is in the middle of a triangle with expectations from both their own profession; whit the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the society`s mandate and rules act relating to kindergarten (Barnehageloven, 2005) and the parents’ mandate; whit The Universal Declaration of Human Rights §26.3 (UN,1948). In this study we wish to highlight some of the challenges, cross pressure, and ethical dilemmas these teachers face in their meeting with the normal life in early childhood care whit inclusion and corporation with parents. Our research is based on empirical data from interviews with early childhood teachers, both groups and individuals. Our understanding is based on the principle that the variety among parents, families and children are an important resource in the community that can be both a challenge and a good resource for children with special needs and for all children.

From a professional-theoretical perspective, the educational staff plays a central role in the quality of educational processes. Against the backdrop that early childhood educational institutions have the mission to realize an education for all, professional educational actions can be equated with inclusive educational actions (Fröhlich-Gildhoff et al., 2020). Furthermore, on a scientific basis, qualification requirements for inclusive education by elementary education professionals have been defined, and pedagogical basic competencies for inclusion have been specified (Sulzer & Wagner, 2011).

Early education in Austria is federally regulated, leading to 9 different legislations in Austria's 9 federal states. As a result, inclusion and the associated framework conditions vary significantly.

But in the nationwide educational framework, inclusion is understood as a fundamental attitude (Charlotte-Bühler-Institut, 2009). Throughout Austria, early childhood teachers (ECT) are supported in a region-specific and provider-dependent manner by Inclusive Early Childhood Teach (IECP). They have further training in inclusion, that lasts 4 terms and comprises 90 ECTS points. Their task is to 'ensure, support, and qualitatively accompany the social integration and local care of children with increased support needs' (Land Salzburg, n.d.).

This presentation initially raises the question of whether ECT and IECT differ in their attitudes and competencies regarding inclusion.

Dialogue and partnerships between countries are essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They provide the opportunity to learn what works in other nations and facilitate research and programmes, such as those between the European Union and Indian civil societies. Particularly, research collaborations can help to advance disability-inclusive education, as countries vary in terms of progress towards inclusion.

It is estimated that 7.8 million children live with disabilities in India (UNESCO, 2019). There are policy and legal provisions for educating students with and without disabilities in the same classroom. However, societal, systemic, school, and family level challenges often prevent full inclusion (Singal, 2019). Deep social stigma regarding disability often results in affiliate stigma among parents of a child with special needs (Patra & Patro, 2019) and can affect teachers’ beliefs (Singal, 2019).

In effective schools, there is family and community involvement (Masters, 2004). Families and schools have a shared responsibility to help students reach their full potential. Family engagements are a series of interactions between the family and schools that are dynamic and everchanging (Xu, 2020). Family involvement leads to improved academic outcomes, behaviour, and student attendance, amongst others (Jeynes, 2005; Sheldon & Epstein, 2004; Sheldon, 2007).

Family-school partnerships are particularly important to help every child succeed in disability-inclusive contexts. They have academic, social, and emotional benefits for students with disabilities (Patrikakou, 2011). However, schools are required to allocate resources, offer professional learning opportunities for teachers, create communication routines, and allow parents to observe the strategies deployed in classrooms for successful collaboration (Patrikakou, 2011).

While speaking with the lead author, eminent inclusive education expert, Dr Umesh Sharma, said in his interview on behaviour management and inclusive learning environments, that the problem arises when teachers contact parents only when students misbehave (Chakraborty, 2023). Indeed, the concern for a significant number of Indian schools, like in other parts of the world, is to create regular and institutionalised strategies for collaboration with families.

Teachers in India expressed that they need support from parents in understanding the challenges of the child, for formal diagnosis, preparation of Individual Education Plans (IEPs), training on assistive technology, and in classroom teaching and learning activities (Chakraborty, 2023). However, there is a lack of empirical research in India on understanding how family-school partnerships have been established in the context of disability-inclusive education and what the challenges are, as existing literature primarily focuses on the experiences of parenting children with disabilities (Gokhale, 2021; Chakravarti, 2008).

This paper aims to explore family-school partnerships in disability-inclusive school education in India. The central question is ‘What are the opportunities and challenges of family-school collaboration for disability-inclusive education in schools in India?’ Specifically, we ask,

(i) What are the existing family-school partnerships that promote disability inclusion in schools?

(ii) What are the challenges in building such partnerships for disability-inclusion?

(iii) How do schools collaborate with families in the context of learning assessments?

The third question is particularly relevant as learning assessments for children with disabilities and factors affecting them haven’t received much academic attention.

This qualitative study will gather the perspectives of school leaders to develop an understanding of the family-school partnership landscape in India for improving academic and co-academic outcomes for students with disability. The insights will enable policymakers and school leaders to design teacher professional learning opportunities that enable schools to strengthen their connections with families. Further, learnings from the study will promote the development of effective parent-school collaboration in disability-inclusive contexts which is emphasised in India’s National Education Policy (NEP, 2020).

Promoting inclusive education [IE] is a responsibility of adults in the school system, aimed at ensuring equitable access to education for all students and reducing marginalization. This includes enabling students with diverse needs to reach their potential and fully participate in society, integral to promoting IE. Nearly three decades ago, Norway and several other European countries ratified the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) and committed to UNESCO’s principles of IE and working towards providing education for all. UNESCO’s (2009) inclusion guidelines describe IE as dynamic processes that 1) addresses and meets the diverse needs of all students (p. 8); 2) aims to increase participation; and 3) actively works to diminish exclusion “from and within education” (p. 9). The Norwegian white paper “Early intervention and inclusive education” (Meld. St. 6 (2019-2020)), highlights the need to enhance the schools’ support systems through interprofessional collaboration [IPC] between professionals within and outside of school. IPC is seen as crucial to meet the students’ needs and foster inclusive teaching environments for all.

Despite Norway’s commitment to UNESCO’s principles and the emphasis on IPC, there is a noticeable gap in Norwegian - and international - literature when it comes to addressing students’ experiences of it. This gap becomes particularly evident when considering Qvortrup and Qvortrup’s (2018) inclusion matrix, which emphasizes the experiential aspect of inclusion/exclusion. In a previous paper (Wego, n.d.), I began to address this gap by exploring how students articulate “help” and I found that students seem to have a different (and more concrete) understanding of “help” than adults. This observation has guided the direction of this paper and led to the following research question: How do primary school students make sense of their experiences of receiving help in interprofessional collaborations, with the goal of inclusive education?

I am using participatory research and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [IPA] to explore the research question. IPA combines phenomenology’s emphasis on lived experiences and hermeneutics’ focus on text interpretation, seeking to explore the unique experiences of individuals and how they make sense of them (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Eatough & Smith, 2017; Smith, 2011). Critical disability studies (CDS) is thought of as a relevant theoretical framework for the discussion, considering CDS' goal towards equity and social justice (Goodley, 2007). Based on findings thus far, ableism (cf. Goodley, 2007, 2013; Titchkosky, 2012) and agency seems to be particularily relevant. For example, all of the students in the study were invited to complete three cartoon stories and take photographs of whatever they needed to learn and feel good. However, one of the students did not do any of this - instead he drew his favorite super hero, "the Flash". Instead of dismissing this as unrelevant for the study, we incorporated "The Flash" greatly in the interview and the Flash seemed to help the student reclaim agency.

My interest in studying students’ experiences with IE is influenced by both my professional and personal experiences with minority stress[1]. As a special education teacher, I have witnessed several processes that were intended to be inclusive but inadvertently resulted in exclusion. These experiences have not only shaped my understanding of the complexities involved in implementing inclusive practices but have also motivated me to delve deeper into the nuances of these processes. Through this research, I hope to contribute to the ongoing discourse on IE, and ultimately, to the improvement of educational practices for all students.

[1] Heightened stress experienced by individuals from minority groups as a result of challenges such as prejudice and discrimination due to their deviation from the societal norms imposed by the dominant culture (Mongelli et al., 2019, p. 28)

The inclusion of marginalised students in regular schools is fundamental to achieving “Education for All”. In this research, a systematic review was conducted to examine what students at risk in education have said that could improve their inclusion in mainstream schools. The 37 studies from 10 different countries included in this qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) represent 450+ (n=178 Female, n=154 male and n = 118+ not identified) voices of students aged 9- 18 years, students perceived to be at risk of underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection from school.

Articles 12 and 13 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child legally and ethically establish the need for educational policy makers and practitioners to ensure the voices of children contribute to educational decision making (UN General Assembly, 1989) The practical delivery of these rights does, however, require issues of power and the imbalance of power within education systems to be addressed .

Whilst the balance of decision making power between teachers and students will never be equal, the creation of environments that include the voices of young people, particularly the views of those who are at risk of, or disconnecting from school, can guide practitioners and policy makers toward better ways of including all children. Listening to student views promotes opportunity for adults to respond to learner diversity, yet the extent to what we should listen to students about and why continues to be contentious. In schools listening is often focussed on what adults want to hear from students, the focus sometimes tends to ignore the critical insights of students.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic (QES) of what students at potential risk of underachievement, marginalisation or disconnection from school have collectively shared that could improve the inclusion of all students in regular/mainstream schools. The following questions guided the search and analysis of the literature; (a) what do these students say contributes to their disconnection or exclusion from school? and (b) what do they collectively say schools/systems should do to enable their inclusion in mainstream schools?

