How Pedagogues Support Inclusion in Denmark: Experiences, Barriers, and Recommendations

Abstract

Abstract Danish school reform around inclusive practices became more prevalent in 2014, and efforts to address the needs of children with disabilities increased. One of the primary ways to meet students' needs in an inclusive setting was to move pedagogues out of their traditionally after-school social settings into the general education classroom to co-teach with content teachers. This qualitative study followed groups of pedagogues and classroom teachers in Denmark for two years, using interviews and observations to ascertain the challenges and successes of co-teaching between pedagogues and teachers. The results mirror in many ways the current research on co-teaching in other countries and with other collaborating professionals. The challenges, barriers, and successes experienced by pedagogues and teachers who were expected to co-teach due to Danish school reform on inclusion are shared. Recommendations build on existing literature and address the unique role that Danish pedagogues can play in moving inclusive practices forward and how their experiences can be applied to co-teachers in other countries and settings.