Beyond the ‘dilemma of difference’
An analysis of stories from experienced teachers, about their inclusive practice
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11159663 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tracy Edwards (0000-0002-8246-7178, Carnegie School of Education Leeds Beckett University Leeds UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1421-1444 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Educational Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0141-1926 • E-ISSN: 1469-3518 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/berj.4129 |
| OpenAlex | W4406998941 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
Efforts to strengthen inclusive practice in education have been found to be underpinned by encounters with dilemmas. In particular, much has been written about the ‘dilemma of difference’, which is the perceived tension between wanting to provide for individual needs in education and wanting to avoid stigmatising individuals by treating them differently to others, in order to do this. This article outlines a research study that worked with 42 ‘dilemma stories’, from 19 experienced teachers. The majority of these stories (35) were crafted as part of a methodological approach which involved story‐sharing dialogues with these teachers, transcription, and the (re)drafting of written narratives. Both phenomenography and hermeneutic phenomenology was applied to the analysis of the stories. This required an acceptance of the apparent ontological dissonance between the hermeneutic phenomenological preoccupation with the ‘pre‐reflective’ and phenomenography's emphasis on conceptions. Through the analysis, a typology of ‘four dilemmas of inclusive practice’ was arrived at. This typology suggests that experienced teachers often look beyond the ‘dilemma of difference’ and find themselves in more nuanced predicaments, which are arguably less visible to policymakers and advisors
Dilemma · Epistemology · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Sociology · Teaching method · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Philosophy · Psychology · Reflective Practices in Education · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
Phenomenology of Practice
Phenomenology of Perception
Hermeneutics and Social Science
To what extent have learners with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties been excluded from the policy and practice of inclusive education
Inclusive pedagogy in action
Inclusive pedagogy
Dilemmas of difference, curriculum and disability
Resolving dilemmas
Exploring inclusive pedagogy
Phenomenography ? Describing conceptions of the world around us
Preparing Teachers to Work in Inclusive Classrooms
| Highly cited | No |
|---|