Exploring Professional Knowing, Being and Becoming through Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA) Framework - Article 7

Oct 15, 2026

Despite policy and practice reforms in early childhood inclusive education, barriers still restrict children with special needs from access and participation in inclusive schools. Common obstacles include negative beliefs, limited understanding of inclusive pedagogy, and uncertainty about professional development’s impact on teacher knowledge. The study evaluates a Thai Bureau of Special Education partnership program with an Australian inclusive school, involving 16 early childhood teachers and qualitative community-of-practice data.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages16

Reading Time40 min

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Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 43 | Issue 3 | Article 7 | | --- | --- | | 2018
Exploring Professional Knowing, Being and Becoming through Inclusive Pedagogical Approach inAction (IPAA) Framework
Sunanta Klibthong
Mahidol University, Ratchasuda College, [sunantak21@gmail.com](sunantak21@gmail.com)
Joseph S. Agbenyega
Monash University, [joseph.agbenyega@monash.edu](joseph.agbenyega@monash.edu) | | Recommended Citation Klibthong, S., & Agbenyega, J. S. (2018). Exploring Professional Knowing, Being and Becoming through Inclusive Pedagogical Approach inAction (IPAA) Framework. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (3). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss3/7](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss3/7) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss3/7](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol43/iss3/7) Australian Journal of Teacher Education Exploring Professional Knowing, Being and Becoming through Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA) Framework Sunanta Klibthong Ratchasuda College, Mahidol University, Thailand Joseph Seyram Agbenyega Monash University Abstract: Despite extensive changes in early childhood inclusive education policy and practice, various barriers continue to inhibit access and participation of children with special needs in inclusive schools. Often mentioned barriers include negative beliefs, lack of understanding of inclusive pedagogy and the effectiveness of professional development to improve teacher knowledge to reduce these barriers. This study reports on a Thai Bureau of Special Education professional development partnership program with an Australian inclusive school in which 16 early childhood teachers from Thailand participated. This community of practice inquiry project generated qualitative data from pre-and post-professional workshops semi-structured interviews and analysis of teachers’professional learning journals during the inquiry phases of the project. Thematic analysis of the data showed that the international professional learning immersion program exerted an influential impact on the teachers who participated suggesting; teachers developed better understandings of children with special education needs by creating a mindset for change. Introduction Increasingly, the complexity of inclusive learning environments and the need to transform practice to meet the needs of all children (OECD, 2015; UNESCO, 2014) demand that teachers engage in continuous professional learning. Despite extensive changes in early childhood inclusive education policy and practice, large numbers of preschool children with Special Education Needs (SEN) in the poorest regions of the world are still either not enrolling or failing to build the strong foundation needed for further learning (UNESCO, 2012) . A large body of research points to the unacceptably high rates of ineffective teaching and neglect of children with SEN in early childhood settings (Algood, Hong, Gourdine, & Williams, 2011; Jaudes & Mackey-Bilaver, 2008; Samuels, 2009; Shank, Greenberg, & Lebens, 2011). The effectiveness of educating children with SEN receive in early childhood learning settings depends on several factors. Among them, are teacher professional knowing, being and becoming. International commissioned research reports consistently draw attention to inclusive education quality and equity (UNESCO, 2012; UNICEF, 2004) as the process of eliminating barriers from education (OECD, 2015; Roberts, 2016) . Despite considerable reform efforts at improving teaching in inclusive schools, not much research into teachers’ professional knowing, being and becoming inclusive practitioners appears to have been conducted. This research project addresses the question: How does participation in international professional learning immersion program in which Vol 43, 3, March 2018 109 Australian Journal of T

FAQs

What barriers limit access and participation for children with special needs in inclusive schools?

Barriers include negative beliefs, limited understanding of inclusive pedagogy, and insufficient evidence about how professional development improves teacher knowledge to reduce these barriers.

What program does the study evaluate and who participated?

The study reports on a Thai Bureau of Special Education professional development partnership with an Australian inclusive school, where 16 early childhood teachers from Thailand participated.

How were participants’ learning and professional change investigated?

Qualitative data were generated through pre- and post-professional workshops, semi-structured interviews, and teachers’ professional learning journals, followed by thematic analysis.

Oct 15, 2026

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