Seeing The Fractal: A Collective Case Study Exploring Sustainable Change In Inclusive Settings

Research indicates that although much is known about implementing successful inclusion, general education students and special education students have remained in predominantly separate classrooms for over three decades. This qualitative collective case study is designed to explore what would make it worth the commitment and effort of stakeholders to sustainably and successfully merge compartmentalized school settings into more holistic learning environments. Seeking to understand the multiple perspectives of 18 study participants in a holistic manner provided insight into facilitating meaningful inclusion. Participants included administrators, teachers and parents of students from both general education and special education, and one general education student. This research is multi-layered in theory. At its core, is the idea that an exploration of shared experiences in inclusive settings may collectively broaden our perspectives of how we fit together within a larger context. This exploration was positioned within the conceptual framework of change leadership. In response to a gap in the literature, this study begins directly linking theories of successful organizational change under complex conditions to tensions surrounding inclusion. The outer layer situates the study within theories of new science, which exposes and challenges the prevalence of today’s society to view education through a post-positivist lens.