1 Introduction of the research
This chapter explains the research background and the environment in
which it is rooted. It provides an overview of the aim of the research and
the research questions, and the research topic is placed in a local and
international context. Finally, the structure of the thesis is explained.
This is a qualitative study of primary school teachers´ perceptions of the
ideology of inclusive education and how these are reflected in their
professional work habits and concepts of education. The overall aim of the
study was to explore the interplay between the national education policy
and teachers’ ideas of their role in the inclusive school.
The study is located within an interpretive framework and the data
comprise interviews with teachers and head teachers in five compulsory
schools, three in Iceland and two in the Netherlands; teaching logs from
classroom lessons; documents (Acts of Parliament and curricula) and media
articles. Iceland is the main case in the study; however, the aim of gathering
data in Dutch schools as well was to obtain a deeper and richer perspective
and understanding of the Icelandic issues.