Abstract
The research aim of the project presented in this paper is to contribute to an understanding of the meaning of push- and pull-out in inclusive school systems. We ask: How do Italian and Norwegian teachers regard the fact that it is sometimes seen as necessary for some students to spend time out of class? A vignette with short scenarios to stimulate responses was used for teacher interviews in lower secondary schools in Italy and Norway. Situations in two different contexts were designed for the vignette, including a description of some students, their class and the available resources. The main funding is that most teachers’ opinions were sensitive to the context, here the way teaching and learning activities were organised. When presented for a traditional teacher-centred class situation (context 1), most of the respondents thought pull-out was a good solution for some students under certain conditions. Presented with the more differentiated and pupil-centred context 2, a clear majority found that the described learning environment would meet the educational and social needs of all learners within class, regardless of disabilities or learning challenges.