Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments: A Practitioner-Friendly Typology of Regular Classroom Teachers’ Responses to the Call

Abstract

ABSTRACT

For several decades now, there have been calls for the creation of inclusive learning environments within regular classroom settings. Teachers and other practitioners involved in this task need various types of guidance to assist them. While general principles deduced from empirically-based positivist studies are valuable, micro-sociology based constructions of teacher ‘types’ can also be helpful, particularly in helping stakeholders to clarify their views on their work and suggesting possible approaches worthy of being put to the test of practice. Unfortunately, various existing typologies are couched in the language of the social scientist rather than that of practitioners, thus not making them very user friendly. This paper is offered as an attempt at addressing this deficit. Fourteen teachers drawn from 10 different Western Australian schools participated in the study. The analysis led to the generation of five ‘types’ of teachers in terms of their perspectives on how they have responded to the demand for inclusive learning environments: ‘abstainers’, ‘doggie paddlers’, ‘splashers’, ‘pre-squad members’ and ‘squad members’. The study would be of interest in its implications for educators involved in creating school cultures and professional development related to inclusion, and also, as an ideographic work of theory.