1. TEACHER EDUCATION FOR INCLUSION
European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education

2. The Agency network National networks in 28 European countries:
Austria, Belgium (Flemish and French speaking communities), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales)
16th year of operations
Main secretariat in Odense, Denmark and European Liaison office in Brussels, Belgium
History:
established as an initiative of the Danish Ministry of education following the end of the EU HELIOS programme
the original 15 member countries ‘took ownership’ of the Agency
the Agency obtained a legal basis at the European level that was approved by the European Parliament
Member countries’ platform for collaboration between professionals and decision-makers at both national and European levels, on policy and practice for inclusive education
The ultimate aim is to improve educational policy and practice for learners with special educational needs
This aim takes into account issues such as equal opportunities, accessibility, diversity education, the promotion of quality of education and respect of differences, whilst recognising that countries’ policies, practices and educational contexts also differ

3. The Agency’s Activities
The Agency works to a multi-annual work programme (2007 – 2013)
All projects and activities are identified by Agency representatives as being a priority for their countries
Activities include:
collection, analysis and dissemination of information
participation and organisation of conferences, seminars and political events
liaison with the European institutions and international organisations – Eurostat, Eurydice, Cedefop; UNESCO, OECD, World Bank

4. International Policy Context
At all times, the Agency works to guiding principles as outlined in:
UNESCO statements and declarations on EFA and Inclusion
UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)
Council Resolutions concerning inclusion of children and young people with disabilities into mainstream systems of education

5. Current Agency Projects
Information and Communication Technology for Inclusion ( )
Vocational Education and Training ( )
Organisation of Provision to support Inclusive Education (2011 – 2013)
Raising Achievement for all Learners ( )
Teacher Education for Inclusion ( )

6. The TE4I Project
Agency member countries agreed that Teacher Education was a top priority for investigation
25 Agency member countries participated in the project
55 experts took part in activities:
SNE specialist teacher educators and policy makers
Mainstream teacher educators and policy makers
Representatives of OECD and UNESCO and the European Commission DG-EAC Schools Unit
Sign of importance of this project - involvement of colleagues from Commission OECD UNESCO – also strength in bringing together various strands of relevant work

7. TE4I project aims
To address the essential project question: how all teachers are prepared via their initial education to be 'inclusive’
To examine the essential skills, knowledge and understanding, attitudes and values needed by everyone entering the teaching profession
To provide information on best policy and practice to support the development of TE4I
Recommendations for teacher education
Recommendations for wider policy
To develop a Profile of Inclusive Teachers
Parameters
Countries are at different starting points and have different ‘histories’ in terms of Inclusion, Teacher Education and Teacher Education for Inclusion – we need to account for that and see it as a strength
No-one has all the answers – many countries have clear examples in the areas we intend to look at, but all countries are still ‘moving ahead’
Learning from diversity is a principle for our project as well as something we argue is an aim for inclusive education

8. Project outputs Policy review International literature review
Web based country literature abstracts
Individual country reports
Country information database
Synthesis report ‘Teacher Education for Inclusion across Europe. Challenges and Opportunities’
Project recommendations linked to sources of evidence document
Profile of inclusive teachers

9. EU Agenda for Teacher Education
Promote professional values and attitudes
Improve teacher competences
Effective recruitment to promote educational quality
Improve the quality of Initial Teacher Education
Introduce Induction programmes for all new teachers
Provide mentoring support to all teachers
Improve quality and quantity of Continuing Professional Development
School Leadership
Ensure the quality of Teacher Educators
Improve Teacher Education Systems
Priorities for improving Teacher Education that were identified by Ministers of Education in the Council Conclusions of 2007, 2008 and 2009
This summary of key messages emerging from recent Council Conclusions was prepared by Paul Holdsworth and his colleagues in DG EAC Schools Unit for consideration with the Agency TE4I project.
The 55 TE policy makers and practitioners from 26 countries agree that:
IE should be seen as integral to each of these priority areas
Preparation for IE cannot be an ‘add-on’, separate from other Policy Agenda issues or areas for action
- IE is an approach that must be infused within all debates within TE

