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Journal ArticleDOI

Preparing General Education Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms: Assessing the Process:

01 Jul 2001-Teacher Education and Special Education (SAGE Publications)-Vol. 24, Iss: 3, pp 183-197
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe West Virginia University's five-year preservice teacher education program efforts to meet this need using a strand approach, a series of special education learning outcomes and competencies have been incorporated into the core courses required of all education majors.
Abstract: There is little doubt that general education teachers need to be prepared for students with special needs who will be in their classrooms. In this article, we describe West Virginia University's five-year preservice teacher education program efforts to meet this need. Using a strand approach, a series of special education learning outcomes and competencies have been incorporated into the core courses required of all education majors. Using both quantitative and qualitative assessments, students enrolled in their second, third and fourth year of the teacher education program and faculty teaching the core courses responded to the degree of competence and confidence they felt regarding the strand approach. Recommendations for WVU's fifth program year as well as for strengthening other teacher preparation programs with similar concerns are offered and supported.
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TL;DR: The ESCalate development project led by Eileen Winter of Queen's University, Belfast as mentioned in this paper is an extension of a similar project undertaken by the proposer at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada (2002-2003).
Abstract: This is an ESCalate development project led by Eileen Winter of Queen's University, Belfast. This project is both investigative and comparative in nature. It is specific to the N. Ireland context, and an extension of a similar project undertaken by the proposer at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada (2002-2003). It will allow for cross-jurisdictional comparisons in relation to preparing teachers for inclusive classrooms. It has long been recognised that new teachers are apprehensive about their ability to teach students with special educational needs (SEN), and have found their preparation for inclusive classrooms inadequate at best (Garner, 1996; Dwyfor Davis a Garner, 1997). The project will produce evidence of the current status of SEN in Initial Teacher Education in N. Ireland. Findings will draw from the experiences of current practitioners to establish guidelines for good practice in preparing teachers for inclusive settings. Findings will be compared with the Ontario study and, where appropriate, will be amalgamated into a set of recommendations pertinent in both jurisdictions. It includes a final project report

144 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) have resulted in greater numbers of students with disabilities (SWDs) receiving most of their instruction in general education settings.
Abstract: The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) have resulted in greater numbers of students with disabilities (SWDs) receiving most of their instruction in general education settings Specifically, in 2004 the majority (96%) of SWDs were being included in regular settings and just over half (521%) of these students spent most (79%) of the day in a general education classroom (US Department of Education, 2009) Over the last decade, researchers have noted the continued trend toward educating SWDs in general education settings and underscored the need for all teachers to be prepared to work with all learners (Kavale & Forness, 2000; Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2001) At the time of the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE; 2001) data collection, 96% of general educators indicated they currently or had previously taught SWDs Exceptional learners are spending increasingly more instructional time in the general education setting and will require high quality teachers who are willing and ready to meet their needs Response to Intervention (RtI) is described as, "a school-wide initiative with special education as an explicit part of the framework spanning both general and special education in collaboration with families" (Council for Exceptional Children, 2007) RtI, as a mechanism for improving student outcomes through assessment, progress monitoring, prevention, and intervention, is in line with expectations of the NCLB and IDEA (Mellard & Johnson, 2008) An increased emphasis on the use of RtI frameworks and use of evidence-based and research-supported practice suggest the importance of inclusion and teacher accountability The concern becomes whether or not general education teachers have the necessary skills to scaffold support within their classrooms and whether the system supports collaboration with special educators, other service providers, and families to improve outcomes for all students (McLeskey & Waldron, 2006) To illustrate, in a review of teacher education literature, Brownell, Ross, Colon, and McCallum (2005) reported that most studies indicated that programs have content on collaboration with other professionals and families Programs also placed an emphasis on inclusion Unfortunately, the pedagogy used to prepare teacher candidates for collaboration or inclusion was not well documented These findings were not surprising considering research (SPeNSE, 2001) that showed that less than one-third of early career general educators ([less than or equal to] six years) reported receiving pre-service training in collaboration with special educators, the area that had the greatest effect on their sense of efficacy in working with SWDs Slightly over half reported receiving preparation on making instructional adaptations, while two-thirds reported receiving instruction on behavior management Limited preparation has consistently been found to heighten fear and reduce the sense of teaching self-efficacy of general educators when faced with the demands of inclusive classrooms (Boling, 2007; Lombardi & Hunka, 2001; Hastings & Oakford, 2003) Novice teachers also report feeling unprepared to meet the needs of SWDs especially in designing appropriate instruction (Conderman & Johnston-Rodriguez, 2005) Thus, teacher educators must understand the needs of pre-service teachers and emphasize the importance of being skilled in inclusive practices (Pugach, 2005) The present study examined the perceptions of elementary and secondary education majors toward the inclusion of SWDs prior to and after taking a course on integrating exceptional students The study is guided by Pajares' (1992) framework on beliefs Successful teaching and learning in the inclusive classroom is largely predicated on a teacher's knowledge, skills, and dispositions, all of which can be undermined by a belief system that is inconsistent with an inclusive paradigm …

124 citations


Cites background from "Preparing General Education Teacher..."

  • ...Limited preparation has consistently been found to heighten fear and reduce the sense of teaching self-efficacy of general educators when faced with the demands of inclusive classrooms (Boling, 2007; Lombardi & Hunka, 2001; Hastings & Oakford, 2003)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Project ACCEPT (Achieving Creative & Collaborative Educational Preservice Teams) represents an initiative at Northern Illinois University, where special and general education preservice teachers are joined in a voluntary project featuring an enhanced curriculum and field experiences in inclusive classrooms.
Abstract: Project ACCEPT (Achieving Creative & Collaborative Educational Preservice Teams) represents an initiative at Northern Illinois University, where special and general education preservice teachers are joined in a voluntary project featuring an enhanced curriculum and field experiences in inclusive classrooms. Participants receive intensive preparation in use of assistive technologies, functional behavioral assessment, and instructional accommodations as well as experience designing lesson plans that include features of universal design. This article describes the specific features of the Project ACCEPT curriculum and outcomes for the first year of implementation.