Relational Inclusivity (RI) foregrounds the notion of relationships among students, especially those with identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). In this paper, I argue that RI is a critical aspect of mainstream educational settings, fostering a sense of belonging and emotional well-being among all students. When we refer to RI, we are addressing the extent to which all students are interwoven into the social fabric of their educational surroundings. This concept is grounded in the fundamental belief that students' feelings of belonging are crucial for both their academic development and socioemotional learning. We introduce it as a distinct term to underscore that programmatic models of inclusion may not inherently lead to genuine inclusion in all aspects (Mamas & Trautman, 2023). Instead, the active monitoring, development, and maintenance of RI are imperative to ensure that students, especially those with SEND, can fully participate and engage in their educational environments. In our previous work, we argued that RI comprises four dimensions or networks of relational ties; friendship, recess, academic support, and emotional wellbeing networks (Mamas & Trautman, 2023; Mamas et al., 2024). This paper explores the first dimension, namely friendships.
The paper addresses one main research question: What are elementary students' perspectives on the importance of friendships? This central research question aims to explore the subjective experiences and viewpoints of 21 4th grade school students regarding the significance of their friendships with peers. By delving into their perspectives, I sought to unravel the nuanced ways in which friendships contribute to the overall well-being and academic experiences of these students as it pertains to their RI. Through a qualitative case study design, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted in two grade 4 classrooms in a highly diverse school in Southern California. The goal of the interviews was to capture the richness and diversity of students' experiences, thoughts, and feelings regarding their friendship ties and connections with peers.
The conceptual framework guiding this research is grounded in the concept of RI. As highlighted above, RI encompasses the idea that fostering positive and inclusive relationships within educational settings is fundamental for the overall well-being and development of all students, particularly those with SEND (Mamas & Trautman, 2023; Mamas at al., 2024). Within the framework of RI, the emphasis is placed on creating an environment where every student feels a sense of belonging and connection. This extends beyond mere tolerance and involves actively promoting positive relationships, empathy, and mutual respect among students. Friendship, being a fundamental aspect of social interaction, plays a pivotal role in the manifestation of RI within the elementary school context.
In this paper, I approach RI from a social network perspective (Borgatti et al., 2018). The social network perspective in the context of RI and friendship provides a valuable lens through which to understand the intricate dynamics of interpersonal relationships. Viewing friendships through the social network perspective involves recognizing that these connections form a complex web of interactions, influencing and being influenced by the broader social environment. In this framework, each student is considered a node within the social network, and friendships represent the links that connect them (Mamas et al., 2019). Understanding the structure and quality of these links is essential for comprehending how RI unfolds. By adopting a social network perspective, one gains insights into not only the individual experiences of students but also the collective dynamics that contribute to a more inclusive and supportive community. This approach underscores the interconnectedness of relationships, emphasizing that fostering inclusive environments involves cultivating positive connections that extend beyond individual friendships to contribute to the overall well-being of the entire classroom social network.

Special schools provide unique specialist supports for a continuum of complex speical educational needs and disabilities that are not typically available in mainstream settings. The global pandemic of 2020 to 2023 impacted on educational experiences, the role and function of special school provision. Therfore, drawing a need to explore a pathway to future proof the choice of educational provision offered to these children, young people and their families. The reflective voices and perspectives of special educators from across the island of Ireland are presented in this paper. The research question sought to plot the learning from the global pandemic on teaching and learning experiences in special schools for children and young people with intellectual disability, autism and other neurodevelopmental differences. These voices provide critical/common links and points for reflection on the goal for equity in education. The findings highlight the significant role of the special school setting in a constantly changing landscape (both nationally and internationally) where special education is not seen or valued as a sustainable model of inclusive practice.

This paper explores research with pre-service teachers in Scotland about their development of understandings of inclusion and curricular justice. Teachers require the appropriate skills and knowledge to teach diverse pupils, seeing individual differences as opportunities for enriching learning (Ainscow, 2020). Teacher education programmes are one space where interruptions to students’ deeply rooted assumptions about, for example, education, teaching and diversity are made possible. Teachers’ curriculum making work is complex and has been described as a ‘highly dynamic processes of interpretation, mediation, negotiation and translation, across multiple layers or sites of the education system’ (Priestley et al. 2021: 1). Pre-service teachers need educational experiences which help them navigate this complex work. Knowledge of learners, subject matter, curriculum goals and pedagogy (Darling-Hammond, 2006) have been identified as key foundations for curriculum work. Developing effective inclusive practice begins in the teachers’ professional preparation when pre-service teachers learn about key pedagogical approaches, reflect on their own beliefs about human differences, and develop inclusive practices that are maintained throughout their teaching careers (Rouse, 2010). Inclusive education is linked to a human rights-based approach (UNESCO, 2017) underpinned by the principle of social justice and teacher’s understandings of social justice will shape their pedagogical leadership (Forde and Torrence, 2017). To achieve curricular justice (Riddle et al., 2023), based on Fraser’s (2008) tripartite definition of social justice, commitment to ‘pupil-centred’ education’ needs to be accompanied by understandings of what and whose knowledge (Coker et al., 2024).

Our teacher education programme restructured the second school placement experience so each week students spend 3 days in school and 2 days within the university. This structure is envisioned to enable students to make richer theoretical connections to ongoing practice, whilst also affording opportunities to question their existing horizons of expectation. This is a space where interruptions to students’ assumptions and their practices can be foregrounded on a weekly basis. The Differences and Identity module, taught during this semester at the university, aims to give the opportunity for students to explore the research around inclusion and to begin to think about the relevance of this research to their own practice. Students undertake this module concurrently with the second school placement and it aims to enrich and contextualize student’s experience by giving students the tools and knowledge to think about their practice differently, in terms of inclusion. The module introduces students to the key theoretical debates in Inclusive education, the principal research, current policy and provokes discussion regarding inclusive pedagogy. The expectation is that students will use this new knowledge to reflect on their practice through this process of interruption, reflection, and supportive discussion, and it is these experiences that this research focuses on.

The study aims to address these research questions:

1. What are student teachers’ (pre-service teachers) understandings of inclusion and social justice before and after having studied a module on inclusion and attending a concurrent school placement.

1. To what extent has their understanding been developed after this module and attending a concurrent school placement.

The study will use Fraser’s framework of redistributive and relational social justice as heuristic through which issues of inclusion and exclusion will be discussed and linked curricular justice (Riddle et al., 2023; Dawson, 2017).

The purpose of this paper is to present the development and initial findings of a three-year funded project, entitled the Collaborative Storytelling for Disability Awareness (COSDIA) approach. This approach was conceptualized through a careful consideration of the gap in the literature regarding interdisciplinary approaches that consider disability awareness, particularly the intersection between online-offline environments of interaction, collaboration between disabled and non-disabled pre-service teachers, the co-creation of educational materials, and creative writing and digital storytelling. In effect, the study explores the use of collaborative storytelling, through digital and other forms, of pre-service teachers’ own stories and/or fairy tales about disability and aims to foster pre-service teachers’ disability awareness.

This presentation will include findings derived mainly from the first phase of the three-year project. In this first phase, the researchers conducted a thorough literature review documenting existing models in the use of storytelling and drama techniques for pre-service teachers’ training, as well as the representation of disability in the media. Researchers also completed an initial analysis of pre-service teachers’ views around disability and their learning needs around inclusive pedagogy and practice, which facilitated the development of the COSDIA approach. The first phase of the project was concluded through the development of a theoretical and pedagogical framework for the COSDIA approach, as well as the development of its curriculum comprised of seven modules. The development, presentation and delivery of the modules adopt an inclusive pedagogical framework, as the research team agrees that the project has the potential “to reduce educational inequality by enhancing learning opportunities for everyone” (Florian, 2015, p.5).

The research questions complement the research goals of the proposed project, and the research team investigates:

(1) pre-service teachers’ perceptions in relation to innovative learning approaches regarding disability awareness and inclusive education

(2) pre-service teachers’ needs in relation to innovative learning approaches regarding disability awareness and inclusive education

(3) the ways in which COSDIA’s approach can contribute to enhancing pre-service teachers’ disability awareness

(4) the potential opportunities and challenges of collaborative storytelling (collaboration between disabled and non-disabled people), through digital, and other forms, of pre-service teachers’ own stories and/or fairy tales about disability/inclusive education

Norway has traditionally put inclusive education high on the agenda in their schools related to both practice and laws (Maxwell & Bakke, 2019). New teacher education reforms in Norway focus on subject specialization and research-based knowledge (Jakhelln et al., 2019). Antonsen et al. (2020) confirm however that there is a gap between inclusive education and the general teacher community. New teacher education programmes inadequately prepare early career teachers (ECTs) to work inclusively with Tveitnes and Hvalby (2023) finding a lack of inclusive education is problematic for ECTs and their mentors. However, the Norwegian master-based education is supposed to educate ECTs with the ability to develop their competence, reflect and collaborate with others (Jakhelln et al., 2019).

A positive connection between ECTs and students is important for teaching (Hattie, 2008). Norwegian ECTs experience many classroom challenges particularly when handling a varied student and parent group (Antonsen et al., for review). Teachers’ relational work also requires the handling of a broader range of learners from skilled students to behavioral problems (Rudkjoebing et al., 2020) and also to address themes from social, personal or health education (Nic Gabhainn et al., 2010). There are similar calls in Norway for teaching about life mastery (Lauritzen et al., 2021) and abuse and sexual harassment (Goldschmidt-Gjerløw, 2022). Given that teachers have many and contradictory discursive demands and relational tasks to solve in work (Spicksley, 2022), a novel relational approach to inclusive and relational education may help them in carrying out work.

