Collaborative Investigation of Inclusive Early Education Practices

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This paper describes the rationale, development, and first-year implementation of Wisconsin's Preschool Action Research and Development Initiative (PARDI) which evolved from a desire to enhance the utility of research on early childhood inclusion through collaboration between teachers and researchers. PARDI is a school-university partnership that creates opportunities for researchers and teachers to work collaboratively while examining issues related to early childhood inclusion. Specifically, 38 teachers from 22 inclusive early childhood classrooms in Wisconsin participated in 2 collaborative research activities: (a) systematic recording and analysis of critical incidents (CIs); and, (b) quarterly meetings for analysis of CIs by researchers and teachers. In addition to describing PARDI's collaborative research model and methodology, this paper presents preliminary findings concerning the impact of PARDI on teachers' thinking and classroom practices.