'Most of the time, I am the three-tiered support system' - subject teachers' views on tiered support and part-time special education in lower secondary schools

This study examines subject teachers' views on support for learning in mainstream lower secondary schools in Finland. Because Finnish legislation on support for learning changed in 2010, we wanted to explore subject teachers' views on how support is being delivered in practice. Our data co...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:European journal of special needs education Jg. 40; H. 4; S. 722 - 738
Hauptverfasser: Kotilainen, Ninnu, Takala, Marjatta
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Routledge 04.07.2025
Schlagworte:
collaboration
Finland
lower secondary school
subject teacher
Support for learning
ISSN:0885-6257, 1469-591X
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This study examines subject teachers' views on support for learning in mainstream lower secondary schools in Finland. Because Finnish legislation on support for learning changed in 2010, we wanted to explore subject teachers' views on how support is being delivered in practice. Our data consist of 115 subject teachers' answers to an electronic questionnaire and were examined using content analysis, complemented with frequencies. The results indicate a need for better resources and for structures that support teacher collaboration in lower secondary schools. Open communication and clearer definitions of subject teachers' and special education teachers' (SETs') roles are also required. According to subject teachers, the most important aspect of SET work is part-time special education, meaning that SETs provide individual support for students. The support system needs to be defined in greater detail to work effectively. However, subject teachers' attitudes seem inclusive.
ISSN:0885-6257
1469-591X
DOI:10.1080/08856257.2024.2421110