“Luokassa rauha ja kaikilla hyvä tahto!” Yläkoulun luokanohjaaja inklusiivisessa koulussa: moninainen toimija oppilaiden, huoltajien ja koulun henkilökunnan välimaastossa

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the work of lower secondary school teachers also serving as form tutors from the perspective of inclusive education. I focused on form tutors’ views on inclusive cooperation with pupils, parents and school staff. I used the Index for Inclusion by Booth and Ainscow (2005), which consists of three subareas: inclusive school culture, inclusive policies and inclusive practices. Using mixed methods approach, I mainly applied qualitative research methods and analysis but analysed the results of the Index for Inclusion (Booth and Ainscow 2005) using quantitative methods. The survey was divided into two parts: open-ended questions related to the tutors’ collaboration with pupils, parents and school staff; and the Index for Inclusion, which measured the tutors’ views on the realisation of inclusive education in their work. I examined the development of tutor work in a workplace community by interviewing school staff at the Talvimäki school. According to the results, inclusive school culture and the policies of inclusive education are mainly implemented in the work of form tutors, but inclusive practices need to be developed. The tutors support individual pupils’ schoolwork and wellbeing by coordinating three-step support for learning as well as student welfare services. At the same time, the tutors support a sense of community in the class by promoting team spirit. They organise multisectoral cooperation related to managing the affairs of the class: important is fluent home–school cooperation and well-functioning multiprofessional cooperation among the school staff. The implementation of inclusive education in the work of lower secondary school form tutors is defined in international agreements, the Finnish legislation on basic education and student welfare services, the national core curriculum for basic education, and the municipal and school-specific curriculum. Based on my interpretation, the principles of the Finnish comprehensive school and those of inclusion already have much in common: the objectives of equality and participation are part of both. In practice, the operating culture of the school, the functioning of multisectoral cooperation and the teacher’s competence play an important role in the implementation of inclusive education. In order to enable tutors, together with pupils, parents and school staff, to put into practice the key principle of inclusion – “everyone is accepted, everyone is helped” – the legislation and national guidelines must be made clearer. Furthermore, models tested at school for inclusion, student welfare services and three-step support must be presented. Above all, each school needs clear rules for implementing its own student welfare services and learning support. Other important aspects include organised teamwork as well as teachers’ reciprocal mentoring and continuous education in order to develop the necessary competences and meet the challenges of daily schoolwork. Keywords: lower secondary school, form tutor, inclusive education, participation, student welfare services, support for learning, home-school cooperation, multiprofessional cooperation