Conference Agenda

Inclusive education is linked to a human rights-based approach (UNESCO, 2017). Teachers should be equipped with the appropriate skills to teach diverse pupils, seeing individual differences as opportunities for enriching learning (Ainscow, 2020). In the literature there is evidence that inclusive education helps ensure both quality education and later social inclusion (Kefallinou et al., 2002).

Pre-service teachers’ and teacher’s knowledge, values, and beliefs are important for inclusion. Teachers with positive attitudes towards inclusion are more likely to adapt their pedagogy to support all pupils (Sharma et al., 2006). Developing effective inclusive practice begins in the teachers’ professional preparation (Rouse, 2008). Therefore, it is clear that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) has an important role in teachers’ professional development as inclusive practitioners (Sharma and Nutta,l 2016), as they learn about pedagogy and they reflect on key values about human differences. However, as there is uncertainty around the implementation of inclusive practices and the support of all pupils in the classroom (Florian, 2012; Black-Hawkins and Amrhein, 2014), a focus on inclusive practices based on pre-service teachers’ and teachers’ perspectives, and on identifying exclusionary practices is needed (Slee, 2011). Therefore, this symposium will present pre-service teachers’ and teachers’ perspectives on inclusive practices in three different countries: Scotland, Finland and Cyprus, recognising the contribution of pre-service and fully registered teachers’ perspectives to the improvement of school experiences and inclusive practice.

Initially, the symposium will present the Scottish policy context on inclusion, and teacher education. Data from focus group interviews with pre-service primary teachers in Scotland will be presented offering examples of good quality inclusive practice, contradictions, and different interpretations. Subsequently, this symposium will discuss the Finnish context. More specifically, teacher education and policy will be presented. Pre-service teachers’ perspectives of inclusive practices linked to teacher autonomy will be discussed. Furthermore, the symposium will present findings from Cyprus. A brief overview of the teacher education system and the education system in Cyprus will be offered and data that show teachers finding ways to teach inclusively despite the systemic and attitudinal obstacles will be discussed, closing with an optimistic perspective.

Thereby, this symposium will offer an international perspective on the approaches and practices that have been adopted by pre-service teachers and teachers, presenting findings from three different countries. By presenting and discussing data and findings from three different contexts the congruences and differences between these countries’ national systems will be highlighted. Collectively, the papers that will be presented in this symposium make an important contribution to international debates about how teachers can and should be prepared for inclusive education. This work is current and relevant particularly to teacher educators internationally as teacher education is being questioned, inequality is rising, and teachers are required to teach diverse pupils. The findings of the studies will inform future planning in teachers’ professional education contributing to the quality of initial teacher education programmes in Europe and beyond.

In Scotland, inclusion of all children in mainstream schools is an important provision and legal requirement for the local authorities (Riddell, 2009; Allan, 2010). Teachers in Scotland are expected to be prepared to respond to the diversity in their classrooms. The National Framework for Inclusion (Scottish Universities Inclusion Group, 2022) is intended to support pre-service teachers, fully registered teachers and teacher educators to develop and sustain inclusive practice within their diverse professional contexts. The Framework for Inclusion is closely linked with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) Professional Standards for Teachers (GTCS, 2021). Initial teacher education programmes across Scotland are based on these standards, embed inclusion and encourage a response to learner diversity that avoids marking some students as different (Florian and Black- Hawkins 2011). This paper will present the Scottish policy context on inclusion, and teacher education. It will then present data derived from two focus groups with 2nd year and 4th year pre-service primary teachers in Scotland, as pre-service teachers are positive of the principles of inclusive education (Goddard and Evans, 2018) but unsure of the implementation of inclusive practices (Black-Hawkins and Amrhein, 2014). The aim was to discuss with pre-service teachers about the meaning and qualities of inclusive practice, with examples, as developing effective inclusive practice begins in the teachers’ professional preparation when pre-service teachers reconsider their own beliefs about human differences, challenge any assumptions and develop inclusive practices. A thematic analysis method (Clarke and Braun, 2013) offered information about their understandings of inclusive practice and led to important themes including differentiation and relationships. The findings are significant and contribute to the research on teachers’ professional preparation as inclusive practitioners. Examples of good quality inclusive practice aligning with the concept of inclusive pedagogy (Florian and Black-Hawkins, 2011) as well as practices that are designed for ‘most’ students will be shared, illustrating pre-service teachers’ (mis) understandings, and some contradictions. The paper will highlight the importance of values and pedagogy. The findings are of relevance to a European audience as they invite reflection on teacher education, the existing policies, practices, and teachers’ expectations.

Allan, J. (2010) ‘Questions of Inclusion in Scotland and Europe’, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(2), pp. 199–208. Black-Hawkins, K. and Amrhein, B. (2014) Valuing student teachers' perspectives: researching inclusively in inclusive education?, International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 37(4), 357-375. Clarke, V. and Braun, V. (2013) ‘Teaching thematic analysis: over- coming challenges and developing strategies for effective learning.’ The Psychologist, 26, 120–3. Florian, L. and Black- Hawkins, K. (2011) Exploring inclusive pedagogy, British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 813–828. Goddard and Evans (2018) Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Towards Inclusion Across the Training Years. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(6), 122-142. General Teaching Council for Scotland. (2021). Professional Standards for Teachers. Edinburgh, The General Teaching Council for Scotland. Riddell, S. (2009) 'Social justice, equality and inclusion in Scottish education', Discourse, 30(3), pp. 283-297. Scottish Universities Inclusion Group (SUIG). 2022. National Framework for Inclusion 3rd edn. Aberdeen, The Scottish Universities Inclusion Group. https://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-standards/national-framework-for-inclusion/

