Teacher Professional Development for Inclusion in England and Bahrain

Abstract

The global pursuit for inclusion officially started with the United Nations Salamanca Statement, which called for the integration of children with special educational needs (SEN) into mainstream schooling. This triggered a substantial universal restructure of education systems, which includes a major reconsideration of teacher education for inclusion in order to prepare teachers to teach their diverse learners. Through a comparative case study design, this study explores inclusive practices in primary education in England and Bahrain. More specifically, the study examines the way in which schools support teachers' in-service professional development (PD) which then aid in the implementation of inclusive education. The findings reveal PD practices for inclusion in England which focus on support for SEN and improving teacher attitudes towards inclusion as well as PD practices in Bahrain that emphasise the assimilation of new teachers and the promotion of a collaborative teaching environment.