Call for Tender: Perceptions of inclusive education

Perceptions of inclusive education – a study to identify opportunities for co-production

In 2016, the organisations listed above agreed to work together on how support should be developed and produced to realise a society where all people are free to choose their jobs, education, home. Co-production has been identified as a crucial working method to ensure support services are in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Co-production is an inclusive working practice between experts by experience (users), organisations being of support, public authorities and, if relevant, families and other stakeholders. The ultimate goal is the delivery of a service, policy or activity that is responsive to the individual’s needs and preferences.

Learning is an excellent example of co-production as it always requires the cooperation of the learner, family members, teachers and the system to be successful. However, in a more traditional interpretation of co-production, the educational systems are often too rigid and inflexible to allow learners with disabilities and their families to be part of the conception, design, steering, and management of schools.

The purpose of this study is to identify possibilities, issues and challenges that the concept of co-production provides for inclusive education. On the basis of desk research, the Contractor will produce an overview of studies and research on the perception of inclusive education by a variety of stakeholders as diverse as possible according to the existing literature, namely: learners with and without disabilities, families, supporters, teachers, school leaders, school administration, teachers training academies, policy makers. This should be based on English language literature, but cover a variety of European Union countries.

The Contractor then will identify experiences and challenges in the following areas relevant for co-production in education:

• Understanding and overcoming resistance from parents, teachers, school leaders and administration against inclusive education.
• Participation of people with disabilities in the training and further education of teachers.
• Participation of and consultations with learners with disabilities and their families, support persons, teachers, school leaders, school administration, teachers training academies at the level of Ministries of Education, both nationally and regionally.
• Participation of people with disabilities and their families in school boards and management.
• Concepts for and involvement of people with disabilities in the quality evaluation of schools.
• Employment of teachers and other school staff with disabilities.
• Involvement of learners with and without disabilities in making inclusive education more visible and positive.

On the basis of this desk research, the Contractor will develop a questionnaire and conduct online interviews with 8 European stakeholders identified by EASPD including: a learner with a disability, a parent of a learner with a disability, a support person, a teacher, a board school representative, a school director, a representative from a teacher training academy and a policy-maker. These interviews will be used to discuss possible conclusions and recommendations. The Contractor will then compile recommendations for the different stakeholder groups for better involvement of learners with disabilities and their families in the conception, design, steering, and management of schools. A special focus should also be on positive action to further this participation.

Deadlines

Deadline for application : 15/09/2018
Response to application: 30/09/2018

Selected applicants are expected to take on the assignment as soon as possible.

Specifications

Language: English
Expected min. size of the output: 25 pages A4
Available budget: 5.000 € incl. VAT

Applicants

Only candidates from EU Member States are eligible for participating in the tender. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The applicant(s) should submit the following documents:

• A motivation letter describing your expertise and explaining why you are the right candidate(-s) for the assignment (not more than 1 page).
• A technical proposal explaining how you plan to conduct the research, including a review of what has already been done, a proposed methodology, a work plan, resources needed, budget, etc. (not more than 2-3 pages).
• CV, including the list of published articles, reports, studies if relevant.
  The researcher is expected to demonstrate an operational approach to the integration of good management principles, including correct personal data management in line with the requirements of the GDPR.

Contacts details

Please send bids to Tim Ghilain, EASPD Senior Policy Officer, timothy.ghilain@easpd.eu.

Click here to download PDF version of Call for Tender.

This has been produced with the financial support of the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014-2020).