124 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Ruth A. W. Berry1
TL;DR: This paper examined the attitudes of beginning general education teachers (preservice and early career) with respect to teaching in inclusion classrooms, and found that the majority of teachers worry about being effective inclusion teachers.
Abstract: This investigation examined the attitudes of beginning general education teachers (preservice and early career) with respect to teaching in inclusion classrooms. Sixty graduate students, taking a survey at the conclusion of a special education course, completed Q-sorts constructed to evaluate responses regarding attitude toward (a) inclusion, (b) instructional accommodations, and (c) fairness, along two dimensions: positive/negative and anxious/confident. A three-factor solution resulted in profiles of three groups of teachers: keen, but anxious, beginners (mostly preservice teachers with positive attitudes, but who worried about being effective inclusion teachers); positive doers (more experienced teachers whose struggles with the challenges of inclusion had not deterred their positive attitudes); and resisters (mostly experienced teachers whose concerns about fairness signified their resistance to inclusion). Teacher educators may find these profiles useful in preparing teachers to teach in inclusion cl...

109 citations


Cites background from "Preparing General Education Teacher..."

  • ...Preservice and new general education teachers in particular express anxiety about interacting with and teaching students with disabilities (Carroll, Forlin, & Jobling, 2003; Lombardi & Hunka, 2001) and doubt their personal adequacy to do so (Taylor & Sobel, 2001)....

    [...]

Journal Article
TL;DR: The authors explored the trajectory of and the relationships between preservice teachers' sense of efficacy and attitudes toward school diversity through the course of preparation and found that participants were negative about teaching children with behavioral disabilities regardless of their perceived levels of efficacy.
Abstract: Conducted in one inclusive teacher education program in the United States, this study explored the trajectory of and the relationships between preservice teachers’ sense of efficacy and attitudes toward school diversity through the course of preparation. Findings revealed that, in general, changes of preservice teachers’ perceived efficacy, attitudes towards inclusion, and beliefs of socio-cultural diversity reflected the particular foci at different phases of the program. Overall, participants’ perceived sense of efficacy showed significant, positive associations with their attitudes towards inclusion and beliefs about socio-cultural diversity. However, regardless of their perceived levels of efficacy, participants were negative about teaching children with behavioral disabilities. On the one hand, the study suggests the effectiveness of the program to educate preservice teachers to positively respond to school diversity. On the other hand, it also indicates that preservice teachers across the board persistently hoarded negative feelings about children with behavioral disabilities. The study recommends that teacher educators may need to devote ample resources and employ effective strategies to improve preservice teachers’ attitudes towards children with behavioral challenges.

91 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors conducted a review of the literature to determine the fundamental characteristics of successful collaboration, barriers to collaboration, and the benefits of collaboration for teachers and students in general and special education, focusing on the following themes: shared vision; commitment to collaboration; communities of care; frequent, positive, extended interactions; supportive, collaboration leadership; teacher benefits; and student benefits.
Abstract: Collaboration among professionals is an essential component of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the cornerstone of successful inclusion efforts. Our review of the literature, however, revealed little research documenting the collaborative efforts of general and special education teachers. We included literature in general and special education to determine the fundamental characteristics of successful collaboration, the barriers to collaboration, and the benefits of collaboration for teachers and students. Our findings are organized around the following themes: shared vision; commitment to collaboration; communities of care; frequent, positive, extended interactions; supportive, collaboration leadership; teacher benefits; and student benefits. Finally, we discuss future research issues and implications for teacher education in light of our findings.

108 citations

01 Jan 1969

70 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative preservice teacher education program in elementary education in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education Unit at The University of Tennessee.
Abstract: Current efforts to reform special education are contingent upon preparing general education teachers at the preservice level for inclusive classroom settings. In this article, we describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative preservice teacher education program in elementary education in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education Unit at The University of Tennessee. This program possesses several distinctive features: a three-phase training model; alternative approaches to instructional delivery, curricula, and assessment; local school mentoring; and extensive field-based experiences. Program outcomes from mentoring teachers, school administrators, and students were collected to assess the impact of the program.

56 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe their reactions to the case studies Zigmond and Baker report in this issue and suggest that fundamental school reform offers an alternative to the model of implementation we see in these five schools and that instructional practice in these 10 classrooms may have fallen short of what general educators now recognize as best practice.
Abstract: In this paper, I describe my reactions to the case studies Zigmond and Baker report in this issue. I admire the vision and energy of these pioneering efforts and find much commendable about both the work and the research. To my eye, the case studies illustrate wonderfully some of the problems inherent in inclusive education (e.g., coteaching, logistics) as well as some of the challenges it presents to teacher educators (e.g., preparing teachers to work collaboratively). I suggest that fundamental school reform offers an alternative to the model of implementation we see in these five schools and that instructional practice in these 10 classrooms may have fallen short of what general educators now recognize as best practice. I also take issue with Zigmond and Baker's concerns about the potential loss of identity for learning disability specialists and argue instead that their skills are needed now more than ever.

52 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The formation professionnelle des enseignants ne peut plus negliger le fait que tous les enfants n'apprennent pas de la meme maniere.
Abstract: La formation professionnelle des enseignants ne peut plus negliger le fait que tous les enfants n'apprennent pas de la meme maniere. Les programmes de formation doivent preparer les enseignants a faire face aux besoins specifiques de tous ses eleves et pas seulement a ceux qui sont capables de suivre

45 citations