This article is based on a research study undertaken with a small group of student teachers in an English university. They took part in a specialised school placement with pupils identified as having special educational needs, one of a range of current government initiatives designed to increase their capacity to work inclusively in schools. The students were placed in schools that were successful in working with children with special educational needs, undertaking set activities and tasks to increase their professional development. Findings from the project indicated an increase in students’ confidence and skills in working with children with special educational needs that was sustained in their final teaching practice. The issues raised by the specialised placement and the associated government ‘Inclusive Development Programme’ initiatives for student teachers are explored, drawing out considerations and recommendations for teacher educators.

Developments in special and inclusive education have lead to increasing challenges for teachers. Initial Teacher Education has struggled to keep pace with these developments and equip all newly qualified teachers with the skills required to meet the needs of children with SEN. This paper reflects upon recent national initiatives designed to increase student teachers’ skills and confidence through a specialised placement and the Training and Development Agency’s ‘SEN and/or Disabilities Training Toolkit’. It considers the implications for managers of ITE programmes as they deliver these initiatives within a curriculum of competing priorities.

Students' learning and participation in inclusive educational settings requires, among other things, teaching pedagogies that respond to students' diverse needs so as to benefit from the education provided. This study explored teaching pedagogies employed in Tanzanian inclusive educational settings across all educational levels, whether or not they respond to students' diverse needs, using voices of students with visual impairment (VI) in higher education institutions (HEIs). A total of 16 students with VI from two HEIs were involved in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis being used to evaluate the data. The teaching methods used in primary schools were found to be more responsive to the needs of students with VI, compared to secondary schools and HEIs. Similarly, more positive inclusive practices were reported in primary schools than in secondary and higher education settings, and more primary school teachers with neither inclusive nor special education training were reported to be supportive and considerate to the needs of students with VI, compared to their counterparts in advanced levels. Some negative inclusive practices were also reported which appear to have an impact on students' access to teachers' instructions and their participation in learning. The negative inclusive practices of teachers appear to originate from teachers' limited understanding of inclusion, negative attitudes towards students with special education needs and lack of support from school authorities. In this regard, school authorities and teachers need to transform school cultures, teaching pedagogies, and attitudes to respond to the diverse needs in inclusive educational settings.

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