A collaborative action research project in an inclusive setting: Assisting a blind student

Abstract

There has been a lot of discussion about the context and the content of integration and inclusion in Greece for the students with visual impairments. These discussions have led to the formulation of models of inclusion such as the co-teaching scheme. This article presents a project focused on an educational setting within which a sixth-grader blind student was integrated in a public rural primary school. The project was undertaken by teachers of the school and researchers from the University of Thessaly in an action research framework. The aim of this research was to achieve better inclusion in terms of the blind student's participation in the school subject matters. The reflection on the phases of the research revealed many dimensions of the student's tactile exploration as well as dimensions which were pertinent to the type of inclusion applied by the teachers. The discussion considers issues such as integrated curriculum and practical implications and highlights the value of action research as part of a commitment to improve the quality of teaching via reflection and inquiry.