Teaching Students with Disabilities - A Web-based Examination of Preparation of Preservice Primary School Teachers - Article 3

Oct 15, 2026

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With increasing expectations that preservice teachers will be prepared to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, relevant units in teacher education courses are reviewed. Units on special education/inclusion in Australian primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses delivered in 2009 were examined using Google searches. Sixty-one units across 34 courses met inclusion criteria, with limited evidence-based content and variable instructor interest. Findings address implications for teacher preparation despite inclusive policy support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and context

Method and selection criteria

Key findings and instructional focus

Policy context and teacher readiness

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 37 | Issue 5 | Article 3 | | --- | --- | | 2012
Teaching Students with Disabilities: A Web-based Examination of Preparation of Preservice Primary School Teachers
Jennifer Stephenson
Macquarie University, [jennifer.stephenson@mq.edu.au](jennifer.stephenson@mq.edu.au)
Sue O'Neill
Macquarie University, [Susan.ONeill@uts.edu.au](Susan.ONeill@uts.edu.au)
Mark Carter
Macquarie University, [mark.carter@mq.edu.au](mark.carter@mq.edu.au) | | Recommended Citation Stephenson, Jennifer; O'Neill, Sue; and Carter, Mark (2012) "Teaching Students with Disabilities: A Web-based Examination of Preparation of Preservice Primary School Teachers,"Australian Journal of Teacher Education: Vol. 37: Iss. 5, Article 3. Available at: [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss5/3](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss5/3) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss5/3](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss5/3) Australian Journal Of Teacher Education Teaching Students with Disabilities: A Web-based Examination of Preparation of Preservice Primary School Teachers Jennifer Stephenson Sue O'Neill Mark Carter Macquarie University Abstract: With increasing expectations that preservice teachers will be prepared to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, it is timely to review relevant units in teacher education courses. Units relevant to special education/inclusion in primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses in Australian tertiary institutions, delivered in 2009, were examined. Information was gathered through a series of Google searches, and available information was very limited for some units. Sixty-one units in 34 courses met criteria for inclusion. Units typically ran for one semester with 30-40 hours of instruction. Just under half the instructors for whom relevant information was available had an active interest in special education/inclusion of students with disabilities. The most commonly included content was on instructional strategies, with few units aimed at promoting positive attitudes to people with disabilities and only 10% stating that the content was evidence or research-based. Although traditionally students with more significant disabilities have been educated in separate special education settings, inclusive education approaches are increasingly supported and even mandated by education systems (Forlin, Loreman, Sharma, & Earle, 2009; European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education [EADSNE], 2010) . In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act (Australian Government Publishing Service, 1992) and the Standards for Education (Commonwealth of Australia, 2005) uphold the rights of all students to access education with appropriate accommodations and adjustments. The inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms is thus seen as desirable and their presence in classrooms is a fact of life for teachers (Jobling & Moni, 2004) . This has clear implications for the preparation of teachers and for institutions that offer preservice education for the teaching profession (Forlin & Chambers, 2011) . Although it is debatable whether the inclusion movement has greatly increased the number of students with disabilities enrolled in regular education settings (Dempsey, Foreman, & Jenkinson, 2002), or whether it has simply lead to the identification of many more students with high-incidence disabilities who were already in regular classrooms but unlabelled (Graham & Jahnukainen, 2011; Westwood & Graham, 2000), there are expectations that graduating teachers will be able to meet the needs of all students in their classes (EADSNE, 2010; New South Wales Institute of Teachers [NSWIT], 2007) . Despite the acceptance of inclusive philosophies, a number of reviews have found that preservice and practicing teachers believe they are not fully prepared to meet

FAQs

What courses and units were examined in the study?

The study examined units relevant to special education/inclusion within primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses in Australian tertiary institutions delivered in 2009.

How were the units identified and selected for inclusion?

Information was gathered through a series of Google searches, and 61 units in 34 courses met the criteria for inclusion.

What does the study indicate about evidence-based and attitudes-focused content?

Instructional strategies were the most commonly included content, few units targeted positive attitudes toward people with disabilities, and only about 10% stated the content was evidence or research-based.

Oct 15, 2026

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