A simulation game for placement decision-making: fostering reflection and belief change about inclusion in teacher education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Prospective teachers need to be professionally equipped to deal with dilemmatic, complex and multicausal situations in inclusive education. In addition, they should be able to make decisions about school placement that are in the best interests of their students with special needs. This study evaluated a simulation game that focusses on school placement decision-making (inclusion versus separation) regarding student teachers’ belief change and levels of reflection in university teacher education programmes. Using a quasi-experimental repeated measures design, the student teachers were assigned to a simulation game (n = 46), group discussion (n = 47) or control group without intervention (n = 32). The results showed that participation in the simulation game led to significant increases in the student teachers’ reflections regarding decision-making and contributed significantly to their positive beliefs about inclusion. These findings indicate that simulation games are beneficial for professional development in inclusive education.