| Unit name | Working Together: Professional Collaboration for Inclusive Education |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0059 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Jo Rose |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The unit will investigate how professionals from different backgrounds work together, considering the different perspectives of policy makers, strategic decision makers, practitioners and service users. Recent policy relating to Collaborative Working in Special and Inclusive Education will be examined to provide a context for the unit. The conditions that support and impede successful Collaborative Working will be explored. The tensions arising from Collaborative Working and the potential benefits will be investigated. A range of theoretical perspectives on Collaborative Working will be critically evaluated. The unit will also draw on the experiences of the students to support the lectures, readings, class discussions and group tasks.
The aims of the unit are:
Upon successful completion of this students will be able to demonstrate a critical awareness and understanding of:
1. The impact of policy frameworks and the structure of the different professions on the practice of Collaborative Working;
2. The ways in which Collaborative Working can be evidenced and the complexities of measuring and comparing the ways it can support inclusive practice across education systems;
3. The dynamics of Collaborative Working and the ways in which different professions formulate new ways of working together;
4. The tensions and rewards arising from working across professional boundaries, and where these originate;
5. The different ways in which Collaborative Working is experienced by different groups of stakeholders;
6. Different theoretical conceptualisations of Collaborative Working.
This unit will be delivered over a series of ten x 2-hour sessions. These sessions will use a variety of teaching methods, which are likely to include whole-class lectures, group discussions, student presentations, case studies, and visiting speakers such as practitioners who are experienced in inter-professional work. A small group mini-research project (to be presented in class), and peer and tutor support will facilitate individual study.
Formative assessment:
Formative assessment will take place in class, with peer and tutor feedback on group and class discussions of concepts and literature and how these relate to personal experiences.
Summative assessment:
Students will carry out a mini research project, exploring experiences of collaborative working from different perspectives, through interviews with practitioners and service users. As the first part of the summative assessment, the findings from this will be presented in class, stimulating further discussion and feedback. This will be 1000 words or equivalent. (ILO 1, ILO 4, ILO 5)
The remaining part of the summative assessment will comprise a 3000 word proposal for an evaluation, from a range of example projects where collaborative working is a key element of professional practice. This will require students to conceptualise the relationships between research evidence, theory and policy and to understanding the implications of these relationships for professional practice. (ILO2, ILO3, ILO6)
Rose, J. and Norwich, B. (2014). Collective Commitment and Collective Efficacy: A Theoretical Model for Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Dilemma Resolution in Interprofessional Work. Cambridge Journal of Education, 44 (1), 5974.
Department for Education/Department for Health (2015). The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (0-25) HMSO: London.
Edwards, A., Daniels, H. Gallagher, T. Leadbetter, J. & Warmington, P. (2009) Improving Inter-professional Collaborations: Learning to do Multi-Agency Work. Abingdon: Routledge.
Glenny, G. and Roaf, C. (2008) Multiprofessional Communication: Making Systems Work for Children. OUP Maidenhead.
Rose, J. (2011) Dilemmas of Inter-Professional Collaboration: Can they be Resolved? Children and Society, 25, 151-163.
Todd, L. (2007) Partnerships for Inclusive Education: A Critical Approach to Collaborative Working. Abingdon: Routledge Falmer.
