Promoting Inclusive Practices: Using Art and Inquiry to Promote Social Justice in Schools

Abstract

A problem in many public schools is the implementation of improper inclusion. This creates an environment where the number of students with different abilities is almost equal to the number of general education students. As an aspiring school leader learning about social justice issues in public schools, I wanted to create an art piece that stood for an area of inequality that I often see in schools. Inclusion is a controversial issue because there is research to show that both inclusion and pull out models for students on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) can be effective. I took the issue of inclusion in the classroom as my social justice issue for an artmaking project I was completing for a social justice course. We were encouraged to pick a social justice issue that we felt strongly about and incorporate it into our artmaking project. My artist mentor and I decided weaving would be a great way to show the issues of inclusion in schools.

Citation

Hawley, B.S. (2015), "Promoting Inclusive Practices: Using Art and Inquiry to Promote Social Justice in Schools", Living the Work: Promoting Social Justice and Equity Work in Schools around the World (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 23), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 87-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-366020140000023004