TEACHER EDUCATION FOR
INCLUSION
European Agency for Development in
Special Needs Education
The Agency network
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National networks in 28 European countries:
Austria, Belgium (Flemish and French speaking
communities), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales)
16th year of operations
Main secretariat in Odense, Denmark and European
Liaison office in Brussels, Belgium
The Agency’s Activities
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The Agency works to a multi-annual work
programme (2007 – 2013)
All projects and activities are identified by
Agency representatives as being a priority for
their countries
Activities include:
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collection, analysis and dissemination of information
participation and organisation of conferences,
seminars and political events
liaison with the European institutions and
international organisations – Eurostat, Eurydice,
Cedefop; UNESCO, OECD, World Bank
International Policy Context
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At all times, the Agency works to guiding
principles as outlined in:
UNESCO statements and declarations on EFA
and Inclusion
UN Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (2006)
Council Resolutions concerning inclusion of
children and young people with disabilities into
mainstream systems of education
Current Agency Projects
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Information and Communication Technology for
Inclusion (2012 - 2013)
Vocational Education and Training (2010 2012)
Organisation of Provision to support Inclusive
Education (2011 – 2013)
Raising Achievement for all Learners (20122014)
Teacher Education for Inclusion (2009 - 2012)
The TE4I Project
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Agency member countries agreed that Teacher
Education was a top priority for investigation
25 Agency member countries participated in the
project
55 experts took part in activities:
– SNE specialist teacher educators and policy
makers
– Mainstream teacher educators and policy
makers
Representatives of OECD and UNESCO and
the European Commission DG-EAC Schools
Unit
TE4I project aims
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To address the essential project question: how
all teachers are prepared via their initial
education to be 'inclusive’
To examine the essential skills, knowledge and
understanding, attitudes and values needed by
everyone entering the teaching profession
To provide information on best policy and
practice to support the development of TE4I
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Recommendations for teacher education
Recommendations for wider policy
To develop a Profile of Inclusive Teachers
Project outputs
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Policy review
International literature review
Web based country literature abstracts
Individual country reports
Country information database
Synthesis report ‘Teacher Education for Inclusion
across Europe. Challenges and Opportunities’
Project recommendations linked to sources of
evidence document
Profile of inclusive teachers
EU Agenda for Teacher Education
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Promote professional values and attitudes
Improve teacher competences
Effective recruitment to promote educational quality
Improve the quality of Initial Teacher Education
Introduce Induction programmes for all new teachers
Provide mentoring support to all teachers
Improve quality and quantity of Continuing Professional
Development
School Leadership
Ensure the quality of Teacher Educators
Improve Teacher Education Systems
Priorities for improving Teacher Education that were identified by Ministers
of Education in the Council Conclusions of 2007, 2008 and 2009
Key Questions for Teacher Education
Policies
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Do policies advocate radical reform of pre- and inservice teacher education in order to prepare teachers
for inclusive approaches in education?
Do they encourage a view of inclusive education as a
natural way of working for every teacher?
Do they ask the question ‘who trains trainers?’ and
tackle the sensitive issue of well-established training
institutes teaching out-of-date approaches?
Do policies acknowledge the different pedagogical
needs and methods used with children, youth and
adults?
(UNESCO Policy Guidelines, 2009)
World Report on Disability
‘The appropriate training of mainstream
teachers is crucial if they are to be
confident and competent in teaching
children with diverse needs. The
principles of inclusion should be built
into teacher training programmes, which
should be about attitudes and values,
not just knowledge and skills’.
(World Health Organisation/World Bank, 2011)
Project Recommendations (1)
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Effective approaches to improve the recruitment
of teacher candidates and increase retention
rates should be explored along with ways to
increase the number of teachers from diverse
backgrounds, including those with disabilities
Research should be undertaken on the
effectiveness of different routes into teaching
and the course organisation, content and
pedagogy to best develop the competence of
teachers to meet the diverse needs of all
learners.
Project Recommendations (2)
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The profession of teacher educators needs to
be further developed with improvements in
recruitment, induction and continuing
professional development
Schools and teacher education institutions must
work together to ensure good models in
practice schools and appropriate placements for
teaching practice
Project Recommendations (3)
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Wider, systemic reform is needed to ensure the
development of inclusive schools, to support the
development of teacher education for inclusion
Reform must include clarification of the language that
is used when referring to inclusion and diversity
Policies should be introduced to develop a ‘continuum
of support’ to allow teachers to meet the full diversity
of learner needs
Accountability measures that impact upon teachers’
work should reflect the importance of wider
achievements that are more closely aligned to
inclusive principles.
