Preparing teachers for full inclusion: Is it possible?

The Inclusive Secondary Teacher: The Leaders’ Perspective

“…Children who did not respond to traditional teaching, and did not learn as efficiently as their peers, were tested and categorised by medical professionals (Mock & Kauffman, 2002). Teachers who specialised in teaching exceptional children were trained in the educational, physical, social, medical and emotional effects of different categories of disability on learning and behaviour (Mock & Kauffman, 2002).…”

“…Children who did not respond to traditional teaching, and did not learn as efficiently as their peers, were tested and categorised by medical professionals (Mock & Kauffman, 2002). Teachers who specialised in teaching exceptional children were trained in the educational, physical, social, medical and emotional effects of different categories of disability on learning and behaviour (Mock & Kauffman, 2002). They were also trained in behaviourist pedagogy, such as direct instruction and mastery learning (Mock & Kauffman, 2002), becoming skilled in the application and interpretation of a variety of assessment and testing methods such as curriculum based assessment and standardised achievement tests (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2001;Mock & Kauffman, 2002).…”

River of Ideology, Islands of Evidence

“…The research evidence investigating inclusion clearly suggests caution regardless of the ideological impetus to move forward not only in terms of interventions (MacMillan et al, 1996;Salend & Garrick Duhaney, 1999), but also in terms of logical extensions in the real world (Mock & Kauffman, 2002). Presently, the beliefs and operations of general education have not been uniformly supportive and suggest the need for careful and reasoned implementation (Downing et al, 1997;Idol, 1997), the exact opposite of what full inclusionists demand.…”

Handbook of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

“…The focus on instruction has been downplayed in the movement toward full inclusion of students with developmental disabilities in regular schools and classrooms (Hall, 2002;Mock & Kauffman, 2002. The emphasis on consultation between special education and general education teachers rather than direct service to students with developmental disabilities by special educators has exacerbated this lack of focus on specialized instruction and training.…”