Relational thinking is an educational practice that equalizes learning and well-being (Dalkilic & Vadeboncoeur, 2016). Florian et al. (2017) highlight that a teacher’s ability to act relationally impacts developing a more inclusive pedagogy. A relational thinking and approach to special education and adapted education shifts the focus from instrumental thinking such as having clear recipes and solutions, to what Florian and colleagues suggest as "a more nuanced and relational way of considering how schools can respond to difference is needed." (Florian et al., 2017, p. 27). For teachers, a relational approach involves the ability to question their assumptions and increase their own insight into the relationship between their behaviour and underlying thoughts and feelings whilst simultaneously giving an understanding of the individual student’s perspective (Aspelin, 2014, p. 240). Relational thinking thus means that inclusive education should both contribute to and be the result of an education system that provides a reasonable opportunity for all children to be active agents in their own learning (Dalkilic & Vadeboncoeur, 2016). Previously, Amartya Sen’s (1985) Capability Approach was used in research on the integration of disabled people (Reindal, 2009) and inclusion and special education (Terzi, 2014). A capacity-based approach can engage children, teachers, and families in principle, and in practice recognize differences, rather than shortcomings. One disadvantage of relational thinking is that the term becomes somewhat ambiguous because of its links to social ideology, human values​, and principles of integration, inclusion, and normalization. However, a relational approach can lead to the development of policy and practice that clarifies the processes required to develop capabilities and appreciating functions and the types of resources required to generate relationally inclusive environments. There is therefore need to investigate how ECTs with a master-based teacher education can become agents for developing relational thinking in their practice to work with inclusion and relations in their teaching (Pantić & Florian, 2015). The research questions:

1) How do ECTs express their learning regarding aspects of inclusive and relational teaching in their first five years in practice?

2) How are aspects of relational thinking expressed by ECTs about their teaching practice in their first five years of practice?

"Leave no one behind" is one of the main principles of the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). This is linked to the goal of reducing existing inequalities and establishing a more inclusive society in which all people can participate equally (UNSDG 2024). In modern working societies in particular, a lack of professional participation represents a major risk of exclusion, which can have a negative impact on social, societal and economic areas of life for those affected (Wansing 2005, 193). In addition to this normative dimension, promoting the professional participation of as many people of working age as possible is of central importance to the welfare state, especially in times of increasing skills shortages (Ixmeier et al. 2023).

Long-term unemployed people with health impairments are particularly affected by social exclusion, as these two attributes can be seen as a double hurdle when it comes to returning to a gainful employment to cover needs (Beste et al. 2023, 127f.).This problem is all the more virulent as there is a connection between long-term unemployment and health impairments (Kaps et al., 2019). In addition, there are often other barriers to participation in the labor market, such as a lack of vocational or school qualifications, advanced age, language deficits or care responsibilities (Beste, et al. 2023, 127f.).Against this backdrop, a fairly constant proportion of long-term unemployment can be observed in the Federal Republic of Germany: in December 2023, this figure was around 930,000 people (BA 2024). According to estimates by the Federal Institute for Employment Research, up to a quarter of a million of these people have such serious barriers, that their reintegration into work is unlikely under the current support instruments (Trappmann et al. 2019).

Previous attempts by the welfare state to intervene in order to sustainably reduce intersectional barriers to participation for long-term unemployed people with health impairments have often come to nothing. However, increasing access to vocational training could be a decisive opportunity to promote participation (Umkehrer 2020). Against the backdrop of entrenched long-term unemployment, the German legislator created a new standard instrument for promoting participation in basic social security for the long-term unemployed in 2023 - the holistic support in accordance with §16k SGBII. This is understood to mean "methods that include the assessment and development of personal skills and prospects"(BA 2023, 5), whereby employability is to be consolidated by overcoming individual problems with regard to the "life situation as a whole (...) [and] not just labor market-relevant content" (ibid.).

The rehapro model project Essen.Pro.Teilhabe (EPT) has been testing such a holistic support strategy since the beginning of 2020 in order to improve the support situation of long-term unemployed people with health impairments. Innovative elements of EPT include, in particular, interdisciplinary cooperation between different providers and the long-term, holistic support approach in an adaptive, sanction-free setting. The project is being scientifically monitored and evaluated by the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Based on current empirical data from the model project, the article outlines complex needs and conditions for the success of holistic skills development as a new educational practice and thus provides indications for a more inclusive and sustainable system of social participation support.

The development of inclusive education has become a policy priority across the world, reflected in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 which places a focus on quality education for all (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 2015). Yet, the reality of enacting inclusive education remains inconsistent due to a range of barriers. Teachers are tasked with the responsibility of enacting policy and ensuring equity and inclusion, however they report feeling underprepared for this task in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and internationally (Florian and Camedda, 2020; Rose et al., 2015). The reported lack of teacher confidence and competence in meeting the needs of all learners signals shortcomings in teacher education and professional learning for inclusion (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2022). In this context, the perception of learner differences as deficits that need remediation remains a pervasive influence which can lead to individualising failure within learners (Florian, 2014). Notwithstanding the complexities associated with developing teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and skills for inclusive education, teacher education must support teachers to challenge hegemonic assumptions regarding ability, and to develop a sense of responsibility for including all learners. In addition, teachers need to have a shared understanding of inclusive education in order to support its enactment (Ainscow, 2020, Brennan & Gorman, 2023). The Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA) framework offers a way forward for supporting teacher to narrow the persistent knowledge – practice gap for inclusion. It emphasises a shift away from ‘most’ and ‘some’ learners to meeting the needs of all learners in a way that does not marginalise difference (Florian, 2014). Teachers who enact inclusive pedagogy reject deterministic beliefs about ability and view diverse learning needs as teaching dilemmas to solve, rather than within learner problems. The challenge lies in the complex process of teacher change which requires changing teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, practice and student outcomes. However, transmissive professional development models, that do not significantly impact learning, tend to prevail in education. In contrast, models of collaborative professional learning, such as professional learning communities (PLCs) have shown to bring about and sustain teacher change (Brennan & King, 2022; Dogen, & Yurtseven, 2018). While the definition of PLCs lacks universal consensus, there is general agreement that an effective PLC involves regular reflective collaboration among a group of educators with the purpose of improving teaching and learning (Dogen, & Yurtseven, 2018). This paper demonstrates how PLCs that are characterised by enquiry and embedded in contexts of teachers’ work can be an effective model of professional learning for inclusion. Previous research in the RoI demonstrated that an externally facilitated PLC in a primary school resulted in sustained teacher learning for inclusion two years after facilitation ended (Brennan & King, 2022). Drawing on these findings, this research project scaled up PLCs as a model of PL for inclusive practice through a university-school partnership to support relational trust and authentic collaboration (Chapman, 2019). One academic supported four teachers to lead the development of PLCs in 4 schools over a period of 8 months. Focus group interviews with the PLC participants (n=33) and observation of practice in two schools, validated previous findings that showed improved attitudes, efficacy and practise for inclusion arising from engagement in a PLC. The PLCs provided safe and supportive spaces for collaborative problem solving among participants. This was fundamental to supporting teacher change and resulted in enhanced well-being among participants.

Deaf communities are generically defined as linguistic-cultural communities whose members use sign language as their primary means of communication (Marschark et al., 2017; Higgins & Liberman, 2016). On the other hand, even though in Deaf communities and families Deaf cultures and sign languages tend to act as a decisive unifying force that transcends ethno-cultural differentiation, Deaf cultures also include other cultural elements, such as ethno-national identities (Leigh & Crowe, 2015). Studies have shown that ethnic minority deaf individuals may face identity conflicts when their cultural and linguistic heritage is distinct from the dominant deaf culture or the majority culture of their country. Such conflicts can lead to feelings of marginalization, isolation, and reduced social integration within both their ethnic and Deaf communities (Leigh, 2009 ; Chapman, 2021).

Ethnic minority deaf individuals are in a special situation in this regard, as they need to navigate the intersections of their deaf identity and their ties to a specific ethnic or cultural group. In this context, the identity of the Deaf members of the ethnic minority may present specific characteristics compared to that of the deaf belonging to the majority ethnic community, but also to the ethnic identity of the hearing members of the ethnic minority community (Ahmad et al, 2000; Atkin, 2002). The notion of bilingualism, when referring to the linguistic-cultural needs of the ethnic-national minority Deaf learners, may be therefore misleading, as these learners are in fact in a situation of dual bilingualism (Ohna 2003).

On the other hand, it is important to emphasise that differences between national sign languages are to a much lesser extent an obstacle to the communication of Deaf people belonging to different ethno-national communities than in the world of hearing culture. Deaf people living in a sign culture have a great capacity and tendency to learn from each other in a short time, to adapt to each other's specific forms of sign language expression (Henner & Robinson, 2023). One of the very important roles, which needs to be assumed by the of the educational system in this regard, is to integrate multiculturalism and multilingualism in the curriculum and teaching methodology in accordance with the students identity development needs (Dammeyer & Marschark, 2016).

Previous research conducted by the author in the multicultural city of Oradea (western Romania), which involved ethnic Hungarian Deaf and their ethnic Romanian partners, has drawn attention to the potential importance of generational continuity in generating multicultural and multilingual family environment. Based on the results of this research, the hypothesis has been advanced that in multigenerational Deaf families a kind of specific linguistic and cultural enrichment and a striving for cultural-linguistic balance can manifest itself, which might stem from the natural openness and flexibility arising from the specific communication and cultural situation of these families.

The aim of the current research ha has been therefore to focus on multi-generational ethnic minority/ethnically heterogeneous Deaf families in order to obtain more nuanced information concerning the role of the family generational continuity of Deaf cultures in influencing linguistic communicational and cultural interactions and cross-generational transmission of identities within multigenerational Deaf families. In doing so, the following research questions have been addressed:

1. What role does the interaction between childhood family socialization and school socialization play in the development of the linguistic and cultural identities of Deaf children raised in multi-generational Deaf families?
2. What are the main intra-familiar linguistic communication methods and trends which characteristically occur in multi-generational Deaf families?
3. What are the characteristics of cross-generational transmission of identities to deaf and hearing children in multi-generational Deaf families and how they influence the educational options of the parents of Deaf children?

