An exploration of student teachers’ perspectives at the start of a post-graduate master's programme on inclusive and special education

ABSTRACT

In this article we explore the perspectives of a group of teaching professionals starting a post-graduate master's programme on inclusive and special education. Set in the current context of growing interest over the preparation of teachers for inclusive education worldwide, this exploration is part of research that looks more broadly at the impact of the programme on students. In this paper we set the context of the study and present results focusing on students’ pre-understanding of the concepts ‘inclusive’ and ‘special education’, as well as their reasons for choosing the programme and expected learning outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected with a questionnaire administered to students at the beginning of the programme. Findings reveal that students saw the programme as a factor contributing to their ability to implement inclusive education in practice. However, it emerged that they had somewhat different understandings of what ‘inclusive education’ actually means. Implications for providers of inclusive education programmes for teachers are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Post-graduate teacher education
• inclusive education
• special educational needs
• international student perspectives

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Leda Kamenopoulou is a Senior Lecturer in Special and Inclusive Education at the University of Roehampton and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She holds a BA in Classics from the University of Athens, Greece; an M.Ed. in Special Educational Needs from the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol; and a Ph.D. in SEN and Inclusion from the Institute of Education, University of London. Her doctoral thesis focused on the social outcomes of mainstream inclusive education for young people with a dual sensory impairment. Over the past 10 years, Leda has worked as a research fellow, research advisor and visiting lecturer in many universities both in the UK and overseas. Her current research interests are centred on the understanding of Inclusive Education from the perspective of voices and contexts that remain thus far unexplored and unheard.

Dr Jorun Buli-Holmberg is an Associate Professor at the University of Oslo, Faculty of Education and Department of Special Needs Education and since 1994, and teaches at graduate and postgraduate level in the field of Special and Inclusive Education. She is author of many research articles and textbooks related to Special, Inclusive and Intercultural Education. Her specific expertise is on the teacher’s role as leader of student learning processes and interactions in the inclusive learning environment. She has been involved in many research projects related to teaching and learning in inclusive classrooms in Norwegian schools. Internationally she has participated in different research projects in Europe and USA.

Dr Jan Šiška is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, Charles University. He lectures in both master and doctoral study programmes in disability studies, social policies and education. He has participated in several research projects such as a study on Specific Risks of Discrimination against Persons in Situation of Major Dependence or with Complex Needs; De-institutionalisation and Community Living - Outcomes and Costs; Children's rights for all! Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. He is a member of the Government Board for Persons with Disabilities, Education Section. For the last decade he has been serving as a country representative for the Academic Network of European Disability Experts and an independent consultant for Inclusion Europe, the National and European Association for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and their families. He is a Vice Chair of the Special Interest Research Group on Comparative Policy and Practice on Intellectual Disability, International Association for Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IASSIDD). He has been active in monitoring access to education for learners with disabilities, policy development and staff training abroad, for example, in Cambodia, Bhutan or India. Jan is currently serving as a lead consultant on inclusive education in Ethiopia.