Reforming Teacher Education for Inclusive Education
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Transcript of Reforming Teacher Education for Inclusive Education
Reforming Teacher Education for Inclusive Education
STEC Conference 2009
Lani Florian ([email protected])
Martyn Rouse ([email protected])
Background to the Inclusive Practice Project
Concerns about underachievement and lack of participation of certain groups of pupilsInternational research suggesting that teachers are not sufficiently well prepared to deal with issues of diversityThe belief that inclusion should be the responsibility of all teachersOn-going reforms of teacher education at AberdeenFunded by Scottish Government
Some questions about ITE and inclusion
What do beginning teachers need to know and be able to do?
What stops them from doing it when they know what to do?
What are the tensions between what they learn in the university and what they learn in schools?
How might these tensions be resolved? What is being done at Aberdeen in the IPP?
The Inclusive Practice Project
Aims to develop new approaches to training teachers so that they have
a greater awareness and understanding of the educational and social problems/issues that can affect children’s learning
developed strategies they can use to support and deal with such difficulties
The IPP
Inclusive education -
the process of accommodating individual differences within the structures and processes that are available to all learners
rethinking ‘additional support’ by extending what is ‘generally available’
Initial focus of the reforms
Some barriers to inclusion -
Biological and social deterministic thinking
Specialist knowledge and professional identities
Forms of provision
Three key assumptions
Difference must be accounted for as an essential aspect of human development in any conceptualisation of learning
Teachers must be challenged in their thinking that they are not capable of teaching all children
Learning new strategies for working with others
The PGDE
Reforms involve: School of Education staff Local authority staff and teachers Recent course graduates Project advisory group International reference group
The PGDE
Major changes include: Merging primary and secondary students for
professional studies Inclusion addressed from start of course For all, not just some A new FPS course: Learning without Limits
PGDE Programme - Components and ConnectionsPGDE Programme - Components and Connections
Learning Through the Curriculum
School Experience
Professional Studies
Further Professional
Studies
School ExpAssessments
Learning & Teaching in Schools Summative Assessments 1 & 2
Induction Year
APS & CPD
SITE
Pastoral Support
Ways of Working
University of Aberdeen PGDE course overviewUniversity of Aberdeen PGDE course overview
Research strategy
4 areas of research activity
The content and reform of the curriculum PGDE students’ attitudes and practices Teacher educators’ attitudes and practices Follow-up studies of graduates in schools
Study Procedures: curriculum reform
Research questions related to key challenges
Video and audio taping
Full transcription and field notes
Coding
Member checking
Transana
IPP coding frameIPP coding frame
Students’ attitudes, beliefs and practices
Entry/exit survey Overwhelmingly pro-inclusion Some demographic and subject differences Pro-inclusion attitudes mostly survive school
placement - particularly for the ‘Learning without Limits’ group
Reform is complex and long-term process The relationship between teacher education and educational equity requires examinationReform of ITE is but the first stepThe need to explore the tensions between what students learn in the university and what they learn in schoolProgressive, coherent CPD and school development is also requiredSee Teaching and Teacher Education 25 (4) a special edition on teacher education and inclusion, May 2009
Some concluding thoughts