Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion

Ainscow, M., Booth, T., and Dyson, A., with Farrell, P., Frankham, J., Gallannaugh, F., Howes, A., and Smith, R. 2006 London: Routledge..

 Ainscow, M., Booth, T., and Dyson, A., with Farrell, P., Frankham, J., Gallannaugh, F., Howes, A., and Smith, R. (2006). Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion. London: Routledge.

 Read the first chapter here.

Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion grew out of the United Kingdom’s largest-ever research initiative – the Economic and Social Research Council’s  Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP). It is based on the experiences of a network of schools and educational authorities that are engaged in schooling improvement through understanding and developing inclusive practices.

 The book provides an overview of the research findings. The authors set out a development process that involves ‘principled interruptions’ to people’s current thinking about teaching and learning and opens the way to new ways of working. The factors that increase the likelihood of these interruptions include:

... the opportunities created for constructive dialogue by the strength of the school’s communities of practice; the management style of the head teacher and the distribution of leadership in the school; an engagement with evidence and critical perspectives; and an opportunity to analyse and reflect on the relationship between values and actions.

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 Inclusive school development also requires external experts with the skills to facilitate real dialogue in which all perspectives are considered.

 The findings are brought to life with extended examples from the research schools. Shorter summaries and research briefings are also available on the   TLRP website.

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