Promoting inclusive education in classrooms

A principle of inclusive education is that pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are able to continue their schooling in the mainstream education system. Several European education systems have put in place plans to increase the number of SEN pupils attending mainstream schools.

This means schools have to ensure that all pupils can benefit from effective individualised support measures to maximise their academic and social development.  

Teachers in inclusive classrooms have to consider a wide range of teaching methods and assistive tools, and reorganise the learning environment to provide all pupils with equal learning opportunities.

Increased need for targeted competencies

Increasingly diverse classrooms have created a need for specific teacher training. As OECD research shows, it is one of the top professional development needs of teachers and school leaders.

Lack of preparedness for this diversity also contributes to teacher stress levels due to the need to modify lessons for pupils with special educational needs.

From initial teacher education to ongoing, in-service training

It is therefore essential that trainee teachers receive training in SEN education, and that high-quality in-service training is also readily available.

The Eurydice report on diversity and inclusion shows that ‘Teaching students with SEN/disabilities’ is the most common teacher competence promoted through top-level competence frameworks in initial teacher education (ITE) and continuous professional development (CPD) programmes. ITE programmes focus on the general knowledge and skills needed to offer inclusive education, while CPD programmes are often more specific (e.g. they focus on different learning disabilities).

Other competences covered include ‘Implementing individualised teaching strategies’ and ‘Differentiating teaching and assessment to address diverse learning needs’. The latter aims to help teachers adapt their didactics to the learning goals and the specific interests, motivations, situations and needs of different kinds of learners.

Schools receiving specialist support

In some European countries, special schools have been transformed into resource centres to ensure necessary specialist support for mainstream schools, including teacher training. The network of Resource Centres for Inclusion (CRI) in Portugal provides targeted support to schools (for example APPDA-Lisboa is specialised in autism). In Italy, regional support centres specifically assist schools in the use of assistive technology, including in-service training.

Including SEN at all stages of teacher training helps ensure that teachers are equipped to provide high-quality, inclusive education. Applying best practices in differentiated instruction and assistive technologies can lead to better outcomes and a more supportive classroom environment for all learners.