**9. Summary of findings**

It is acknowledged that contextual factors make a difference and strategies that may work in one context may be less than effective in another. It is also acknowledged that those interviewed only represent a small sub-section of possible participants. However, a number of significant links between school culture and ways of working emerge, underpinned by six principles of inclusive school practices answering the research question "what key school wide pedagogical principles and actions underpin the support of all students especially those with special learning needs?"

questions in its acknowledgement of the central role played by a school's vision, a leadership structure that supports activism, school wide understandings of practice, informed decision making, and induction processes to acquaint newcomers with the school culture and accompanying expectations. Moving forward the six principles of inclusion and the accompanying conceptual model of the cultural indicators of an inclusive school, provide lenses forfuture research, as does the understanding of the importance of school culture and the significant role the school principal plays in advocating for, promoting and facilitating inclusive school structures and practices.

Inclusive Schoolwide Pedagogical Principles: Cultural Indicators in Action

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70358

53

[1] Australian Government. Disability Discrimination Act [Internet]. 1992. Available from:

[2] Australian Government. Disability Standards for Education [Internet]. 2005 (Cth) (Austl.). Available from: https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2005L00767 [Accessed: 10 May 2016]

[3] Australian Government. Australian Bureau of Statistics [Internet]. 2013. Available from:

[4] Menter I, Hulme M. Teacher education in Scotland – Riding out the recession?.

[6] Wrigley T, Arshad R, Pratt L, editors. Social Justice Re-examined: Dilemmas andSolutions

[7] Department of Education and the Arts. Inclusive Education Statement, Education

[8] Queensland Government. Inclusive Education Statement [Internet]. 2015. Available from: https://education.qld.gov.au/schools/inclusive/index.html [Accessed: 28 April 2016]

[9] United Nations. United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities [Internet]. 2006. Available from: https://www.un.org/develpment/desa/disabilities/ convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-24-education.html

[5] Sachs J. The Activist Teaching Profession. Buckingham: Open University Press; 2003

for the Classroom Teacher. London, UK: Institute of Education Press; 2012

https://www.legistation.gov.au/Sries/c2004A04426 [Accessed: 11 May 2016]

Lindy Abawi\*, Susan Carter, Dorothy Andrews and Joan Conway

\*Address all correspondence to: lindy-anne.abawi@usq.edu.au

University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia

https://www.abs.gov.au/ [Accessed: 11 May 2016]

Educational Research. 2012;54:2

[Accessed: 19 April 2016]

Queensland, Brisbane Queensland. 2005

**Author details**

**References**

Leaders were perceived as consciously developing informed shared social justice leadership at multiple levels (Principle 1) including the development of teacher aide and student leadership skills. At the norms and assumptions layer within each school there was strong moral commitment to a vision of inclusion (Principle 1) made by the principal and articulated at every opportunity and visible to others. Those not happy with such a vision 'moved on'. Staff, students and community united in the desire to support all students, no matter how complex their need. Leaders focused money and time on building collaborative and individual capacity.

Each school community as a whole demonstrated collective commitment to whatever it takes (Principle 3) which meant essentially a commitment to getting it right from the start (Principle 4) by developing strong relationships with students, parents community and system staff to ensure the 'right fit' or resources, staff and students. Leaders pursued shared understandings of expectations and developed processes for collecting and disseminating information. As information was collated and discussed with staff, families and perhaps medical advisors, complex student needs requiring additional resourcing, from human resources to physical equipment needs, or additional professional learning (Principle 5) could be planned, thus effectively laying the groundwork for success. Articulation of successes, challenges, needs and ongoing direction enabled shared understanding and language of inclusion to be heard through open and respectful lines of communication (Principle 6) enabled strengths and challenges of both staff and students to be planned for in advance.

The data and findings indicated that pedagogical practices at classroom and school level looked different in the different contexts; however, whilst the minutia of practices differed, they still conformed to similar norms and assumptions related to the principles underpinning pedagogical choice and implementation within each inclusive school culture. The language of inclusion reinforces and sustains the combined focus and also helps to induct those new to the school ensuring that the vision of inclusion remains alive.