The project explores into the lives and experiences of young people with refugee background living in rural municipalities in the north of Norway and in the west of Denmark. Research on young refugees has mainly focused on urban settings. This is in line with youth research in general, that has been criticised for an unacknowledged “metrocentricity”, by universalising a focus on metropolitan young people “as globally emblematic of young people as a whole” (Farrugia, 2014::4). There is a discursive distinction between rural and urban life defining urban life in the cities as the sophisticated being for young people, preventing young people in rural areas from taking up subjectivities as young people (Pless and Sørensen, 2015). A metrocentric approach also tends to overlook the importance of how place and geography can represent changeable and contingent conditions in young people’s lives (Farrugia 2014, Paulgaard, 2017). This paper will focus on the environmental impacts on young people as forced migrants settled in particular places in rural areas.

The number of international newcomers has increased in rural areas. In the Nordic countries, the rural populations are even more diverse than the EU average (Nørregaard, 2018). However, refugees who first settled in rural areas have moved to city areas after the first years of settlement to a larger degree than other migrant groups (Andersen, 2015; Ordemann, 2017). There is a debate both in literature and also among politicians in European countries on whether refugees should be settled in rural areas at all. Arguments (McAreavey and Argent, 2018) for settling refugees are that they can increase sustainability of population in dwindling communities (Nørregaard, 2018; Brandt, 2015). Others disagree with refugees being used to promote rural development, when peripheral areas are scarce in jobs as well as in services which can provide for refugees’ needs (McAreavey and Argent, 2018; Aure et al, 2018; Woods, 2018).

Both Denmark and Norway, have dispersal strategies to settle refugees across the country and in rural areas. In Norway, the initiative comes from the central government, asking municipalities across the country to accept refugees for settlement. Municipalities that settle refugees receive economic support for the first five years and must provide the first housing, an obligatory two-year introductory program and a work programme (Mathisen, 2020; IMDI, 2019). Denmark also disperses refugees to all municipalities. Like Norway, it is the municipality in which the refugees are settled, that cater for the refugees for a period of three years by offering language classes and later job training. It is also the responsibility of the municipality to find housing and to financially support the refugees during their schooling and introductory programme (Larsen, 2011).

In our quest to understand the role rural places of residence play for young refugees’ we find inspiration in Kinkaid’s (2020:180) term ‘contradictions of space’, referring to moments occurring within the experience of a subject, when the person struggles to practice space and feel disorientation. Based on the phenomenology of practice (Simonsen 2021) we investigate the lived practice of young refugees. Both Simonsen and Kinkaid have studied migrants’ experiences and belonging with a starting point in the situated body. We use this approach to investigate how our young informants navigate in and experience rural life; from housing, education, work, social life to the more ‘physical’ aspects of rural life and the material surroundings, including the natural environment, - to answer the research question: What role do the new rural place of residence play in the young refugees’ life and feeling of community and belonging, and what are the driving forces for them staying or leaving the rural areas?

Despite the over-representation of immigrant children assessed as requiring special needs education, research into their social and educational experiences in the Nordics is limited (Hanssen, Harju-Luukkainen, & Sundqvist, 2023). This study explored Syrian students ' in need of special support and their families' experiences about how their needs for special education services are accommodated, and how they experience being included.

To advance knowledge on this topic, qualitative data from 5 Syrian families (students and parents) were analyzed to address the following research questions:

(1) How do Syrian students in need of special support and their parents experience access to educational support?

(2) How do Syrian students in need of special support and their parents experience social inclusion?

This qualitative study used activity-based interviews with the group of children (Jenkin et al, 2015), and semi-structured interviews with parents. We conducted a thematic analysis (Braun et al, 2019) using intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1991), and the social constructionism perspective (James and Prout, 1990) as the analytical framework to identify the themes.

The social constructivist perspective views individuals' beliefs as shaped by their cultural and social contexts (James and Prout, 1990). Central to this perspective is the recognition of children's voices and agency, therefore we aimed to voice the students (Ogden, 2014). However, agency is dynamic, contextual, and relational. Hence, it is important to consider parents’ perspectives, given their pivotal roles in influencing their children's lives and enabling them to exercise their agency (Robson, Bell and Klocker, 2007). Furthermore, when examining the experiences of children with special needs, factors such as age, gender, and culture play crucial roles. A child with special needs may experience multiple challenges and being an immigrant can add a further dimension of vulnerability (Arfa et al., 2020; Czapka and Sagbakken 2020). An intersectional approach enriches qualitative analyses by capturing the multifaceted dimensions of individuals' experiences, moving beyond normative categorizations (Crenshaw 1991; Goethals, De Schauwer, and Van Hove 2015). This approach unveils the heterogeneity that would otherwise be overlooked by focusing solely on migrant status.

Exploring children’s perceptions and combining them with parents' perspectives can provide a deeper understanding of their experiences and generate suggestions for developing teaching and support services to improve inclusion of immigrant students. There are many important contributions of this study; it advances knowledge on a topic that is almost neglected, it can inform the development of inclusive education frameworks at the European level, it advocates for children’s participation in research by involving children as primary sources of data and combining children's and parents' views to get a thorough insight into children’s experiences. Moreover, it provides an understanding of how various institutional and cultural factors impact the lives of immigrant children and calls for open and transparent cross-cultural collaboration and dialogue among children, parents, and teachers.

Inclusive education is widely considered as the most preferred form of education for students accredited with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) around the world. One of the arguments for implementing inclusive educational policies concerns the social benefits that students with SEND gain through their interaction with their peers in regular education classes. However, such benefits might not always be achieved since students with SEN are often found to face significant difficulties in their interactions with peers (Bossaert et al., 2015). Indeed, the literature portrays students with SEND as less accepted, having fewer friendships and experiencing more loneliness in the classroom than their typically developing peers (Pijl & Frostad, 2010; Schwab et al, 2015). Moreover, the available studies also suggest that students with SEND develop a lower sense of belongingness to the school community (Dimitrellou & Hurry, 2018; Nepi, Facondini, Nucci, & Peru, 2013). This is especially alarming since developing a sense of belonging to the school is associated with both affective and academic outcomes (Osterman, 2000). For example, Anderman (2003) found that school belonging was associated with personal interest and intrinsic motivation for accomplishing school tasks, while Irvin et al. (2011) concluded that school belonging represented a strong predictive factor for academic success.

Although different theoretical models of school belonging can be found in the literature, the model proposed by Goodenow (1993) has received most research attention. According to this model, school belonging is a multifaceted construct defined as the feeling of being accepted, respected, included and supported by both teachers and peers, combined with a sense of participating in school activities and being valued within this community. Accordingly, school belonging is based on supportive and caring relationships with teachers, reciprocal and close friendships with peers, and meaningful participation in extracurricular and school-based activities (Bouchard & Berg, 2017).

Along similar lines, some researchers have focused on the examination of “school climate” which is considered to be a more holistic concept, which incorporates the notion of school belonging. According to Cohen, Mccabe, Michelli, and Pickeral (2009) school climate “…refers to the quality and characters of school life. School climate is based on patterns of people's experiences of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures” (p. 180). Based on this theorizing, Schwab, Sharma and Loreman (2018) coined the term “inclusive school climate”, which incorporates all aspects of school climate mentioned in the relevant literature. To this end, they developed a scale eliciting students’ perceptions of their school climate with a view of evaluating the quality of existing inclusive arrangements.

The present study builds on this line of work by examining secondary education students’ perceptions of the climate in their classrooms with reference to inclusive education through the administration of a revised version of the Inclusion Climate Scale (ICS). In so doing, the perceptions of students identified as experiencing SEND were contrasted to those held by their typically achieving peers. We were also interested in determining the extent to which perceptions of school climate predict the students’ motivation for academic engagement.

Although inclusive education is a strong trend in education policy in many countries, there are different definitions and variations used. The Finnish 'Education for All' reform was completed in the late 1990s when the responsibility for the education of children with the most severe intellectual disabilities and children in reformatory school was moved from social services to the education system. From a legislative perspective, all comprehensive school pupils are in the same education system. The idea of a ‘least restrictive environment’ has been one of the guiding principles of basic education since 1970; nevertheless, totally inclusive schools are rare in Finland (Jahnukainen, 2015). The special education system is currently referred to as Learning and schooling support (Basic Education Act, 628/1998 Amendment 642/2010). Since 2011, the three levels of support have been general (Tier 1), intensified (Tier 2) and special (Tier 3) support. The support methods and tools are almost the same at all tier levels; however, the intensity of the provided support increases from one level to the next (Thuneberg et al., 2013).

Inclusive education is not defined in the Basic Education Act (BEA, 628/1998; Jahnukainen et al., 2023). The national core curriculum of basic education states that the development of basic education is guided by the inclusion principle (Finnish National Board of Education, FNBE, 2016). However, it doesn’t define the inclusion more precisely. This has led to municipal-level differences in ways of organising basic education (Hienonen 2020). Although the inclusion is a process that helps overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation and achievement of all learners (UNESCO, 2017), the Finnish public discussion has been focused almost only on whether pupils considered having special needs should be placed in a general education class or special class (Jahnukainen et al., 2023). Previous studies show that pupils with special educational needs (SEN) may perform better in general education classes (e.g., Kojac et al., 2018; Peetsma et al., 2001). Some studies have also shown neutral effects for general education class placement (Cole, Waldron, & Majd 2004; Fore et al., 2008; Hanushek et al., 2002; Ruijs, 2017).

The Finnish legislation (BEA 628/1998) allows different options for organising the education of pupils with SEN at Tier 3. The placement options can vary from full-time education in a general education class to full-time education in a special class or special school. In 2022, 9 percent of comprehensive school pupils in grades 1-6 received Tier 3 support, and 36 percent of these pupils studied most of the time (80-100%) in a general education class, 47 percent most of the time (81-100%) in a special class and 17 percent in both a general education class (20-79%) and special class (OSF 2023).

