HOW TO PREPARE STUDENT TEACHERS FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Diversity is seen both as a value and a challenge, and a broad range of risk factors for exclusion. But respecting diversity and differences in abilities and experience, while ensuring participation and providing a high quality education for all children and youth remains a challenge. How to prepare students teacher for diversity in pre-primary and primary education? In the publication Teacher Education for Inclusion - Profile of Inclusive Teachers (2012), four key pillars of teachers' work within the inclusive education have been identified as the basis for the work of all teachers in inclusive education.

These four core values are:
1. Valuing learner diversity – learner difference is considered as a resource and an asset to education;
2. Supporting all learners – teachers have high expectations for all learners’ achievements;
3. Working with others – collaboration and teamwork are essential approaches for all teachers;
4. Continuing personal professional development – teaching is a learning activity and teachers take responsibility for their own lifelong learning.

In the study, the author analysed curriculum of pre-service pre-primary and primary teacher’s education in relation to the four key pillars of teachers' work within the inclusive education.

European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education. Profile of Inclusive Teachers, Odense, Denmark: European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, 2012.