ABSTRACT
The underpinning tensions, outcomes and component parts can be seen as multiple interactions which create and are created by participation. Participation is the experience that occurs in the moment, and it defines our experience of that moment; the experience that emerges from and creates the boundaries in which people find themselves. Inclusion can be seen as an “assault on oppressive vestiges of the past as a way of contributing to alternative futures”. It involves adopting a pedagogy which is underpinned by a principle of transformability, perhaps using a curriculum based upon values and rights, and requiring changes in the ‘behaviour’ of adults. ‘Valid’ participation is not situated in a singular or neatly defined space. It is based on continual negotiation, with participants needing to move to where others are. Good teaching is widely regarded to be active, highly skilled and providing rich opportunities for students within a well-planned and organised setting.