This sub-study is based on a four-year longitudinal study in which the pupils are followed from the 4th grade to the 6th grade. The main objective is to investigate the outcomes of the different placement options and the effect of class composition on pupils with SEN and their peers. In this sub-study we focus only on the pupils with SEN, and investigate, with the cross-sectional first round data, how the different placement options of pupils with SEN are related to pupils’ performance in mathematical reasoning and vocabulary tasks. The research questions are:

1. Did the pupils with SEN differ in their background factors across the different placement options?

2. Is there a relationship between the placement options for pupils with SEN and pupils background factors in mathematical reasoning scores?

3. Is there a relationship between the placement options for pupils with SEN and pupils background factors in vocabulary task scores?

The study aims to investigate the motivation to study among children living in multi-problematic contexts, characterized by a combination of economic and social issues, particularly those related to deviance and delinquency. The area of focus is a region in Campania, Southern Italy, known for the presence of the Camorra, an organized crime structure similar to the Mafia, involving children and families in its delinquent system (1) (2). In this research, motivation is conceptualized as a dynamic and relational force emerging from the interaction between the individual and their environment, and from their perception of the positive and negative valences of the context (3) (4). In a multi-problematic setting, the challenges can particularly generate a sense of fatalism in developing children, leading to low self-determination (5) and self-efficacy (6), factors that can significantly affect their motivation to study. The hypothesis of this research posits that although statistical data correlate school dropout rates with deprived and marginalized contexts (7), motivation is not necessarily dictated by the context. Instead, it might represent an autonomous area of development, with dropout rates being linked to other personal or social factors.It is conceivable that, living within a context governed by criminal logic, children and adolescents may begin to perceive education as less relevant or beneficial for their future. In this regard, the presence of negative role models—adults, family members, peer groups (8) (9)—that achieve success through illegal activities can distort the perception of the value of education. In an environment where organized crime is an everyday experience, children may be drawn to alternative pathways that seem to offer immediate success and rewards, at the expense of long-term investments such as those made in educational and instructional paths. This type of social pressure can be particularly persistent and significant during developmental years, also in terms of primary socialization processes: children interact with each other emulating the behavioral style of their adult role models. In light of these challenges, numerous multidisciplinary studies demonstrate the fruitful relationship between education and crime prevention, highlighting how systemic educational interventions statistically have an incidence in terms of reducing the number of minors recruited by criminal organizations (10). The research thus raises the question: Is it possible to identify a relationship between multi-problematic contexts and the motivation to study? What are the characteristics of an educational intervention capable of effectively supporting the motivation to study among children and adolescents living in such contexts? In line with these research questions, the objective is outlined as exploring the motivation of students from multi-problematic contexts; identifying the characteristics of an educational intervention that can impact the quality of motivation; and isolating potential elements of transferability to similar contexts.

Evidence suggests that school-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs have a positive impact on both children's academic and social-emotional skills (Corcoran et al., 2011; Durlak et al., 2011; Cipriano et al. 2023). These programs, particularly, prove highly beneficial for students at risk of educational setbacks (Jones et al., 2011), and have proven an effective tool for inclusive education (Mitchell & Sutherland, 2020). Notably, the impact of these programs is intrinsically tied to the quality of their implementation by educators (i.e. program implementation fidelity, Durlak & Dupre, 2008; Humphrey et al., 2018).

Despite extensive research identifying teacher and school context-related factors that influence the quality of SEL program implementation (Domitrovich et al., 2008; Durlak & Dupre, 2008; Kam et al., 2003), a consensus on which contextual factors are most pivotal or warrant the greatest emphasis remains elusive. Achieving such clarity is essential for addressing these factors with a concerted and informed approach, thus creating a more supportive context for implementing SEL programs effectively within schools and today’s inclusive reality.

In 2023, Ulla and Poom-Valickis (2023) published a systematic review and identified four categories of contextual factors that can influence implementation quality: program support, school, teacher, and student level factors. Their analysis focused on the relative importance of these factors and found that the most frequent statistically significant factors included modeling activities during coaching and teacher-coach working relationship.

The PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG, Embry et al.., 2003) is an evidence-based prevention program implemented by teachers on the classroom level, which has been recognized by the Wallace Foundation as one of 33 leading SEL programs (Jones et al., 2021). PAX GBG is an SEL program implemented worldwide (Australia, Estonia, Ireland, Sweden, United States).

The current study takes on a qualitative approach and focuses on two distinct groups of teachers, categorized by the level of implementation quality (fidelity) of PAX GBG as assessed through an observer-rated checklist over the course of the school year in Estonia. The cases under examination consist of teachers with high fidelity and low fidelity in implementing the PAX Good Behavior Game. Those cases were selected to investigate the conditions and experiences that shape a context, determining varying degrees of positive impact on children within an inclusive classroom setting. Given that previous research exploring contextual factors influencing the quality implementation of evidence-based SEL programs has predominantly been quantitative in nature (Ulla & Poom-Valickis, 2023), the qualitative cross-case study aims to elucidate, validate, or challenge the theoretical assumptions advanced in prior research, to determine the relevant conditions for carrying out inclusion through this classroom level toolkit that is utilized worldwide.

The study thus seeks to add to the discussion about the relevance and concep­tualization of SEL program implementation quality (Berkel et al., 2011; Dane & Schneider, 1998; Durlak, 2016) and the teacher­ and school related factors that may contribute to that (Domitrovich et al., 2008; Durlak & DuPre, 2008).

Research questions:

RQ1: What are the characteristics of high and low fidelity cases?

RQ2: In what ways do the high and low fidelity cases differ in terms of their implementation experience (including contextual factors), and how do these differences contribute to variations in the quality of implementation of the PAX Good Behavior Game program?

The presumed uncertainty in current education derives from a variety of recent changes and challenges in the educational sector. Therefore, it seems necessary to address these challenges in combination rather than viewing them as separate topics. Two of the current issues contributing to complexity arise from (1) a growing heterogeneity of students and (2) the increasing digitalization of the education system. The aim of this research is to combine these fields by analyzing teachers’ use of learning management systems to differentiate instruction through a mixed methods approach.

With the increasingly diverse student population in schools, the establishment of inclusive classrooms has become a top international policy priority, emphasizing “concepts of efficiency, effectiveness, equity, and inclusion as a means of ensuring quality education for all” (Watkins, 2017, p. 1). In the sense of a broader understanding of inclusion that celebrates the diversity of all learners (ibid.), schools must become “more responsive to children with a diverse range of abilities, cultures, gender, religions, and other situations and issues that present in the classroom” (Loreman, 2017, p. 2). Differentiated instruction (DI) is considered as vehicle to achieve inclusive education that aims to meet students’ individual learning needs by maximizing learning opportunities. DI is defined as the intentional, systematically planned and reflected practices that enable teachers to meet the needs of all learners in heterogeneous classrooms (Letzel et al., 2020). Teachers can implement DI through a variety of instructional activities or didactical strategies such as, tiered assignments, student grouping, tutoring systems, staggered nonverbal material learning aids such as checklists, mastery learning and forms of open education like station-based work, interest-based centers, project-based learning, or portfolios.

Digital technologies, such as learning management systems (LMS), have the potential to improve, facilitate and support teachers in differentiating their instruction to the various learning needs of students (Cha & Ahn, 2014; Edmunds & Hartnett, 2014). LMS serve as digital communication platforms supporting processes of teaching and learning by providing and organizing learning material, offering direct and indirect forms of online communication, allowing for data-based diagnostics and assessment as well as personalized and cooperative learning (Brägger & Koch, 2021). LMS, if used sensibly, can foster an inclusive, effective learning environments and fuel processes of school and classroom. LMS, as a basic educational infrastructure, have a long history and thus a more prevalent use in universities than schools. However, literature on the application of digital technologies and resources for DI in general education settings appear to be on the rise. Considering the potential that LMS can have to support the differentiating of teaching, there has been multiple literature outputs that serve as guidelines or practical examples for teachers (Cha & Ahn, 2014; Palahicky, 2015). Furthermore, empirical studies have also been undertaken to explore how LMS fosters the establishment of student-centered learning environment (Edmunds & Hartnett, 2014) and support the differentiation of instruction (Vargas-Parra et al., 2018). Despite this body of scientific literature, there is still little research that focuses on investigating the specific differentiation practices that teachers use within online learning environments such as LMS (Beck & Beasley, 2021). Against this background, the present study tackles this research gap and aims to examine how distinct DI practices are applied using LMS. The research question guiding this study is: Which DI practices do teachers apply within LMS and how often?

As we gear our collective efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the notion of 'missing data' in education recurs throughout, especially in the context of the Global South. We are often unaware of the learning situation in many resource-constrained settings even as global data regimes continue to proliferate. In response, this paper introduces the concept of 'infra-data', based on our practice in Pakistan, to identify the often-overlooked wealth of educational evidence that lies beneath the surface of traditional metrics for education.

Drawing from theoretical frameworks like James C. Scott's 'hidden transcripts' and Aníbal Quijano's 'coloniality of knowledge', this study illuminates infra-data as a window into the 'unseen' yet impactful educational practices that emerge from localized knowledge, pedagogies, and ways of thinking. Infra-data would allow us to explore the epistemic frames in which these practices are encoded. Utilizing Shaffer’s quantitative ethnography, we dive into infra-data, providing a window into diverse pedagogical approaches across the Global South. In this research, we delve into the case of Siyani Sahelian Program by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, a second chance education program on accelerated learning reaching 50 thousand out-of-school adolescent girls across Punjab, Pakistan. By analyzing secondary data from Siyani Sahelian program, we aim to shed light on the definition, measurement, and integration of learning impact from the learner communities. This approach not only offers insights specific to the Pakistani context but also contributes to a broader understanding by providing a comparative perspective on localized vs global mainstream education narratives and perspectives.

