Preparing preservice teachers towards inclusive education

Abstract

In this article the authors focus on the importance to prepare teachers in training to work in an inclusive educational setting. Through in-depth interviews with teachers in inclusive education, 5 basic competences for teachers could be withdrawn. These include:

a) to increase the well-being of each child in the class; b) to differentiate without exclusion; c) to broaden the cooperation with parents; d) to cooperate with external people and colleagues within the classroom; e) to be flexible and responsible for the whole class. All the competences are relevant and obtained at the end of the training. But especially the frame of reference to look at these competences is important. The authors focus on the framework of diversity thinking and propose that teachers in training should be trained to become reflective practitioners.

status: published