'Stretched . . . 'Like Butter Scraped over Too Much Bread'': The SENCo Role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria--An Ecosystemic Analysis in Evolving Inclusive and Special Education Policy Landscapes
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| Title: | 'Stretched . . . 'Like Butter Scraped over Too Much Bread'': The SENCo Role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria--An Ecosystemic Analysis in Evolving Inclusive and Special Education Policy Landscapes |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jonas Udd (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. 2026 26(2). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Special Education, Comparative Education, Educational Policy, Public Policy, Inclusion, Educational Practices, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Role |
| Geographic Terms: | Ireland, Austria, Sweden, United Kingdom (England) |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1471-3802.70088 |
| ISSN: | 1471-3802 |
| Abstract: | This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) role or equivalent, across Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria. Framed by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigates how inclusive education is characterised in policy and practice, and how the SENCo role is defined, enacted and supported within each jurisdiction. A hybrid methodological approach, combining a Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), document analysis and the Walt and Gilson Policy Triangle, enabled analysis across the ecological system. Findings reveal that national policies vary considerably in how inclusion is defined and operationalised. The SENCo role is consistently complex and multi-layered, though its status, statutory recognition and professional preparation differ markedly. England and Sweden offer formalised structures, whereas Ireland and Austria lack explicit policy recognition, leading to inconsistent school-level enactment. Across countries, rising specialist provision, diagnostic cultures and governance pressures generate contradictions that SENCos must navigate, positioning the role within a wider wicked problem of inclusive education. The paper argues that the SENCo role should be understood as a central integrative figure within educational ecosystems, rather than a sole agent of inclusion and calls for coherent alignment across system layers and sustained policy and professional investment to support inclusive schooling. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504085 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) role or equivalent, across Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria. Framed by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigates how inclusive education is characterised in policy and practice, and how the SENCo role is defined, enacted and supported within each jurisdiction. A hybrid methodological approach, combining a Most Similar Systems Design (MSSD), document analysis and the Walt and Gilson Policy Triangle, enabled analysis across the ecological system. Findings reveal that national policies vary considerably in how inclusion is defined and operationalised. The SENCo role is consistently complex and multi-layered, though its status, statutory recognition and professional preparation differ markedly. England and Sweden offer formalised structures, whereas Ireland and Austria lack explicit policy recognition, leading to inconsistent school-level enactment. Across countries, rising specialist provision, diagnostic cultures and governance pressures generate contradictions that SENCos must navigate, positioning the role within a wider wicked problem of inclusive education. The paper argues that the SENCo role should be understood as a central integrative figure within educational ecosystems, rather than a sole agent of inclusion and calls for coherent alignment across system layers and sustained policy and professional investment to support inclusive schooling. |
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| ISSN: | 1471-3802 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1471-3802.70088 |