10. Key Questions for Teacher Education Policies
Do policies advocate radical reform of pre- and in- service teacher education in order to prepare teachers for inclusive approaches in education?
Do they encourage a view of inclusive education as a natural way of working for every teacher?
Do they ask the question ‘who trains trainers?’ and tackle the sensitive issue of well-established training institutes teaching out-of-date approaches?
Do policies acknowledge the different pedagogical needs and methods used with children, youth and adults?
(UNESCO Policy Guidelines, 2009)
TE4I is not just an issue within Europe
UNESCO highlights the global nature of this issue
The issue of preparing all teacher trainers to prepare all teachers for IE is a further challenge as well as another shared responsibility
An emerging issue from Agency TE4I work in 26 countries is how teacher educators model inclusive approaches and good teaching strategies in their own work.

11. World Report on Disability
‘The appropriate training of mainstream teachers is crucial if they are to be confident and competent in teaching children with diverse needs. The principles of inclusion should be built into teacher training programmes, which should be about attitudes and values, not just knowledge and skills’.
(World Health Organisation/World Bank, 2011)

12. Project Recommendations (1)
Effective approaches to improve the recruitment of teacher candidates and increase retention rates should be explored along with ways to increase the number of teachers from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities
Research should be undertaken on the effectiveness of different routes into teaching and the course organisation, content and pedagogy to best develop the competence of teachers to meet the diverse needs of all learners.

13. Project Recommendations (2)
The profession of teacher educators needs to be further developed with improvements in recruitment, induction and continuing professional development
Schools and teacher education institutions must work together to ensure good models in practice schools and appropriate placements for teaching practice

14. Project Recommendations (3)
Wider, systemic reform is needed to ensure the development of inclusive schools, to support the development of teacher education for inclusion
Reform must include clarification of the language that is used when referring to inclusion and diversity
Policies should be introduced to develop a ‘continuum of support’ to allow teachers to meet the full diversity of learner needs
Accountability measures that impact upon teachers’ work should reflect the importance of wider achievements that are more closely aligned to inclusive principles.

15. Profile of Inclusive Teachers
A specific request coming from Agency country representatives - concrete information on the necessary competences required of all teachers
Developed as a guide for the design and implementation of ITE programmes for all teachers – not a script for ITE content
Should be considered stimulus material for identifying relevant content, planning methods and specifying desired learning outcomes for ITE

16. The goal of ITE
Developing the ability of new teachers to be more inclusive in their practice
Developing new teachers who are effective in their teaching, as well as experts in subject content

17. Parameters for developing the Profile (1)
1 - Inclusion is a principled, rights-based approach to education underpinned by a number of central values
2 - There are practical and conceptual difficulties in focussing upon isolated competences for teaching in inclusive education and for the Profile to be relevant for different countries and stakeholders, a broad approach to the idea of using competences was needed

18. Parameters (2)
3 - The political priorities and effects of social policies within individual countries cannot be ignored, but there is a framework of international and EU level policy that all countries subscribe to that impacts upon inclusive education and teacher education

19. Methodology A developmental process from 2009 onwards
Country experts’ inputs on drafts and redrafts
Over 400 country stakeholders’ inputs
Over 70 written responses
Validation and verification activities in the country study visits
Identification of key factors supporting the implementation of the Profile

20. The Profile Model
Four core values relating to teaching and learning have been identified as the basis for the work of all teachers in inclusive education
These core values are associated with areas of teacher competence: a certain attitude or belief demands certain knowledge or level of understanding and then skills in order to implement this knowledge in a practical situation
For each area of competence identified, the essential attitudes, knowledge and skills that underpin them are presented
Teacher competences
provide a shared understanding of quality ‘inclusive teaching’
represent a dynamic combination of knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities, developed over time enabling teachers to show progressive mastery in a range of settings/situations
are ‘statements describing teacher actions that can be demonstrated’ providing evidence that teachers hold certain beliefs, and have gained certain knowledge/understanding and skills/abilities

21. Valuing Learner Diversity
Learner difference is considered as a resource and an asset to education:
- Conceptions of inclusive education
- The teacher’s view of learner difference