Inclusive education, in the year we celebrate 30 years since the Salamanca Declaration (UNESCO, 1994), is still an issue that needs more convincing solutions, both from research and practice. Research has shown that inclusive education has academic and social benefits for the entire school community and is considered a step towards a more inclusive and equitable society (Antoninis et al., 2020). In the current conceptualization, diversity and interindividual differences (including those based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, culture, or disability) are regarded as inherent characteristics of any system or school. Full educational inclusion is understood as providing equal learning opportunities for all spectrums of diverse students, not just those with disabilities. Despite various efforts to conceptualise and implement this understanding of inclusive education, one cannot yet speak of qualitative full inclusion in Romania (Vrășmaș & Vrășmaș, 2021). That`s why this research aims to determine the characteristics and specificity of school inclusion in Romania in terms of inclusive culture, practices, and policies, from the teachers` perspective. The specificity is measured using the Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2016), a widely used instrument internationally.

Effective school management, particularly embodied by school principals, plays a pivotal role in the successful implementation of school inclusion initiatives (Khaleel et al., 2021). School principals serve as key orchestrators, influencing the overall organizational climate, policies, and practices within an educational institution (Lian, 2020). In the context of inclusion, they bear the responsibility of fostering an environment that embraces diversity, equity, and accessibility for all students (Theoharis & Scanlan, 2020). Principals contribute significantly to the development and execution of inclusive policies, ensuring that they are aligned with the school's mission and vision (Villa, 2016). Their leadership is instrumental in creating a supportive and inclusive culture that goes beyond mere compliance with regulations. Moreover, principals act as advocates for inclusive practices, fostering collaboration among educators, parents, and the community to create an environment where every student, regardless of diverse abilities or backgrounds, can thrive academically and socially (Cobb, 2014). In essence, school principals' effective management is crucial for the successful integration of inclusive practices, which in turn shapes a learning environment that respects and accommodates the individual needs of every student. Given the significance of school management in the implementation of inclusion at school level, we aimed to identify the differences in the perception of school inclusion between managerial levels (principals) and teachers.

Developing inclusive cultures, policies, and practices, the three dimensions on which the Index for Inclusion is structured, can contribute to improving a more inclusive school environment. The Index for Inclusion refers to the whole process of giving equal access to education for all children and young people, according to the concept of "schools for all" (Booth & Ainscow, 2016), a concept we embrace as a vision for the schools of tomorrow, paraphrasing the title of the ECER conference.

The Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2002), in its fourth revision (Booth & Ainscow, 2016), served as a distinctive tool to measure the effectiveness of inclusion in our research. Assessing inclusive policies, practices, and cultures, the Index acts both diagnostically and as a basis for concrete measures in institutional development (Nes, 2009). Schools across various countries engaging in activities based on the Index for Inclusion reported an enhanced understanding of inclusion and observed improvements in school development (Nes, 2009).

This study aims to delineate, based on the Inclusion Index, the characteristics and specificity of school inclusion in Romania from the perspectives of teachers and principals. The emerging conclusions, grounded in empirical evidence, will serve as a foundational point for proposing measures to foster institutional development and cultivate a more inclusive school community.

In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, education systems are constantly confronted with new situations to which they have to respond. Besides political, economic, environmental and other changes, global education developments such as the transformation of many education systems towards inclusive education, the problem of teacher shortage, the difficulties to provide education in difficult to reach rural areas etc. further require schools to respond flexibly to changing circumstances. They must therefore be flexible. But what is a flexible school system? How can it become flexible? And is flexibility really a solution to global educational challenges?

Students who are at risk to drop-out of or to be excluded from school often belong to vulnerable and marginalized groups (e.g. affected by poverty, disability, refugee experience, etc.) (Graham et al., 2019). Studies from higher education research indicate that vulnerable individuals in challenging life situations are more likely to enroll in open or distance education programs because of the inherent flexibility in terms of place, time and pace and other dimensions of flexibility (Collis & Moonen, 2001). I argue that flexibility could also have a positive impact on school enrolment and participation of primary and secondary school students at risk of not being in school. This idea of flexibility would – according to (Veletsianos & Houlden, 2020) – aim at “increas[ing] the student-centered and empowering aspects of education, thereby improving not just access, but also equity, diversity, inclusion, retention, completion, and satisfaction” (p. 851).

Despite this very positive view on the potentials of flexibility in education, it should be considered that flexibility is a concept of much controversy (cf. Bauman, 2009; Bouzarovski, 2009; Buzar, 2008; Furåker et al., 2007). Whereas Naidu (2017, p. 2) sees flexibility in higher education as a value principle "much like we see diversity, equity or equality in education and society more broadly", different scholars in the social sciences link flexibility to uncertainty, insecurity and unrest (Bauman, 2009; Reckwitz, 2018; Rosa, 2005). Flexibility can concurrently mean positive potential for one side and instability or uncertainty for the other side (Jonsson, 2007).

The discourses on flexible learning in higher education, mainly from the Netherlands and Australia, later from Canada and the UK, offer interesting ideas for flexibility in the primary and secondary school context. Veletsianos and Houlden (2020) suggest the approach of “radical flexibility” to address questions of inequality, injustice and exclusion in (higher) education, that could be relevant for other educational contexts, too. In order to use this open and holistic approach focusing on the positive potentials of flexibility in education, it still seems necessary to consider and examine the negative traits and find a way to outrule them.

Collis & Moonen (2001) present a systematic overview on flexibility dimensions in higher education: flexibility related to 1) time, 2) content, 3) entry requirements, 4) instructional approach and resources, and 5) delivery and logistics. To what extent these dimensions taken from higher education can be relevant for primary and secondary schooling is going to be discussed in the presentation. A conceptualization of flexibility dimensions for the school context is the ground work for empirical work on school attendance issues.

The second part of the presentation focuses on the question of how the theoretical considerations on flexibility can be transferred to a research methodology to answer questions such as: Which flexible approaches are already existing in specific schools/school systems and beyond? How can flexibility enable school education for students who are not in school/at risk of not being in school?

Students with autism have deficits in daily living skills which may seriously limit their participation in domestic and personal routines, which may, in turn, reduce their overall life quality and satisfaction ( Flynn & Healy 2012). For special education teachers and researchers, one major purpose of instruction and research is to help these students develop functional skills in community-based environments (Rowe et al., 2021). Therefore, there is a vital need to establish and evaluate teaching strategies that improve independent living skills of children with autism.

Among a set of living skills, purchasing skills are critical in daily life for middle school students with autism as they are making the transition to real world. Generally speaking, students with autism have poor performance in daily communication (Steinbrenner et al., 2020), However, for regular checkouts, the procedure involves conversation between a cashier and a shopper (greeting, asking payment method, etc.), which may be difficult for students with autism who have limited communication skills to complete. While by using self-checkout machine, they may forego communication opportunities and directly check out items by themselves. In addition, individuals with autism are commonly characterized with having difficulties understanding, recalling and using verbal information (Touchett, M. 2023). Evidence showed that students with autism are able to process visual supports more easily than auditory stimuli (Thérien et al., 2023). Picture activity schedule which utilizes a series of pictures to depict different steps of a task helped students with autism perform tasks independently. This teaching method was successfully used to teach a set of living skills for students with disabilities including students with autism such as game playing skills (Brodhead et al., 2014), shopping skills (Burckley et al., 2015), tooth brushing skills (Moran et al., 2022), ipad use (Chan et al., 2014), transition skills(Matsushita & Sonoyama, 2013) and has been demonstrated to improve generalization (Pierce & Schreibman, 1994). Picture activity schedules eliminate reliance on adult prompting and allow for independence, and therefore may be useful for improving independent purchasing skills for students with autism.

Within the field of special education, research on independent purchasing skills has primarily focused on teaching essential money skills. That is, students are provided with cash to make independent purchases.With the development of mobile technology, mobile payment is becoming a common and convenient way for people to pay when make purchases. In addition, a self-checkouts system is becoming more prominent in the retail industry, especially in supermarkets, but there is few research focusing on using mobile payment to make purchases through self-checkout system for students with disabilities, not mention to students with autism.

Given little research on teaching purchasing skills for using mobile payment through self-checkout system to middle school students with autism, the charateristics of students with autism, and the evidence of the benefits of picture activity schedule for students with autism, the purpose of the current study is to investigate the use of picture schedule delivered by an iPhone to teach self-checkout skills in the community-based grocery store to three middle school students with autism. Maintenance and generalization were also assessed for this study. The study's two research questions are as follows:

(a) What are the effects of the iPhone-based picture activity schedule on participating students' self-checkout purchasing performance as measured by a purchasing task analysis?

(b) Will participating students maintain the acquired self-checkout skills following the termination of the intervention?

The pursuit of inclusion and equity in mathematics education is a multifaceted and complex endeavor fraught with intricate processes and a multilayered challenge (Kollosche et al., 2019). The strive towards inclusion and equity is highly present in policy and practice in many national educational curricula. At the same time, this goal is beset with dilemmas that permeate the mission of mathematics education to ensure equity and inclusion for all learners (Tan et al., 2019). Fundamental questions concerning the opportunities provided by teaching to access learning, is at the heart of this matter (Au, 2008; Peters & Oliver, 2009). This teaching deals with instantaneous moments where complex processes and multitudinous challenges appear (Kollosche et al., 2019). When being able to adress these challenges in the fluent, lived, and contextual teaching moments of inclusion and equity are facilitated (Roos & Bagger, 2021). Hence, the purpose of this paper is to elaborate on a theoretical model to facilitate inclusion and equity in the mathematics classroom. For this reason, the following research question have guided the work: What composes moments of inclusion and equity in the mathematics teaching in a diversity of classrooms and schools? Hence, the outcome of this paper is a model, which also is a first step into trying the model out by schools in the proceeding of the project.

