Collaborative Consulting for the Expansion and Promotion of Inclusive Cultures, Policies, and Practices in Early Childhood Education.

• Grant number: 25/07666-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education
• Principal Investigator: Vera Lucia Messias Fialho Capellini
• Grantee: Letícia Alves Draghi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/01132-2 - Multidisciplinary Center for the Development of Assistive Technology (MCDAT), AP.CCD

Abstract

Inclusive schools are those that embrace diversity and promote development while respecting each individual's unique characteristics-especially in the post-pandemic period caused by COVID-19, during which children lost two years of school-based experiences and learning. The general objective of this project is to implement a collaborative partnership between the university and public early childhood education schools, through collaborative consulting, with the aim of expanding and promoting more inclusive policies, practices, and cultures in municipal schools of Bauru-SP. The specific objectives are: a) to identify the barriers faced by general education teachers in developing pedagogical practices for students eligible for special education services (EESEE), particularly those impacted by the pandemic; b) to collaboratively design and develop lesson plans and pedagogical activities based on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework; c) to evaluate the outcomes of the consultancy between general and special education teachers, as well as student performance; d) to assess the collaborative partnership in the development of more inclusive curricula and practices; e) to evaluate the feasibility of implementing co-teaching models in early childhood education schools. The study will involve eight teachers-four from special education and four from general education-as well as four early childhood education school administrators. The methodology will be based on action research within a collaborative partnership between the university and municipal public schools. This proposal builds on the pilot study "University-Public School Collaboration in Building More Inclusive Policies, Practices, and Cultures," derived from a prior research project titled "Evaluation of the Quality of Education Offered to Special Education Target Students in Public Schools of the Bauru Jurisdiction," which was requested by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the city and conducted between 2016 and 2018. The current study aims to implement co-teaching practices in early childhood education schools in Bauru. Considering the current reality of special education services in the municipality, the adoption of co-teaching in this educational stage could reduce costs related to the provision of Specialized Educational Services (SES) by private institutions contracted by the city, particularly in opposite shifts to students' regular school hours. Thus, these institutions would be responsible for clinical support, while pedagogical support would fall under the responsibility of the school itself-as it should be-by assigning a full-time special education teacher within the school setting.