22. Supporting All Learners
Teachers have high expectations for all learners’ achievements:
- Promoting the academic, social and emotional learning of all learners
- Effective teaching approaches in heterogeneous classes

23. Working with Others - Working with parents and families
Collaboration and teamwork are essential approaches for all teachers:
- Working with parents and families
- Working with a range of other educational professionals

24. Personal Professional Development
Teaching is a learning activity and teachers take responsibility for their lifelong learning:
- Teachers as reflective practitioners
- Initial teacher education as a foundation for on-going professional learning and development

25. Supporting country work
The Profile text is non-copyright material
In the final report there will be a separate ‘removable’ copy of the Profile text that can be copied
Electronic, editable versions in all Agency member countries’ languages, will be available to download on the website
Users are free to modify and ‘re-purpose’ the Profile text providing that a reference to the original source is given
Transversal aims support the capacity of new teachers to be more inclusive – effective teachers as well as subject specialists
Profile content does not favour any one method of course organisation/delivery – stimulus material to guide for design of ITE programmes
The profile may be used:
For self-reflection by student teachers
For identifying CPD needs by practising teachers
To guide teacher induction and school development by school leaders
To support recruitment and development priorities for professionals working in schools by education employers
Cannot be ‘transplanted’ into country contexts but can engage others in debate
As the Peer Learning Activity, Ireland 2011 suggests, ‘… a framework of teacher competences is not a panacea. It is but one of a number of instruments that can be used to support teachers’ professionalisation and to promote quality in education.’ (p6).
‘It is unrealistic to expect that any initial teacher education programme, no matter how high quality, will be able to fully develop student teachers … rather than being the main or indeed the only qualification for teachers, initial teacher education is now starting to be viewed as the entry point for the profession and the platform for teachers’ ongoing development.’ (p134). OECD 2005
Can support further research into teacher education for inclusion and act as a lever for change in policy and practice in countries and at the European level.

26. The crucial role of Teachers
Key Principles – Practice, projects/key-principles Young Views in Inclusive Education - European Parliament Hearing projects/european-hearing-2011
KP Practice 2011:
The focus of inclusive education must be upon widening participation and on promoting access and achievement for all learners
Principles:
Learners’ voices and those of family and advocates should be heard, when decisions are made that affect their lives
All learners are entitled to be active participants in the life of the school community
Every school should have access to the support of a multi-disciplinary service and relevant community services
2 others – on teachers - linked to young people's views

27. All teachers should have positive attitudes towards all learners

28. The starting point for inclusive education is teacher awareness and education (Sophie and Gemma)
Teachers must be aware of what everyone needs and give opportunities for successfully reaching goals (Klara)
There were teachers who didn’t want to co- operate in making inclusive education work for me and others; teachers should accept everyone in their classes (Wessel)
Teachers sometimes only focus on the things I cannot do, not on my skills (Thordur)

29. All teachers should develop the skills to meet the diverse needs of all learners

30. Teacher training is really critical (Sophie)
Teacher training does not provide enough and the right information on inclusion issues. People with special needs are already in trouble; getting more support sometimes causes them more problems (Wessel)
Sometimes teachers are not interested in learning about special needs (Méryem)
The ICT teacher in my school is disabled, too – this helps him understand special needs better – he is more familiar with the problems of his students (Áron)

31. Inclusive education as a means to…
… realise the right to an equitable high quality education without discrimination … advance towards more democratic and fair societies … learn to live together and build our shared identities … improve the effectiveness and efficiency of education systems

32. And the starting point?
The focus is often on practical things (like buildings) – but inclusive education is mostly in people’s minds. Everybody must have the habit of thinking about different disabilities, not discriminating or dividing. (Mei Lang)
We need to remove barriers in the widest sense; we must change people’s mentalities (Jens)
Other people must develop their understanding: we live in an ignorant world (Gemma)

33. More information
education-for-inclusion/teacher-education-for-inclusion
European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education
Østre Stationsvej 33
DK-5000 Odense C
Denmark
Amanda Watkins