Abstract
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic led to the deterioration of exclusive pedagogical practices in different learning institutions. This is because the pandemic forced teachers to make an abrupt instructional switch from face-to-face to online learning without having sufficient time to prepare. Various studies have reported that students with special needs in learning have to tolerate the burden of this tumultuous instructional transition. The educational policymakers have requested that in-service teachers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attend an inclusive education professional development program to equip them with knowledge and skills for teaching and supporting special needs children. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which in-service teachers were prepared to teach inclusively and the challenges they perceive after completing a six-month inclusive education teacher professional development (TPD) program. The study was done using a qualitative case study within an interpretive paradigm. Fourteen teachers from different schools across the country were purposively selected to complete an open-ended questionnaire and participate in semi-structured interviews. It was found that teachers gained comprehensive knowledge from the program and they felt confident and ready to implement inclusive pedagogical approaches in their classrooms.
Presenters
Laila MohebiAssistant Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates Areej El Sayary
Lawrence Meda
Assistant Professor, Education Studies, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Adult, Community, and Professional Learning
KEYWORDS
Inclusive education, Professional development, Pedagogy, Special needs
