Institutional narratives and the struggle for inclusive communities in the Greek context

Drawing on research into three case study schools in the Greek context, this paper builds on narrative identity theory to conceptualise the nature of inclusion as part of institutional identity. The voices of head teachers, teachers and parents were analysed as they struggled with policy demands, pupil needs and lack of resources at a time of particular economic uncertainty at local and national levels. The narratives of stakeholders provide a rich account of the complexity of narratives within a web of influences which form divergent institutional stories as teachers and parents grapple with inclusion and inclusive practices. The study identified three forms of inclusion in case study schools: deep, surface and segregated, co-existing to a lesser or greater extent within institutions and their communities.