A Balancing Act of Assumptions, Reality, and Best Practices in Special Eduactation Teacher Preperation Suad Sakallı Gümü ş PhD. Mustafa Kemal University, TURKEY

Current state of special education teacher ed. İn Turkey Turkey has a fairy short history in Special Education Field and in preparing Special Education teachers (started 1950’s) We have Special Education departments in only 11 universities among 141 üniversities nation wide. In Special Edufcation Teacher preperation programs we have practicum only during their senior year which is not enough.

Student Profile Since it is easy to find jobs in the Special Education field and there is great demand for graduates of these few departments, the score they need to get from the national university entrance exam is high. Therefore, we get high caliber students. However, most of these students tend to have no experience with special education or individuals with special needs

The Motive for This Study Due to the mentioned circumstances, should priority be given to the vocational knowledge and skills and to the real school environment, in addition to the theoretical knowledge?

What is The Study About? Teacher candidates were required to carry out an unofficial practicum in resource rooms, self contained classrooms or inclusivfe classrooms in order to get exposed to students with special needs and observe different ways of instruction. This study examines the impact of this practicum on teacher candidates in terms of their knowledge, attitude, and competencies.

Methodology The study conducted with freshmen special education prospective teachers in two consequtive years. Teachers were required to attend an informal practicum at least 2 hours once a week and were asked to keep weekly journals about their experiences. During the practicum they were supposed to observe but also if they are asked to aid the teacher.

Methodology Continues The practicum attendance and the journals were accounting for %10 of the oveall grade for the class (Intro to Education of the MR). The collected journals were analysed using qualitative methods, mainly content analysis. The journals did not have any specific format or limitation, a richer data were gathered due to the fact teachers could write freely about what they wish.

Methodology Continues The journals were read and reread, and themes were highlighted and finally the similar themes were collapsed into overarching themes. Four overarching themes surfaced as a result of the analysis: Is this the right profession for me?, Realizations about the teacher they are to become, Realizations about instruction, and the need for policy improvement

Is this the right profession for me? At the beginning of the semester almost %60 of the students reported to have come to the department with no prior knowledge of the profession they are choosing and that they think it wasnt the right profession for them but they were settled with the idea because the graduation from this major guranteed a job at the end.

Is this the right profession for me? By the end, ¾ of the studends did think that they have come to the right place and that they will be successful in this profession. An excerpt signifiying this shift: A student texted me on my cell as the semster ended apologising from me and telling me that he did not have the courage to come to talk to me and that to please disregard his first journal and that he was so embaressede to have written those things.

Realizations about what kind of teacher they are to become I will not be a teacher who does this work for a job only (for money) but rather it will be my passion! Being a special education teacher takes hard work, love, passion and sacrifice. I should not be emptying the curriculum in the name of making accomodations and modifications Working against the grain and doing their best

Realizations about Instruction and what should special education be Special education should not be thought of as seperate from the general education. Adaptations/modifications are not emptiying the curriculum. Special ed. Takes hard work but pays off in the long run Special ed. İnstruction is not totally different than general ed. İnstruction Teacher attitudes are important for successful instruction

Need for policy improvement Inclusion is not being carried out effectively and the system needs rewamping There are problems about identification and labeling Problems about Individualized Education Programs Problems about placement

Conclusion Self Reflection Matters! “At first, I thought of the journals only as an assignment. Now I can see that they are for me more than for an assignment. At first I was so reserved to be politically correct but towards the end I could write freely. Self reflection become a safe harbour for me. on one side it helps me relieve my bad thoughts and attitudes. On the other side, it makes me conciously question how qualified I am to do this job.

Conclusion What is The Right Timing for Field Work? Practicum at such an early stage could be both very beneficial but also an approach that we need to be very cautios about. Provides the needed exposition to the special ed. And students with special needs Helps learn hands on Observe different teachers and different iğnhstructional approaches

Conclusion Helps in over coming doubts and fears Helps in starting to develop a professional identity Cautions: It could be scary because they are not ready professionally and are not mature Since they don’t have the bedegogic formation yet, they may not be able to differenciate between good and bad practice.

Implications The results of the study can help in redesigning/reshaping of the Special Ed. Teacher Preperation programs May help in creating policy changes regarding the system, induction of special education teachers,and instruction at the university level