Supporting teacher agency when planning and implementing inclusive classroom programmes

Inclusive education within New Zealand requires teachers to meet the needs of all students, including those with high or very high needs. The use of the individual education plan (IEP) is one tool that can support inclusive practice in classrooms through the collaboration of those supporting the individual student. This article reports on a small, mixed-method study that explored how schools could support their teachers to achieve a sense of teacher agency when planning and implementing IEPs. Results suggest schools need to consider personal and contextual factors such as a teacher's self-efficacy and 'voice' within the process, opportunities to collaborate, professional learning and development opportunities, and time to engage in the process effectively.