Qualitative study reveals low mentoring competence among pedagogical instructors preparing teachers for inclusive classrooms, highlighting the need for targeted professional development.
Key Points
Investigate how pedagogical instructors in mainstream education support pre-service teachers in inclusive settings and evaluate the relationship between instructors' inclusion knowledge and their self-perceived competence.
Conducted qualitative interviews with 11 pedagogical instructors in mainstream education (PIMEs) across Israeli mainstream school settings.
Applied an interpretive phenomenological approach to explore perceived competence, attitudes toward inclusion, and the integration of theory and practice.
PIMEs recognized the vital need to provide both academic and emotional support to pre-service teachers preparing for inclusive classrooms.
Despite expressing positive attitudes toward inclusion, instructors frequently reported low self-perceived competence in mentoring trainees for inclusive settings.
Theoretical and practical knowledge integration through dedicated professional development was identified as critical for strengthening instructors' mentoring self-efficacy.