Inclusive Education

This unit supports pre-service teachers to become aware and committed inclusive educators. Pre-service teachers will explore their own positionality as a way of understanding the barriers and enablers to inclusion. They are encouraged to connect theory and practice by using their own experiences to inform their understandings and to expand their knowledge through research and peer sharing. The unit focuses on how pre-service teachers can support and include students from diverse backgrounds across areas such as socio-economic background, culture, race, Indigeneity, gender, sexuality and ability/disability. This unit draws on social justice theoretical models of practice to explore the standpoint of students who have been historically marginalised in education. A critical pedagogy framework will be used to challenge dominant discourses that perpetuate notions of privilege, power and oppression. Pre-service teachers will articulate their understandings of inclusive education by drawing on curriculum requirements, policy documents and professional standards. Preservice teachers will present their personal theoretical standpoint of what it means to be an inclusive and culturally responsive teacher with reference to a range of literature in the field.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Use a critical lens to explore social justice issues in society and within schools and consider culturally responsive teaching strategies to address educational barriers and create opportunities for students.
2. Articulate a standpoint on inclusive education by drawing on a range of practices, principles and theories to engage students from diverse backgrounds and across a range of learning needs and abilities.
3. Draw on legislation, curriculum and theory to develop and present differentiated learning experiences that promote inclusion for a diversity of students, including those with a disability.
4. Explore and interrogate positionality in order to understand the barriers and enablers to inclusion.
5. Engage in reflexive dialogue around inclusion in secondary schools.