Learning from Difference: An action research guide for capturing the experience of developing inclusive education

EENET has developed a set of guidelines to help promote action research in schools and communities. The guidelines were developed during our action research project in Zambia and Tanzania (see below for a list of project-related documents). The guidelines will help schools and communities to look at their experiences of inclusion/exclusion in education, think about and assess the problems and solutions, and take action to improve the situation.

Guidelines on CD-ROM
In August 2004 we produced an interactive CD-ROM, which was updated in December 2005. The CD-ROM contains the action research guidelines (in website format), as well as many links to further reading, audio and video clips, photographs and diagrams.

To obtain a copy of the CD-ROM, please fill in and return an order form.
Download order form in PDF (25k)
Download order form in Word (74k)

Guidelines in PDF and printed formats
The core guidelines are now available in PDF format in the following languages:

Arabic (1.6mb)

English (1.3mb)

French (1.2mb)

Spanish (1.3mb)

Portuguese (1.7mb)

Understanding community initiatives to improve access to education

EENET has almost completed a 2-year action learning (also referred to as action research), project funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The research (in Zambia and Tanzania) aims to develop appropriate and sustainable ways of building the capacity of key stakeholders to document their experience of promoting more inclusive practices in education in their own communities. For more information, see also the original proposal for this project.

Action Learning for Inclusion poster: this poster was developed as part of EENET's action research project being carried out in Tanzania and Zambia.

Learning from Difference: Understanding community initiatives to improve access to education

Download PDF version with pictures (993k)
Download PDF version without pictures (637k)

Researching our Experience
This is a collection of writings from teachers in Mpika, Zambia, who have participated in EENET’s action research project (PDF 467k). A selection of the articles is also available in Spanish (Word 107k)

Using Images to Explore and Promote Inclusion: Experiences from Mpika Schools
This comprehensive report describes the activities carried out with school children in September 2004 (including photography, photo elicitation, drawing, mapping and drama).

Download PDF version with pictures (602k)
Download PDF version without pictures (214k)

Writing Workshops: An EENET action-research project, Mpika, Zambia 17-24 July 2002.
Download this document as word (697k) *large file may take a while to download
Download this document as word (402k) without photographs
Download this document as a pdf (643k) *large file may take a while to download
Download this document as a pdf (328k) without photographs

For information about similar work currently taking place in the UK see www.man.ac.uk/include.

Action Research (journal)
This journal publishes articles on accounts of action research projects, explorations in the philosophy and methodology of action research, and considerations of the nature of quality in action research. See Sage Publications website for more details.

Article from newsletter 9:
Action research in North Gonder, Ethiopia

Curriculum materials to support inclusion - Some class activities which have been developed by an 'ordinary' primary school teacher.

Hidden Voices; The Student Voice Activity - Maggie Balshaw & Mel Ainscow. The 'Hidden Voices' exercise was developed in Portugal by UNESCO consultants. It is an action research, or action learning exercise.

The Development of Inclusive School Environments in the Community

'The Lesotho National Integrated Education Programme: A Case Study on Implementation'. EENET's action research project builds upon the methodology used in this masters thesis by Sue Stubbs.

Understanding schools from the inside
This is an excerpt from Mel Ainscow's book, 'Understanding the Development of Inclusive Schools'. It outlines some of the tools used in supporting research in schools.