Where We Were Then: An Illuminative Evaluation of Teacher Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices in Relation to Level 2 Learning Programmes and Inclusion in a Mainstream Post Primary School
Keywords:
professional development, L2LP, post primary, inclusion, curriculumAbstract
This article reports the findings of the first phase of a case study exploring the impact of collaborative whole-school professional development (CPD) to enact Level 2 Learning Programmes (L2LPs) in a mainstream post-primary school In Phase 1 a baseline in relation to the school’s existing engagement with and knowledge, practice and beliefs around L2LPs and inclusion was established in order to ascertain the staff CPD needs and inform the subsequent design, implementation and evaluation of the whole-school professional development in phase two which are reported elsewhere ( Author 1, 2019). Though the research explored the voices of students, parents, teachers and SNAs this article will focus on teachers’ perspectives and practices. Sixteen teachers, including the principal and SEN coordinator participated in phase one of the research. The findings suggest that despite a stated commitment to inclusion, there were significant gaps in teachers’ knowledge and understanding of policy in relation to L2LPs and of how to plan for and implement level two learning programmes in their classroom practice.
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