Choices in the Design of Inclusive Education Courses for Pre-service Teachers: The Case of a South African University

Walton, Elizabeth; Rusznyak, Lee

Abstract

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. It is expected that that pre-service teachers are adequately equipped to meet the needs of diverse students. This article discusses the choices that teacher educators must make in designing inclusive education courses. The first choice is whether inclusive education will be infused into the curriculum or presented as a stand-alone course. If the latter, the second decision is what determines the content of courses–teacher need, policy directives or the authority of the field where knowledge is produced. If teacher educators look to the field of knowledge production, they might choose among inclusive education as an issue of student diversity; teaching competence; and schools and societies. We animate these choices as we describe an inclusive education course taught in a South African university. Our conclusion suggests that pre-service teacher education for inclusive education would be strengthened by more critical appraisal of the assumptions and orientations informing the design of courses.

Citation

Walton, E., & Rusznyak, L. (2017). Choices in the Design of Inclusive Education Courses for Pre-service Teachers: The Case of a South African University. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 64(3), 231-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912x.2016.1195489

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 15, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Jun 7, 2016
• Publication Date: May 4, 2017
• Deposit Date: Dec 2, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 10, 2019
• Journal: International Journal of Disability, Development and Education
• Print ISSN: 1034-912X
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-346X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 231-248
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912x.2016.1195489
• Keywords: Curriculum design; inclusive education; inclusive pedagogy; knowledge selection; pre-service teacher education; student diversity; South African education; teacher education for inclusive education
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1353890
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1034912X.2016.1195489
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=cijd20