Beginner teacher preparedness for inclusion : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology
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Date
2017
DOI
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Massey University
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Abstract
The exclusion of students who experience disability is a social justice issue that persists in New
Zealand despite efforts to establish a fully inclusive education system. Although there has been
some research into the teaching of inclusive practice in initial teacher education (ITE) in New
Zealand, little research examining beginner teachers’ feelings of preparedness for inclusion has
been undertaken. This mixed-methods study investigated the role of ITE in preparing beginner,
secondary school teachers for including diverse groups of learners by capturing their
experiences of ITE and early career. Phase one involved an online questionnaire to secondary
school teachers in the first three years of their career. Phase two involved conducting four
follow-up interviews exploring salient findings from the questionnaire. The findings of this
study suggest that while ITE recognises the diversity of the classroom, it falls short when it
comes to the pragmatic implications for teaching and learning. The vast majority of participants
felt their ITE did little or nothing to help them develop their knowledge of legislation and policy
as it relates to inclusion. Two-thirds of participants felt that their ITE did little or nothing to
help them develop their knowledge of supports available for students who experience disability
while the majority had little to no experience teaching such students on practicum. Teachers’
sense of preparedness to include learners varied significantly according to their personal
connection with a person with a disability. Several key themes which align with literature in
the field of teacher education for inclusion emerged, namely: knowledge about, and
understanding of inclusive pedagogy; lack of focus on legislation, policy and human rights;
lack of focus on collaborative practice; and beginner teachers not identifying as lifelong
learners. Research-driven practices that are beneficial in preparing teachers to make sociallyjust
decisions are discussed in light of the themes. These include: (1) critical reflection about
experiences gained during practicum and service-learning opportunities; (2) explicit teaching
of human rights; (3) explicit teaching about effective collaboration with professionals, teacher
aides and whānau.
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Keywords
High school teachers, Training of, Inclusive education, Preparedness, New Zealand, Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education