ERIC Number: EJ1094328
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3116
EISSN: N/A
Beginning Teachers and Inclusive Education: Frustrations, Dilemmas and Growth
McKay, Loraine
International Journal of Inclusive Education, v20 n4 p383-396 2016
Scholars report desirable outcomes for all participants in classrooms where diverse learners are welcomed members. Data suggest teachers leave the profession early because of the demands of their work made increasingly difficult by the diverse range of students, lack of assistance to support the diverse range of student needs and the resulting burnout. This paper presents qualitative data from six beginning teachers, juxtaposed with the author's personal narrative, to illustrate the ongoing problems beginning teachers face, contending with political, historical and cultural barriers when teaching students with diverse learning needs. Despite policy advances and mandated courses in inclusive education in initial teacher education, beginning teachers are overwhelmed by the magnitude of teaching diverse learners in contemporary classrooms. Of note in the data are the preservice teachers' fluid conceptions of inclusive education. The polarity of success and failure of inclusive education is re-envisaged through Deleuze and Guattari's [(1987). "A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia." Trans Brian Massumi. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.] rhizome. The data illustrate the challenges and messiness of learning to become an inclusive educator. It is important to listen to the experiences of beginning teachers given the value of supportive classroom environments for students with diverse needs and the impact creating these environments has on beginning teachers' longevity in the profession.
Descriptors: Inclusion, Beginning Teachers, Barriers, Qualitative Research, Personal Narratives, Student Diversity, Semi Structured Interviews, Followup Studies, Diaries, Difficulty Level, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teaching Skills, Beliefs, Values, Attitude Change, Teacher Attitudes, Elementary School Teachers, Observation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A