ERIC Number: EJ986003
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-2506
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Community and Connection in Inclusive Early-Childhood Education: A Participatory Action Research Investigation
Erwin, Elizabeth J.; Puig, Victoria I.; Evenson, Tara L.; Beresford, Madeleine
Young Exceptional Children, v15 n4 p17-28 Dec 2012
There are many resources that describe high-quality inclusive practices in early education as well as the necessary competencies for early-childhood practitioners working in inclusive settings. Yet, despite important initiatives in the field, a discrepancy between research and practice remains. In an effort to narrow this research-to-practice gap in understanding effective inclusive practices, the authors began conversations with a variety of stakeholders, including families, practitioners, researchers, graduate students, and administrators, at an inclusive university-based, early-childhood center. Although the stakeholders represented many perspectives, they shared the same interest in and commitment to conducting research that was accessible and applicable to improving daily lives within the school community. In this article, the authors describe how they implemented participatory action research (PAR) to help deepen their understanding of community and diversity. One of the key questions that guided their investigation was, "What does it mean to be fully inclusive across all aspects of diversity?" The authors discuss the lessons learned and implications for how services for children with disabilities and their families can be approached. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Disabilities, Stakeholders, Action Research, Theory Practice Relationship, Young Children, Graduate Students, Investigations, Early Childhood Education, Inclusion, Semi Structured Interviews, Student Diversity, Researchers, Teachers, Administrators, Cooperation, Family (Sociological Unit)
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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