How Pedagogues Support Inclusion in Denmark: Experiences, Barriers, and Recommendations

Danish school reform around inclusive practices became more prevalent in 2014, and efforts to
address the needs of children with disabilities increased. One of the primary ways to meet students’
needs in an inclusive setting was to move pedagogues out of their traditionally after-school social
settings into the general education classroom to co-teach with content teachers. This qualitative study
followed groups of pedagogues and classroom teachers in Denmark for two years, using interviews
and observations to ascertain the challenges and successes of co-teaching between pedagogues and
teachers. The results mirror in many ways the current research on co-teaching in other countries and
with other collaborating professionals. The challenges, barriers, and successes experienced by
pedagogues and teachers who were expected to co-teach due to Danish school reform on inclusion
are shared. Recommendations build on existing literature and address the unique role that Danish
pedagogues can play in moving inclusive practices forward and how their experiences can be applied
to co-teachers in other countries and settings.