Establishing and Maintaining Participatory Elements in Transnational and Cultural Research Collaboration on Inclusive Education

There is a lack of knowledge transfer regarding administrative challenges and interpersonal experiences of participatory research designs. Aside from the question of whether the research is valid, researchers often have to answer questions regarding the process itself: how did it actually work? The mystery thickens when research and collaborative structures take place beyond and across national and/or cultural borders. Research traditions differ and diverse academic socialisation backgrounds can take a long time to decode. Participatory approaches are still the exception, and in certain research communities they may even be rather exotic. The set-up of collaborative structures and approaches to the field enables or hinders participatory approaches that have proven key in realising inclusive education. This chapter aims to provide thoughts on and insights into the importance, opportunities, and possible pitfalls of planning participatory research across national and cultural borders. It glimpses behind the scenes of mere research procedures to better understand the challenges and explain the opportunities that come with participatory approaches in international contexts.