Abstract:

In the special education program at Levinsky College of Education, 24 special education students and 12 young adults with disabilities living in the community collaborated in a “participatory action research” seminar. The seminar was grounded on a world-wide social education perspective that supports the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the community (Global Campaign for Education, 2016) and was based on a social concept of equal opportunities while recognizing the right of people with disabilities to decide on their lives as experts in their field.The seminar emphasized collaborative leadership in which students in the special education internship track program and a group of young adults with disabilities living in the community, developed proposals for collaborative action research (John et al.,2018) linked to their personal interests (Roth and Hozmi, 2014).The students met every week in class and gradually developed a social-educational initiative wherein research spaces have been adapted to the context of the partnership. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic challenge, participants couldn’t meet on campus and the collaborative learning space of the group moved to various online spaces.

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of the seminar to the development of joint educational leadership and personal and professional identity of course participants. Data was collected from individual participants’ blogs, personal reflections as documented in participants’ projects and facilitators notes.

The results reflected both: the collaborative research process within the group and within the individual level of each participant. Results indicated the power of a joint action study in changing students' perception (teachers in the internship phase) about persons with disabilities and emphasized the added value of collaborative action research. This unique encounter allows higher levels of awareness to prejudice and at the same time forms the basis for opening an egalitarian value concept and teaching contexts that recognize the autonomy and expertise of individuals with disabilities to act- “Nothing About us without us”. In addition, study participants experienced what is eye-level discourse, mutual sharing and authentic partnership in the virtual spaces. The contribution of this unique seminar to the field of education suggests such an experience should be part of an inclusive teaching training process as well as part of a broader program to enhance collaborative learning with margined populations and significant supporters in the community.

References:
[1] Global Campaign for Education (2016). Retrieved from https://campaignforeducation.org/en/resources/
[2] John, B. S., Mihaila, I., Dorrance, K., DaWalt, L. S., Ausderau, K. K., & St John, B. (2018). Reflections From Co-Researchers With Intellectual Disability: Benefits to Inclusion in a Research Study Team. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 56(4), 251–262. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-56.5.251
[3] Roth, d. And initiated, b. (2014). Quality of life of people with developmental intellectual disabilities Implementing a collaborative research approach, special and integrated education issues, (27) 1, 522-531.

Keywords:

Participatory action research, Special Education, Professional development of new teachers.