Equity and inclusion in mathematics teaching

Teachers, schools, and school systems are grappling with how to secure inclusion of all students in learning and to stop the decrease in equity in mathematics between groups of learners. This decrease has been recorded in international and national evaluations, as for example PISA and TIMSS, and in Sweden, through national evaluations of school’s accountability in terms of learners results and equity. Due to this, inclusion and equity are core notions in teacher education and educational practice and there is abundance of research on inclusion and equity in the education and mathematics education research field (e.g., Zevenbergen et. al, 2002). Though, mathematics education research speaking of these core values often do it on a theoretical and philosophical level, leaving a gap in research on how to realize inclusion and equity (Roos, 2019). Common between these studies, which stem from very different perspectives and theoretical assumptions, is that it is crucial to improve the situation at hand, but also that it is not easily solved (e.g., Tan et al., 2022). This is put at the fore even more when looking at students in need of special support for their learning, which can be illustrated by the risk portfolios generated by research from several research fields. In the cognitive sciences, mathematics education and special education, mathematical learning difficulties are in itself constructed as a risk (Niemenen et al., 2023). At the same time, national evaluations contribute with illustrations of the crucial and troublesome state of inclusion and equity. Nevertheless, these are not able to provide a consistent answer on how this lack of equity and inclusion can be resolved in the lived classroom (Bagger, 2017).

In the Nordic school systems, equity and inclusion in education is and has been a challenge (Frønes et al. 2020). In this, mathematics education has a special role due to the subjects governing dispositive, which label and marginalize students (Björklund, 2017). This is even more the case regarding students in need of special support, students with foreign background and boys in the Swedish setting, since on a group level these students do not reach goals. In the case regarding students in need of special support signs of structuralised marginalisation is apparent in reports from school agencies.

This study aimed to understand how art education teachers and fine arts students based in the Republic of Cyprus (hereafter Cyprus) think about disability issues and whether they can conceptualise disability as a complex issue that is constructed by the society and personal experience. Situated within the theoretical underpinnings of Inclusive Education, the study draws inspiration from scholarly perspectives such as Disability Studies and Disability Studies in Art Education (DSAE) and Disability Arts Movement also contributed in the conceptualization of the study. Utilizing the social model within Disability Studies,our objective is to scrutinize and critique prevalent ableist paradigms of thought. Additionally, a primary focus is directed towards the appreciation and validation of personal experiences of disability, a perspective inherently shaped by feminist approach (Morris, 1991; Oliver, 2013). DSAE converge Disability Studies in exploring disability, prioritizing perspectives and fostering social justice; DSAE rejects the medical model and emphasizes inclusion, while Art Education centrally concerns itself with respectful integration of people with disabilities in the curriculum (Wexler, 2009). The Disability Art Movement actively promotes the recognition and celebration of disabled artists, challenging societal norms and fostering inclusion. These components provide a solid framework for comprehending, questioning, and transforming perspectives of disability within academic and artistic realms (Swain & French, 2008).

It is widely acknowledged that Cypriot society tends to perceive disability through an individualized lens, resulting in the marginalization and disregard of research findings related to disability due to prevailing stereotypes (Phtiaka, 1997). These stereotypes, coupled with the stigmatization of individuals with disabilities, have become deeply ingrained societal perceptions, perpetuated by ignorance and a lack of comprehensive knowledge about disability issues.

The National Curriculum (NC) in Cyprus is a critical domain influencing understanding of disability issues. Most national curricula inadequately addresses disability, overlooking or misrepresenting key facets (Barnes, Oliver, and Barton, 2014; Symeonidou, 2018). Notably, it disregards the identities and experiences of students with disabilities (Erevelles, 2005; Ware, 2008) and inadvertently endorses pedagogical practices that perpetuate social discrimination across multiple strata (Apple, 2008; Damianidou & Phtiaka, 2018).

A significant challenge lies in the absence of Disability Studies in Art Education within the framework of the National Curriculum, consequently omitting the integration of works and experiences of artists with disabilities into the educational milieu, alongside societal stereotypes. To address this issue, there is a pressing need for the inclusion of Disability Studies in Art Education in the curriculum (Wexler, 2009; Yi, 2018). This integration would provide students, educators, and the broader social context with a nuanced understanding of the concept and personal dimensions of disability, primarily through the contributions of artists actively promoting positive disability identities through their artistic endeavors (Yi, 2018).

A noteworthy deficiency within the educational system is the lack of professional development for Art Education teachers in Disability Studies in Art Education, which would prove beneficial in the context of Visual Arts. Such professional development activities would facilitate the integration of experiences of artists with disabilities into the curriculum, which would contribute in challenging stereotypes and misconceptions about disability. Such an approach would convey essential messages to children regarding equal rights, irrespective of sexuality, race, gender, and disability, thus elevating these issues within the Cypriot context (Goodley et al., 2019).

Within this context, the research questions of the study was: How do Art Education teachers and Fine Arts students think about disability? How can a professional development program based on Disability Studies in Art Education shape their understanding of disability? In this paper, the findings for the second research question will be presented.

It seems like an unruly quest to investigate teacher diversity as the neverending foci are accompanied by even more questions. This symposium takes up the challenge of scrutinising understandings of diversity related to teachers, teacher identity, and the teaching profession across Europe. With a focus on accessibility and “pass-ability” as well as availability, the presentations in the symposium will pick up possible notions of the concepts of “passing as a teacher” (Weber & Mitchell 2002), “to pass to become a teacher (again)”, how notions of passing have (not) changed over time and how practices of dis/abling teacher diversity manifest themselves in different (national) contexts. (Krause et al. 2023). The presentations will discuss how understandings of the academic realm, education policies and notions and practices of equity shape the possibility of getting access to, passing barriers and avoiding obstacles in, and successfully completing study programs.

Universities are designed to generate academic/scientific knowledge on the one hand and to pass this knowledge on to subsequent students, e.g. future teachers, in an orderly and disciplined manner on the other. Despite all the openness (demanded or hoped for) in research, universities, therefore, are structured spaces that “have to” submit to orders and rules of passing on knowledge. These orders and rules include placing new knowledge in relation to existing knowledges and power structures and, thus, relating to existing academic disciplines. In this respect, universities are always conservative; breaking down disciplinary (scientific) boundaries to generate and value new and/or different knowledges is difficult. (Fleck 1979; Niewoehner 2012) However, universities are not only conservative in terms of knowledge/theorising and scientificity but also in terms of the people who are granted access and those who are allowed to generate new knowledges in research. Research on the decolonisation of knowledges, the structural analyses of power in/of institutions and organisations, and the emancipations of Queer and Black Studies –to name just recent developments– have shown how narrow the boundaries of admission for diverse students and research on other/alternative knowledge systems at universities still are. (Karenga 1988; Sharpe 2014; Brim 2020) And while we can read the (re-)structuring of study programs in the light of the transmission of disciplinary order, new studies also offer opportunities to tear down the boundaries of universities and re-frame them as inclusive spaces. Based on the example of the founding of a new faculty of education at a Swiss university, the paper will address the question of diversity and possible otherness in education science (studies). It will briefly historicise the “common understanding” of the university and assumed roles of those (not) present. (Biesta 2010; Stanley 2006) Questions about opening the floor to others and otherness will then be posed using the Swiss example: - Who is allowed to gain access? Whose voices will be heard? Is it safe to be visibly diverse? - How can education studies be structured to prepare for uncertain terrains outside the scholarly world? - How do we train future teachers to deal with the (multiple) unknowns when thinking diversity at universities is still uncharted waters? - Is the “pluriversity” a strategic exit or another threshold to keep unwanted people out?

Biesta, G. J. J. (2010): Lerner, Student, Speaker: Why it matters how we call those we teach. Educational Philosophy and Theory 42:5-6, 540-552. Brim, M. (2020). Poor queer studies: Confronting elitism in the university. Duke University Press. Fleck, L. (1979). Genesis and development of a scientific fact. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press Karenga, M. (1988). Black studies and the problematic of paradigm: The philosophical dimension. Journal of Black Studies, 18(4), 395-414. Niewoehner, J. (2012): Von der Wissenschaftstheorie zur Soziologie der Wissenschaft. Science and technology studies: Eine sozialanthropologische Einführung. transcript Verlag, 49-75. Sharpe, C. (2014): Black Studies. The Black Scholar 44:2, 59-69, DOI: 10.1080/00064246.2014.11413688 Stanley, C. A. (2006): Coloring the Academic Landscape: Faculty of Color Breaking the Silence in Predominantly White Colleges and Universities. American Educational Research Journal 43:4, 701-736.

This submission highlights barriers and facilitators towards a diversification of the Austrian teaching force. The early onset of segregation remains one of the main characteristics of the Austrian school system (Buchner & Petrik 2023, Herzog-Punzenberger & Schnell 2019). This manifests itself in disadvantages of specific groups such as people with disabilities and so called migration background to education in general and higher education specifically. Further barriers to entering the teaching force remain in place for the same groups: Entrance tests to teacher colleges for primary school teacher training remain focused on physical fitness (e.g. having to be able to do jump ropes and sing; e.g. https://kphvie.ac.at/studieren/studieninteressierte/aufnahmeverfahren.html) and German language, the latter also holds true for university-led training for secondary teacher training. The legal basis for people with disabilities’ access to the teaching force was created in 2006 (BMSG 2006) only and internationally educated teachers remain second class professionals (Proyer et al. 2022), limited in their access to entering the teaching force as such but also remaining excluded or being othered once in the system. So while there is an ever-growing (contested) discourse on whether increasing diversity in classrooms across Europe should be met by a more diverse teaching force (Massumi 2014) and how this could help amend educational inequalities, Austria remains busy retaining traditional order. These tendencies of limiting access to education are opposed to current strategies of the Austrian government to counteract ongoing teacher shortage with lateral entrants. The initiative “Klasse Job!” (https://klassejob.at/) aims at creating a narrative of teaching being an easy-going, more valuable cause than working in a stressful environment of the private sector. With a few modules of introduction into basic education, these “teachers'' usually access the teaching force at the higher end of the salary spectrum. This presentation aims to explore the many ways to become a teacher if meeting specific criteria and unravel the one-way-street if not. Different fragments (legal documents, access criteria etc.) will be mapped out and interpretative narratives will be offered.

