Collaborative Research in Inclusive Classrooms: An Investigation with Reflections by Teachers and Researchers

Abstract

Participatory Research and Development (PR&D) is a means of integrating research and practice by linking the historically separate communities of university research and teacher practice as one learning community. More specifically, PR&D is designed to impact teacher thinking and instruction, student performance, as well as school and university systems and culture. Recently, PR&D also has been used as a vehicle for addressing inclusion efforts at the secondary level. In this article, the authors describe the characteristics of PR&D, outline related methods and activities, detail a number of qualitative findings regarding the nature of instructional change, and discuss the findings and implications with the voices of classroom teacher-researchers and university researchers.