Workshop’s Dynamic Details
The 3 days workshop “Becoming visible: comparing inclusive and special education policies, practices and research in Brazil and UK” brings together 30 researchers (6 seniors and 24 Early Career Researchers) equally from the UK and Brazil. The aims of the workshops are fourfold:
1. to foster a better understanding of issues around the educational inclusion of children with disabilities and special educational need.
2. to provide a challenging but supportive forum for debate, innovation and professional development for early career researchers (ECRs) in both countries.
3. to provide senior researchers with the opportunity to mentor the future generation of researchers and to collaborate with them and with other senior researchers at ensuring that all children access and participate fully in education and society.
4. to be a point for dissemination and engagement with parents and teachers, other professionals, and policy makers as community stakeholders, both in Brazil and the UK.
More in detail, the workshop comprises:
a) an opening session with the participation of both representatives from Education Ministry of Brazil and British Council;
b) 2 keynotes (presented by the Brazilian and UK Coordinator respectively);
c) 5 paper sessions chaired by the mentors whose aim is to disseminate ECRs’s research on five key areas of inclusion and disability;
d) 1 workgroup enabling ECRs and mentors to set the aspirations and plan their mutual working relationship;
e) 2 parallel interactive workgroup sessions led by the mentors – Methodologies to research inclusion and special education; professional development and career progression;
f) 1 British Council led session outlining funding opportunities for research and international scholars exchanges;
g) A poster session with the participation of teachers, students, families and children in the local area;
h) 2 parallel reflective meetings – one enabling ECRs to reflect over the workshop and exchange experience and outline their aspirations and suggestions for the future collaboration; and one for the mentors and coordinators to reflect, and plan future international collaboration;
i) Two plenary sessions to conclude and outline future plans for dissemination and sustainability.
Programme outline
11th March Arrival to UFSCar, São Carlos-SP, and welcome dinner.
Day 1 – 12th March
Registration
Official opening
Keynote – Prof. Enicéia Mendes
Workshop
Lunch and visit to UFSCar
Paper session PS #01
Paper session PS #02
Day 2 – 13th March
Workgroup and parallel session with mentors WG #01
Coffee break
Workgroup and parallel session with mentors WG #02
Lunch
Paper session PS #03
Poster session
Early Career Researchers’ meeting/Coordinators and mentors’meeting
Social dinner
Day 3 – 14th March
Keynote – Prof. Richard Rose
Paper session PS #04
Lunch and networking
Paper session PS #05
Workgroup session WG #03
Closing
Details of Keynote speakers
12 March Brazilian National Observatory in Special Education: preliminary outcomes from a National Network Study on Inclusive Education Policies – Prof. Enicéia Mendes, UFSCar.
14 March Learning from each other: respecting cultural differences in international agenda – Prof. Richard Rose, University of Northampton.
Details of paper sessions
Paper Session 01 – Identification and assessment of disability and special educational needs:
addressing the tension between invisibility and over-identification
One issue which has been at the heart of much research and which has had major implications
for both policy and pedagogy has been how we identify children’s disabilities and learning difficulties. Do such systems help or hinder? How do the two countries compare?
Paper Session 02 – Including children in schools: evidence based practice
Papers drawing from empirical and practice-based studies focusing on the role of schools as organisations are welcome to this session in, which we compare school practice in both Brazil and the UK with the aim of exchanging best practice and learn from each other.
Paper Session 03 – Evidence from the classroom: teachers creating effective inclusive environments
Papers with a focus on classroom practice and which explore teaching and pedagogical strategies, including teachers and peers’ attitudes, are welcome to this session.
Paper Session 04 – Investigating interdisciplinary approaches to inclusion: working with professionals outside schools
Inclusion requires an ecological approach to providing the social, health and education services which would best support the child in his learning. Papers which address the topic of
multi-agency collaboration and working with professionals and parents or carers are welcome.
Paper Session 05 -. Making the agenda more visible: research influencing policy change.
The debate of how research can influence policy is central to ensuring that research does have a lasting social impact on the lives of children with disabilities and special needs. Paper which address this topic are welcome.
