Inclusion and collaboration: What do trainee educational psychologists in Ireland think?

Abstract Inclusive education is a central topic in the field of education, fuelled by national and international policy and legislation. While there is no universally accepted definition of inclusive education in Ireland or elsewhere, it is widely recognised that collaboration among relevant stakeholders is a core principle underpinning inclusive practice. This paper explores Irish trainee educational psychologists' (TEPs) understanding of inclusive education, with a particular focus on the importance of meaningful collaboration with school staff and parents. A qualitative study was conducted with 33 TEPs, including 12 semi‐structured interviews and 21 responses to an online qualitative questionnaire. Five broad themes were constructed from the research; one of which will be discussed in this paper. Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) identified five overarching themes, one of which—‘collaboration’—is the focus of the current article. As part of this theme, the discussion is structured around three sub‐themes: building ongoing school‐wide practices, fostering an inclusive school culture and respecting parental choice. The findings highlight the critical role of collaborative relationships in promoting inclusive practices and offer insights for supporting relevant stakeholders in embedding inclusion effectively.