Collaboration for an inclusive compulsory school - a pedagogical challenge? : The importance of collaboration and cooperation for the inclusion of integrated students in practice

The purpose of the study is to make visible the experience of teachers and special education teachers regarding collaboration and cooperation around the inclusion of integrated students (students with intellectual disability/ID) in practice.Based on the purpose, three questions have taken shape to illustrate the understanding and experience of different professions regarding collaboration and cooperation, what conditions the professions have for collaboration and cooperation and what different efforts are described by the different professions at individual, group and organizational level.This study is based on a qualitative method in which twelve informants working in primary and secondary schools from two municipalities with experience of working with integrated students were interviewed.The theoretical starting point for the analysis is KoRP -communicative relational perspective, which is based on the interest in knowledge formation about criteria and conditions for educational inclusion.Based on KoRP, the concepts of participation, communication, and learning are used as analytical tools.According to the results of our study, a lack of communication between the professions due to a lack of organizational conditions makes the work around students with ID more difficult and hinders the possibilities for inclusion in practice.The conclusion made visible in the study is that organizational obstacles make inclusion more difficult and need to be removed in order to create functioning structures, collaboration and cooperation that thus promote inclusion in practice.Which is in line with previous research on the subject and is, according to our study, a fundamental reason why few students with ID study integrated in regular primary schools.