Dynamism of collaboration: Examining four teachers' experience of implementing inclusion using Nonaka's theory of knowledge creation

Abstract

This qualitative study explored four Eastern Ontario public school teachers' experiences of implementing inclusion through collaboration. The framework for investigating these experiences was Nonaka's (1994) theory of organizational knowledge creation, the crux of which is the mobilization and conversion of tacit (or experiential) knowledge. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed inductively. The findings showed that these teachers wanted to collaborate to implement inclusion, but the organizational structures and culture were not in place to promote this activity. Although Nonaka's (1994) theory has the potential to describe how teachers create knowledge through collaboration, it did not occur in this research. Practical implications and future research are discussed. Keywords: inclusion, collaboration, Nonaka, tacit knowledge, knowledge creation