Choices in the Design of Inclusive Education Courses for Pre-service Teachers: The Case of a South African University

Elizabeth Walton,Lee Rusznyak

doi:10.1080/1034912x.2016.1195489

Abstract

It is expected that that pre-service teachers are adequately equipped to meet the needs of diverse students. This article discusses the choices that teacher educators must make in designing inclusive education courses. The first choice is whether inclusive education will be infused into the curriculum or presented as a stand-alone course. If the latter, the second decision is what determines the content of courses – teacher need, policy directives or the authority of the field where knowledge is produced. If teacher educators look to the field of knowledge production, they might choose among inclusive education as an issue of student diversity; teaching competence; and schools and societies. We animate these choices as we describe an inclusive education course taught in a South African university. Our conclusion suggests that pre-service teacher education for inclusive education would be strengthened by more critical appraisal of the assumptions and orientations informing the design of courses.

Highlights

Inclusive education in pre-service teacher education In the quest to secure teaching and learning for all students1, teacher education for inclusive education has become a major focus
We write as South African teacher educators, and so want to show the broad theoretical issues that we believe are relevant for inclusive education courses within pre-service teacher education programmes internationally, and how these have informed curriculum design choices made at a particular university
Interrogating the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of inclusive education curricula in initial teacher education is crucial if newly qualified teachers are to contribute to the realisation of an inclusive education system

Summary

Introduction

Inclusive education in pre-service teacher education In the quest to secure teaching and learning for all students, teacher education for inclusive education has become a major focus. An extensive and growing body of literature attests to interest in pre- and in-service teacher education for inclusive education The concerns in this literature are primarily content (what it is that should be taught and learnt), pedagogy (how inclusive education is best taught and learnt) and location (where learning for inclusive teaching best happens). There is, no shortage of literature on this topic, like the volumes edited by Forlin (Forlin, 2010a, 2012a) and special issues of journals (like Teaching and Teacher Education, (2009), volume 25, issue 9) This body of literature comprises many accounts of the content or effects of innovations and interventions in various pre-service or in-service contexts.

A note on terminology

Conclusion