The Unintended Side Effects of Including Students with Learning Disabilities for Teacher Educators

Overview & Synopsis

The perspectives of general and special education teacher educators, who are nationally recognized for their work in the areas of learning disabilities, inclusive education, and teacher education, were explored. Study participants were asked to reveal how the inclusion of students with learning disabilities has impacted their professional lives in ways they did not expect. In addition, they responded to questions about the unexpected outcomes of inclusion on students with learning disabilities and their typical peers. Results suggest that (a) preparing teachers, not only for inclusion, but also for the diverse classrooms of today, is challenging; (b) the real world of schools is where teacher educators believe they need, and want, to be because important questions can be posed and solutions found within schools; (c) colleges of education, like schools, need to be reformed to encourage and support intensive, prolonged site-based work; and (d) outcomes for students with learning disabilities included in general education classrooms cannot be de-contextualized. (Contains 1 table.)