ERIC Number: EJ1409605
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2474-7432
'It Will Be a Ripple Effect: Coaches Cultivating Teacher Leadership for Inclusive Education through Professional Learning Communities
Naomi Fair
Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, v7 n1 p134-160 2023
Traditional approaches to professional development for inclusive education narrowly frame inclusive education as a special education reform. Such approaches emphasize technical practices rather than surfacing and disrupting harmful ideologies that normalize the segregation of students with disabilities. Alternatively, there is potential for a transformative ripple effect for inclusive education when professional development prioritizes the critical inquiry, collaboration, and collective action of teacher leaders. Professional learning communities offer a model for professional development through which teacher leaders can cultivate the tools and support needed for taking action for inclusive education in their own contexts. Coaches are uniquely positioned as advocates and teacher leaders who can facilitate such professional development. This action research study explored how four inclusive education coaches: (1) worked to cultivate a professional learning community for developing inclusive teacher leaders in response to the needs of their district; and (2) reflected on the impact of this professional development to plan for their ongoing support of the district's inclusive teacher leaders. The findings highlight the importance of professional learning communities as a professional development approach for supporting the collaboration and agency for teacher leaders for inclusive education.
Descriptors: Inclusion, Communities of Practice, Coaching (Performance), Faculty Development, Special Education, Students with Disabilities, Teacher Leadership, Special Education Teachers, Mainstreaming, Regular and Special Education Relationship, Elementary Schools, High Schools
Kenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership at NC State University. 1070 Partners Way, Hunt Library Suite 500, NCSU Centennial Campus, Raleigh, NC 27606. Tel: 919-515-5118; Fax: 919-515-5831; e-mail: kenanfellows@ncsu.edu; Web site: https://kenanfellows.org/journals/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A