BMSG (2006): Bundes-Behindertengleichstellungs-Begleitgesetz. https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/I/2006/90/20060623 Buchner, T., & Petrik, F. (2023). Evaluating education policies through a spatial lens: Uncovering the ability-space-regimes of Austrian new middle schools. In Space, Education, and Inclusion (pp. 38-56). Routledge. Herzog-Punzenberger, B., & Schnell, P. (2019). Austria: equity research between family background, educational system and language policies. The Palgrave handbook of race and ethnic inequalities in education, 105-158. Massumi, M. (2014). Diversität in der Lehrerinnen-und Lehrerbildung–zur Bedeutung von Lehrkräften mit Migrationshintergrund. HiBiFo–Haushalt in Bildung und Forschung, 3(1), 17-18. Proyer, M., Pellech, C., Obermayr, T., Kremsner, G., & Schmölz, A. (2022). ‘First and foremost, we are teachers, not refugees’: Requalification measures for internationally trained teachers affected by forced migration. European Educational Research Journal, 21(2), 278-292.

Diversifying the teaching profession has come to be of international concern (Abawi and Eizadirad, 2020; Ingersoll et al, 2021). This is a complex phenomenon drawing across a variety of conceptual underpinnings, performances of identities and ranges of local, national and international contexts. This paper reports on an in-depth study of a range of teacher diversification initiatives both from across Europe and under a nationally-funded scheme in Ireland (Keane, Heinz & Mc Daid, 2023). The paper identifies the rationale for teacher diversification, argues that when it comes to teacher identity, representation matters, but also that representation does not go far enough and teacher diversity work must simultaneously encompass system transformation to achieve a diverse, equitable and inclusive teacher profession. Theoretically informed by the double equity work of Childs et al (2011) equity in and through admissions, the paper presents some key findings in relation to the requirements for Higher Education Institutions in taking diversification initiatives seriously in addition to the experiences of a selection of student teachers participating in diversification initiatives, both in their lectures and on school practicum. It presents an analysis of key moments in the student teacher education that cast light on the possibility for those student teachers to be authentically present in their chosen roles. The paper concludes with an overview of seven key principles which will support a more equitable, diverse and inclusive teaching profession. These principles include: - building awareness and sensitivity among all teachers, school leaders, teacher educators, and policy-makers of the normative nature of school and teacher education cultures as a precondition for meaningful reflection and action to create more equitable and inclusive work environments for all teachers. - Forging safe spaces in educational settings for authentic, respectful, and impactful dialogue in the pursuit of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive teaching profession. - creating safe spaces in education for democratic participation and recognition that the development of inclusive schools is the responsibility of all educators, wherein all teachers, irrespective of their socio-demographic positionalities, need to be prepared for and consider it their responsibility to be effective teachers for all students (Ladson-Billings, 2004; Cochran-Smith, 2009) and supportive colleagues for all staff in schools.

Abawi, Z., and Eizadirad, A. (2020) ‘Bias-free or biased hiring? Racialized teachers’ perspectives on educational hiring practices in Ontario, ‘Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 193, 18-31. Childs, R., Broad, K., Gallagher-Mackay, K., Sher, Y., Escayg, K.-A., and McGrath, C. (2011) ‘Pursuing equity in and through teacher education program admissions’, Education Policy Analysis Archives, 19(24), 1-22. Cochran-Smith, M. (2009) ‘Toward a theory of teacher education for social justice’, in Hargreaves, A, Lieberman, A., Fullan, M., and Hopkins, D., eds., Second international handbook of educational change, Springer International Handbooks of Education, Vol 23, New York: Springer, 445–467. Keane, E., Heinz, M., & Mc Daid, R. (Eds.). (2023). Diversifying the teaching profession: Dimensions, dilemmas and directions for the future, Routledge Ingersoll, R., Merrill, E., Stuckey, D., Collins, G., and Harrison, B. (2021) ‘The demographic transformation of the teaching force in the United States’, Education Sciences, 11(5), 234, available: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11050234 Ladson-Billings, G. (2004) ‘New directions in multicultural education: complexities, boundaries, and critical race theory’ in Banks, J. and Banks, C., eds., Handbook of research on multicultural education, 2nd ed., San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 50–65.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, yet it was only within the last decade in Ireland that ADHD transitioned from being relatively unknown, to being the most frequent reason why Irish children attend mental health services (Carr-Fanning & Mc Guckin, 2018). However, those affected by ADHD often experience difficulties relating to the recognition of their condition, along with scepticism, stigma, and misdiagnosis (Adamis et al., 2019; Carr-Fanning & McGuckin, 2018). Furthermore, understanding and acceptance of the condition varies greatly among medical professionals and teachers alike, whose knowledge of ADHD generally may be very limited (Gavin & Mc Nicholas, 2018).

Additionally, numerous gaps exist within the Irish body of research on ADHD (Lynch, 2016). Most studies are situated in the field of clinical psychology where quantitative methods of enquiry predominate (see: Adamis et al., 2023; O’Connor & McNicholas, 2020), while mixed and qualitative methods are underutilised. The same is true of international literature where quantitative surveys appear to be the preferred method for researching ADHD (Ewe, 2019). Few studies of ADHD have been conducted within the Irish educational context, and extant research has largely focused on primary education (see: Nolan et al., 2022), leaving a conspicuous dearth of ADHD enquiry among diagnosed adolescents (see: Lynch & Davison, 2022) and post-primary teachers in Ireland. Previous research with these populations has typically considered ADHD in conjunction with other additional needs (Barnes-Holmes et al., 2013), or through the perspectives of non-affected peers and the parents of diagnosed young adults (see: O’Driscoll et al., 2015).

This paper therefore aims to explore the perspectives and experiences of post-primary teachers in Irish schools regarding students with ADHD. The rationale for this research not only stems from the gaps in Irish ADHD literature, but also from the fact that students with ADHD commonly experience poorer relationships with their teachers (Zendarski et al., 2020), and students with ADHD often feel less close to their teachers than other students (Ewe, 2019). However, strong student-teacher relationships can positively impact school engagement and improve academic outcomes (Valdebenito et al., 2022), while reducing behavioural issues. Therefore, by understanding post-primary teachers’ perspectives and experiences of students with ADHD, the insights gained could potentially improve the quality of teachers’ relationships with these students, which may subsequently result in more positive educational outcomes for adolescents affected by ADHD.

An essential component of the 1999, Cyprus introduced legislation to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities, affirming their fundamental right to access mainstream education. This law established special education units (classes specifically for children with disabilities) within regular schools, offering individual and group support while promoting inclusion in regular classes. However, following an assessment carried out by a UN committee in 2017, it appeared that the existing legislation (Law 113(I)/99) did not respond effectively to the needs of children with disabilities. Then, with the guidance of experts from the European Organization for Special and Inclusive Education, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus (MOEC), in 2021, a new reform began to be planned, aiming at a new legislative framework that is Inclusive Education. This framework extends the right of children with disabilities, including those with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), not simply to be in mainstream education, while emphasizing their fundamental right to be educated, to receive quality education.

he existing legislation is a major step towards the integration of children with disabilities in mainstream schools and the alignment of the Cypriot education system with international practice (Angelides, Charalambous & Vrasida, 2004). However, there are still some important ideological controversies that concern the rhetoric of integration and the implementation of segregating practices (Liasidou, 2007a). Numerous researchers stress the importance of the exploration of teachers’ professional background and their attitudes and beliefs regarding inclusive education, for the successful adoption of an inclusive approach to education, as they are the eventual implementers of integration or inclusive practices (Symenidou & Phtiaka, 2009).

The following research study investigates the views and attitudes of Cypriot teachers towards the policy of inclusive education of pupils with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in mainstream schools. The purpose of the research is to conduct a valuation concerning teachers’ views and understanding of ASC, their perceptions and attitudes on the education of children with ASC and how the perceptions they have affect the implementation of inclusive education for children with ASC in mainstream schools. The sample of the research study consists mainly of primary school teachers, who teach in three schools with Special Education Units (SEU) and three schools without SEUs, in the Limassol district.

The literature review led to the identification of an inequality in research undertaken on inclusive education of pupils with ASC in mainstream schools. The issue of inclusive education of students with ASC has been addressed only from a legal-administrative but also an organizational level. The educational and emotional aspects of the subject have so far not been addressed by the scientific Cypriot literature, which lacks research and empirical data. Furthermore, the connection between the challenges affecting children with ASC and the creation of an inclusive educational environment specifically for them has not yet been addressed in any consistent way and is something that needed to be explored.

Most of the research undertaken in the Cypriot school set up to this day, is comprised of data collected for special needs in general, inclusion for children with disabilities or perceptions on inclusive education of children with disabilities, and none for ASC specifically. This has led to the need for further investigation of teachers’ perceptions regarding inclusive education of children with ASC, and to the present research study, which aims to fill the existing gap in the literature.

Hence, I will be presenting the outcomes from the two phases of my research: initial quantitative data collection through questionnaires, followed by qualitative analysis through semi-structured interviews. The findings raised concerns about teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education for children with ASC, highlighting the need for its implementation.