Initial teacher education for inclusive education: Comparative case study between Republic of Azerbaijan and Scotland.

• In Event: Global commitment and policies to inclusive education

Proposal

The Salamanca Statement (1994) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (2006) initiated a global movement to normalize inclusion in education, promoting equal access to mainstream schooling for all students, whether they have disabilities or not (Graham et al., 2023). As this movement progressed, 181 countries, including Azerbaijan and Scotland, endorsed international agreements (Graham et al., 2023) to advocate for and incorporate inclusive practices into their education systems.
Research has consistently identified teachers as pivotal in driving change within education systems and as key to the success of inclusive education (Florian & Rouse, 2009; de Boer et al., 2011; Feng, 2012; Moberg et al., 2020; Robo, 2014; Shevchenko et al., 2020; Florian & Camedda, 2020; Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2020). While initial teacher education (ITE) programs are designed to prepare new teachers for inclusive classrooms and teaching practices, many practicing teachers feel they lack sufficient training, skills, and support to effectively address the diverse needs of all students (Beaton, 2021; Sharma, 2018; Florian & Camedda, 2020; Smith & Tyler, 2011; Seo, 2020). This raises concerns about whether there is a disconnect between what ITE programs offer and their practical application or whether there are unrealistic expectations about teacher "readiness" compared to the continuous professional development required throughout a teacher's career.
This comparative research aims to enhance knowledge in the field of initial teacher education (ITE) programs by examining how beginning teachers are prepared for inclusive education. It explores cross-cultural similarities and differences in ITE programs for inclusive education between two distinct contexts: Azerbaijan and Scotland. The central research question guiding this study is, “How do initial teacher education (ITE) programs prepare beginning teachers for inclusive education in Azerbaijan and Scotland?” This question is further divided into three sub-questions that delve into participants' perceptions and experiences, aiming to broaden our understanding of how teachers are prepared for inclusive education.
The study will shed light on the perceptions and experiences related to preparing to teach children with a wide range of needs in schools in Scotland and Azerbaijan, focusing on:
• Teacher educators involved in programs that qualify graduates to teach in the primary school sector
• Beginning teachers who are completing, or have recently completed, their qualifications for teaching in primary schools
This study is structured as comparative case-study research, focusing on two higher education institutions that provide initial teacher education for preparing student teachers in inclusive education. Participants includes teacher educators and final-year ITE students. A qualitative approach has been chosen as the most suitable method for data collection, utilizing three research methods: document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions.
By examining how ITE programs prepare future teachers for inclusive education, my research directly contributes to the conference theme of Envisioning Education in a Digital Society in a way of exploring how all students, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds, have equitable access to learning opportunities. The preliminary data touches on the aspects of how these programs adequately prepare teachers to use digital tools to enhance accessibility, create inclusive content, and address the digital divide through their teaching process.
The current study is framed by three theoretical models: Korthagen’s (2004) Onion Model, Goodwin’s (2010) Knowledge Domains for Teaching, and the Comparative Case Study (CCS) framework proposed by Bartlett and Vavrus (2017). These frameworks guided both the design of the data collection process and the methodological approach to analysis. To analyze the collected data and draw meaningful conclusions, thematic analysis, as outlined by Braun and Clarke, has been employed.
Currently, the research is in its initial stages of data collection, with some preliminary findings already emerging. While it is too early to fully determine how the research methods and results support the final conclusions, the study has been carefully designed to ensure that the chosen methods align with the research questions and theoretical frameworks. By employing a qualitative approach—including document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions—the study aims to gather rich, in-depth data that will provide a comprehensive understanding of how initial teacher education programs prepare beginning teachers for inclusive education in Azerbaijan and Scotland.
Although the data collection process is ongoing, all data collection and analysis will be completed before the conference. This will allow for a thorough presentation of the study's findings, demonstrating how the research methods effectively support the conclusions drawn from the data. By the time of the conference, the complete dataset will have undergone rigorous thematic analysis, allowing for well-substantiated conclusions to be presented.
There is a shortage of comparative research examining initial teacher education programs for inclusive education, particularly between countries as culturally and contextually distinct as Azerbaijan and Scotland. Although inclusive education is recognized as a global initiative and many countries have adopted it into their education systems, it is important to consider that a single approach to inclusive education may not be suitable for all contexts due to differing cultural and contextual factors (Symenidou, 2017). Thus, undertaking research in these specific settings will provide deeper insights into how teacher education programs for inclusion are preparing new teachers, what this preparation looks like in practice, and how participants perceive and experience it. The findings from this study could help both countries enhance their approaches to developing teacher education for inclusion.

Author

• Sevinj Rustamova, University of Glasgow