Call for Papers Vol. 20(2). December 2026: Teachers who make a difference: collaborative work and inclusion in the classroom

TEACHERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: COLLABORATIVE WORK AND INCLUSION IN THE CLASSROOM

Guest editors:

Dr Marta Sandoval (Autonomous University of Madrid)

Dr Ana Luisa López (University of the Basque Country)

Educational inclusion is not an abstract ideal, but a real demand from students who hope to find classrooms where their rights to have a voice are guaranteed, where their learning rhythms and styles are recognised and valued. Teachers, for their part, need support, collaborative networks and new ways of teaching that allow them to better accompany their students in increasingly diverse and complex contexts. Co-teaching and collaborative work are emerging as powerful responses to these demands: they enable students to benefit from multiple pedagogical perspectives, and teachers to no longer feel alone and isolated in the task of teaching, sharing knowledge, responsibilities and challenges.

Teacher collaboration is understood as the shared effort of teachers to improve their teaching methods. This practice is valued as a key tool for overcoming the individualistic culture in education and promoting the implementation of innovative pedagogical approaches. Co-teaching, meanwhile, is defined as a form of professional collaboration in which several teachers and educational professionals work together in a planned manner, sharing a common educational vision and equitably assuming responsibilities related to the quality of teaching and learning for all students in the classroom over an extended period of time. Several studies indicate that this practice is particularly beneficial for students who experience greater difficulties in their educational process (Iacono et al., 2021; López-Vélez and Galarraga, 2024; King-Sears et al., 2014; Strogilos and Avramidis, 2016).

This monograph invites us to reflect on and demonstrate how collaboration between education professionals, especially when they share the classroom, can become a driving force for transforming their students' learning experiences and their own educational practices within the classroom.

Specifically, this new edition of the RLEI seeks to: i disseminate research and experiences that show how teacher collaboration and co-teaching impact student participation and achievement; ii explore how collaborative teaching enhances professional development, motivation, and well-being among teachers; iii analyse the challenges and tensions that arise in inclusive classrooms from the joint perspective of those who teach and those who learn, and iv) highlight innovative proposals where teacher collaboration has generated significant changes in school life.

Publication date: 15 December 2026