Inclusive education is often linked to teachers’ sufficient autonomy and collaborative practices (Ainscow 1999), such as co-teaching, collaboration with parents and multiprofessional collaboration (Mitchell and Sutherland, 2020) in order to develop the working culture towards more collective whole school approaches (e.g. Sailor, 2017). Autonomy and its scope can be understood in several ways (Giddens, 1984; Pantić, 2015). In Finland the educational system gives high autonomy to teachers. Autonomy is described as pedagogical freedom (e.g. Sahlberg, 2010) meaning that each teacher can make their own pedagogical choices in their classroom (Pollari et al., 2018). This approach requires strong teacher engagement in order to work (Pollari et al., 2018; Välimaa 2021) and from an inclusive education perspective it can be understood as engagement to celebrate diversity in the school environment (Ainscow, 1999). Initially, this paper will present the Finnish policy context on inclusion, and teacher education. It will then focus on pre-service teachers’ perceptions of inclusive practices, and it will show how their descriptions are connected with teachers’ autonomy. The data derived from two focus group interviews with Finnish primary pre-service teachers: a group with 2nd year pre-service teachers and a group with 4th year pre-service teachers. Interviews followed the same thematic structure, focusing on inclusive practices. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically (Clarke and Braun, 2013). The idea of inclusive practices was fragile in the data indicating there is a need to strengthen it during teacher education in Finland. The findings emphasised the link between inclusive practice and teachers’ autonomy. Second year students highlighted teachers’ ability to make their own choices in their classrooms as an inclusive practice while fourth year students considered autonomy at a school level. The idea of pedagogical freedom was discussed by second year students who focused on themselves as individual teachers, while fourth year students linked inclusive practices with collaboration and interdependency of teachers with other colleagues and agencies. These findings are not only important for Finnish teacher education. The element of teacher autonomy identified in pre-service teachers’ interviews and in the Finnish context can invite reflection and inform teacher education in different contexts, as teacher autonomy can be used as a tool to promote inclusive education internationally.

Ainscow, M. (1999) Understanding the Development of Inclusive Schools. Studies in Inclusive Education. Taylor & Francis. Clarke, V. and Braun, V. (2013) ‘Teaching thematic analysis: over- coming challenges and developing strategies for effective learning.’ The Psychologist, 26, 120–3. Giddens, A. (1984). The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. University of California Press. Mitchell, D. and Sutherland, D. (2020) What Really Works in Special and Inclusive Education Using Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies. Routledge. Pantić, N. (2015). A model for study of teacher agency for social justice, Teachers and Teaching 21(6), 759-778, DOI: 10.1080/13540602.2015.1044332 Pollari, P., Salo, O. and Koski, K. (2018) In teachers we trust – The Finnish way to teach and learn. Inquiry in Education 10(1), 4. Sahlberg, P. (2010) Educational change in Finland. In A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan, & D. Hopkins (Eds.), Second international handbook of educational change, 323-348. Springer Sailor, W. (2017) Equity as a Basis for Inclusive Educational Systems Change. Australasian Journal of Special Education 41(1) ,1–17, doi: 10.1017/jse.2016.12 Välimaa, J. (2021). Trust in Finnish Education: A Historical Perspective. European Education 53(3-4), 168-180. doi: 10.1080/10564934.2022.2080563

This paper will begin by providing a brief overview of the teacher education system and the education system in Cyprus. It will then report on recent policy developments that indicate misinterpretations of inclusive education. Examples of recent policy developments indicating a persistence to segregate children rather than include them are: (a) the ministerial planning to strengthen special education and segregation of children with disabilities through the establishment of a national centre for the assessment of children with disabilities, the denial of the Ministry of Education to follow court decisions suggesting inclusion of children with disabilities in the mainstream class; and (b) the ministerial circular that legitimizes the segregation of children with migrant biography. In this context, significant research findings will be presented to suggest that teachers often find the ways to teach in inclusive ways, despite the systemic and attitudinal obstacles. We will report on seven female early childhood education teachers who work in public schools in Cyprus, in relation to inclusive education. These teachers were purposively selected, as they are committed to inclusive early childhood education. Data analysis entailed a thematic and narrative approach, and the findings were presented in the form of a portrait narrative, that of an imaginary teacher. The discussion highlights how children with disabilities informed teachers develop inclusive practices in a system that cannot be characterized as inclusive. The tensions and disagreements with the non-inclusive features of the system and segregating attitudes of school staff are also addressed in the discussion. In our conclusion, we draw upon some of the elements that will facilitate teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ understanding and implementation of inclusive education. First, the point is made that inclusive teachers should be knowledgeable of pedagogy – an integral part of their initial teacher education (ITE) studies (Florian and Camedda, 2020), be committed to the assumptions of inclusive pedagogies – during their ITE studies and through teacher professional learning opportunities (Ware, 2020), and work individually and collectively to educate all children. The connections are made with research from Cyprus and other countries which show that good knowledge of pedagogy and ethical commitment to inclusive education can lead to inclusive teaching (Symeonidou et al., 2022). At the same time, the concerns about the future of inclusive education are not undermined; rather they are recognized and discussed (Slee, 2018; Tomlinson, 2017).

Florian, L. and Camedda, D. (2020). Enhancing Teacher Education for Inclusion. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (1): 4-8. Slee, R. (2018). Inclusive Education Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny. London and New York: Routledge. Symeonidou, S., Loizou, E. and Recchia, S. (2022). The Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Education: Interdisciplinary Research and Dialogue. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2022.2158632 Tomlinson, S. (2017). A Sociology of Special and Inclusive Education. London and New York: Routledge. Ware, L. (2020). Writing, Identity and the Other.: Dare we do Disability Studies? In: L. Ware (Ed.) Critical Readings in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies. (Dis)Assemblages (pp. 181-204). Cham: Springer.