Investigating the education of preservice teachers for inclusive education: meta-ethnography

ABSTRACT

Changing attitudes and perceptions allied to the values of diversity and inclusive education is a recognised challenge in ITE (Initial Teacher Education). Using meta-ethnographic methods, this article aims to describe how preservice teachers’ attitudes or perceptions towards inclusive education can be developed during ITE. The results show the importance of recognising the value of practical experiences, reflecting with others, and researching and transforming situations of inclusive education as essential activities for generating positive attitudes or perceptions towards inclusive education. As researchers, we have confidence in the studies conducted by other ethnographers and their value for clarifying and extending analytical generalisations across time and space. As teachers/researchers, we highlight the relevance of working as organic intellectuals acting in the interest of education and social justice.

KEYWORDS:

• Diversity
• ethnography
• inclusive education
• preservice teacher’s attitude
• teacher education

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Zaragoza under Grant [PIECYT_08_2_296]; under Grant [PIIDUZ_11_2_686]; and under Grant [PIIDUZ_17_228].

Notes on contributors

David Pérez-Castejón

David Pérez-Castejón is a Lecture at the University of the University of Zaragoza, in the area of Didactics and School Organization. He has developed teaching and research tasks at the Faculty of Education, in Teacher Education, in the Department of Educational Sciences. He is a member of the Reference Research Group of the Government of Aragon ‘Education and Diversity’ (S49_20R). His research interests are in the area of inclusion, teacher education and ethnography. He has participated as a speaker in different national and international conferences on education.

María Begoña Vigo-Arrazola

María Begoña Vigo-Arrazola is an Associate Professor at the University of the University of Zaragoza, in the area of Didactics and School Organization. She has developed teaching and research tasks at the Faculty of Education, in Teacher Education, in the Department of Educational Sciences since 1989. She is Principal Investigator of the Reference Research Group of the Government of Aragon ‘Education and Diversity’ and of the Action Group ‘Education Inclusive’ of Campus Iberus. She is a co-convenor of Network 19 of the European Education Association Research. Her research interests are in the area of inclusion, rural school, stigmatized spaces, teacher education and ethnography.