How effective is online pre-service teacher education for inclusion when compared to face-to-face delivery?

ABSTRACT

Research has recognized that enhancing pre-service teachers’ attitudes, efficacy, and decreasing concerns about inclusive education are essential factors in teacher preparation. However, no research has compared the relative ability of online courses to affect these factors when compared to traditional face-to-face instruction. The current study used pre–post survey methods to measure the effects of the online versus face-to-face formats of teaching inclusive education content to Canadian pre-service teachers. Moreover, we studied the relationships between these variables and the participants’ intentions for inclusive teaching practices. Results showed that while the face-to-face format influenced pre-service teachers’ attitudes and efficacy, it did not foster lower concerns or higher intentions. In contrast, the online course made no significant difference in any of the dependent variables. Given the well-established importance of affective as well as practical variables to effective inclusion, implications and limitations are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Pre-service teachers
• inclusion
• attitudes
• concerns
• intentions
• online

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Laura Sokal

Aside from serving as a Child Life Therapist at a pediatric hospital and as Associate Dean of Education, Dr. Laura Sokal has worked and taught in schools in six countries. An award-winning teacher, Laura has published over 75 peer-reviewed articles and 3 books regarding psych-social aspects of schooling. She is Professor of Education at the University of Winnipeg in Canada, where enjoys learning with and from her students.

Umesh Sharma

Umesh Sharma is Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia, where he is the Associate Dean (Equity and Inclusion). Umesh’s research programmes in the area of disability and inclusive education span India, Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Samoa as well as Australia, Canada, USA and New Zealand. He is the chief co-editor of the Australasian Journal of Special Education and the Oxford Encyclopedia of Inclusive and Special Education. He has authored over 175 academic articles, book chapters and edited books that focus on various aspects of inclusive education.