Profile of Inclusive Teachers
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A specific request coming from Agency
country representatives - concrete
information on the necessary
competences required of all teachers
Developed as a guide for the design and
implementation of ITE programmes for all
teachers – not a script for ITE content
Should be considered stimulus material for
identifying relevant content, planning
methods and specifying desired learning
outcomes for ITE
The goal of ITE
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Developing the ability of new teachers to be
more inclusive in their practice
Developing new teachers who are effective in
their teaching, as well as experts in subject
content
Parameters for developing the
Profile (1)
1 - Inclusion is a principled, rights-based
approach to education underpinned by a
number of central values
2 - There are practical and conceptual
difficulties in focussing upon isolated
competences for teaching in inclusive education
and for the Profile to be relevant for different
countries and stakeholders, a broad approach
to the idea of using competences was needed
Parameters (2)
3 - The political priorities and effects of social
policies within individual countries cannot be
ignored, but there is a framework of
international and EU level policy that all
countries subscribe to that impacts upon
inclusive education and teacher education
Methodology
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A developmental process from 2009 onwards
Country experts’ inputs on drafts and redrafts
Over 400 country stakeholders’ inputs
Over 70 written responses
Validation and verification activities in the 2011
country study visits
Identification of key factors supporting the
implementation of the Profile
The Profile Model
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Four core values relating to teaching and
learning have been identified as the basis for
the work of all teachers in inclusive education
These core values are associated with areas of
teacher competence: a certain attitude or belief
demands certain knowledge or level of
understanding and then skills in order to
implement this knowledge in a practical
situation
For each area of competence identified, the
essential attitudes, knowledge and skills that
underpin them are presented
Valuing Learner Diversity
Learner difference is considered as a
resource and an asset to education:
- Conceptions of inclusive education
- The teacher’s view of learner difference
Supporting All Learners
Teachers have high expectations for all
learners’ achievements:
- Promoting the academic, social and
emotional learning of all learners
- Effective teaching approaches in
heterogeneous classes
Working with Others
Collaboration and teamwork are essential
approaches for all teachers:
- Working with parents and families
- Working with a range of other educational
professionals
Personal Professional
Development
Teaching is a learning activity and
teachers take responsibility for their
lifelong learning:
- Teachers as reflective practitioners
- Initial teacher education as a foundation
for on-going professional learning and
development
Supporting country work
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The Profile text is non-copyright material
In the final report there will be a separate
‘removable’ copy of the Profile text that can be
copied
Electronic, editable versions in all Agency
member countries’ languages, will be available
to download on the website
Users are free to modify and ‘re-purpose’ the
Profile text providing that a reference to the
original source is given
The crucial role of Teachers
Key Principles – Practice, 2011
http://www.european-agency.org/agencyprojects/key-principles
Young Views in Inclusive Education European Parliament Hearing 2011
http://www.european-agency.org/agencyprojects/european-hearing-2011
All teachers should have positive
attitudes towards all learners
The starting point for inclusive education is
teacher awareness and education (Sophie and
Gemma)
● Teachers must be aware of what everyone
needs and give opportunities for successfully
reaching goals (Klara)
● There were teachers who didn’t want to cooperate in making inclusive education work for
me and others; teachers should accept everyone
in their classes (Wessel)
● Teachers sometimes only focus on the things I
cannot do, not on my skills (Thordur)
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All teachers should develop the skills
to meet the diverse needs of all
learners
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Teacher training is really critical (Sophie)
Teacher training does not provide enough and
the right information on inclusion issues. People
with special needs are already in trouble;
getting more support sometimes causes them
more problems (Wessel)
Sometimes teachers are not interested in
learning about special needs (Méryem)
The ICT teacher in my school is disabled, too –
this helps him understand special needs better
– he is more familiar with the problems of his
students (Áron)
Inclusive education as a means to…
… realise the right to an equitable high quality
education without discrimination
… advance towards more democratic and fair
societies
… learn to live together and build our shared
identities
… improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
education systems
And the starting point?
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The focus is often on practical things (like
buildings) – but inclusive education is mostly in
people’s minds. Everybody must have the habit
of thinking about different disabilities, not
discriminating or dividing. (Mei Lang)
We need to remove barriers in the widest
sense; we must change people’s mentalities
(Jens)
Other people must develop their understanding:
we live in an ignorant world (Gemma)
More information
http://www.european-agency.org/agency-projects/teachereducation-for-inclusion/teacher-education-for-inclusion
European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education
Østre Stationsvej 33
DK-5000 Odense C
Denmark
secretariat@european-agency.org
Amanda Watkins amanda@european-agency.org