Promising practices for preparing Canadian teachers for inclusive classrooms: analysis through a transformative learning lens

ABSTRACT

Teacher preparation in Canada benefits from innovative programming that supports vibrant, inclusive classrooms. We examine two Canadian-made programmes: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning, with particular focus on the social emotional learning block, and the Teaching Continuum, a model for inclusive physical education settings. We use the 3H Model of inclusive teacher education to analyze the fit of these two approaches to pre-service teacher inclusive education preparation and suggest ways they can become more entrenched within Canadian schools.

KEYWORDS:

• Canada
• inclusion
• theory
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brent Bradford

Dr. Brent Bradford (Concordia University of Edmonton [CUE]). Brent Bradford is an Associate Professor (Faculty of Education) and the Chair (Department of Physical Education & Wellness). Along with extensive K-9 teaching experiences (2000–2009), Brent, an award-winning educator, has been teaching pre-service teachers since 2009 (CUE, University of Alberta). Dr. Bradford has presented and published extensively on physical and health education, is an Erasmus+ and Mobile+ Scholar (University of the Basque Country, 2016), and was awarded CUE's 2019 Gerald S. Krispin ‘President's’ Research Award. Brent is the volume editor of ‘The Doctoral Journey: International Educationalist Perspectives’ (BRILL | Sense, 2021), and is President of the Education Society of Edmonton.

Lesley Eblie Trudel

Dr. Lesley Eblie Trudel (University of Winnipeg). Lesley Eblie Trudel has been successfully involved in public education in Manitoba for over thirty years. She has held positions of classroom teacher, resource teacher, consultant and principal, working with diverse populations in both urban and rural settings. Lesley recently retired as an Assistant Superintendent of Schools and is currently Associate Dean in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg. She is the former President of the Student Services Administrators’ Association of Manitoba, collaborated in leadership development with the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents, and is an Associate of Inclusive Education Canada. Lesley has a keen interest in organisational learning and systemic change, as it pertains to diverse educational communities.

Jennifer Katz

Dr. Jennifer Katz (University of British Columbia [UBC]). Dr. Katz is the author of ‘Teaching to Diversity: The Three-Block Model of Universal Design for Learning’, ‘Resource Teachers: A Changing Role in the Three-Block Model of UDL’, and ‘Ensouling Our Schools: A Universally Designed Framework for Mental Health, Well-Being, and Reconciliation’. She taught in diverse classrooms from K-12 in Winnipeg and Vancouver for 16 years, in addition to working as a special education teacher, resource teacher, guidance counsellor, district coach and consultant, and is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at UBC. Jennifer has worked with Ministry of Education personnel, district and school leaders, and teachers internationally, and is currently working with the Neuroscience, Well-Being, and Education research cluster at UBC.

Laura Sokal

Dr. Laura Sokal (University of Winnipeg). An award-winning teacher, Laura has published over 60 articles and three books about the psycho-social development of school children. Aside from working in schools, she has worked as a child life therapist, a director of programming for at-risk children, and as Associate Dean of Education at the University of Winnipeg. In her current position as Professor at the University of Winnipeg, she enjoys learning with and from her students.

Tim Loreman

Dr. Tim Loreman (Concordia University of Edmonton [CUE]). Tim Loreman is President and Vice Chancellor at Concordia University of Edmonton, where he has worked for 16 years as a Professor in the Faculty of Education, also serving at various times as Dean of Research and Faculty Development, and Vice-President Academic and Provost. Before joining CUE, Dr. Loreman worked at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he completed his PhD. Prior to that, Tim was an elementary and junior high school teacher in Australia and Edmonton, Canada. His research interests are in the areas of inclusive education, pedagogy, and teacher education.