Exploring the role of Pedagogical Instructors in Mainstream Education (PIMEs) in preparing pre-service teachers for inclusive classrooms

This study investigates how Pedagogical Instructors in Mainstream Education (PIMEs) support pre-service teachers in inclusive classrooms, focusing on their preparedness and self-efficacy. Through qualitative interviews with 11 PIMEs across Israeli mainstream educational settings, the research explores how enhanced inclusion knowledge affects PIMEs’ perceived competence. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, the study reveals that PIMEs acknowledge the importance of supporting pre-service teachers academically and emotionally in inclusive settings. Despite positive attitudes towards inclusion, PIMEs often report low self-perceived competence in mentoring pre-service teachers, potentially affecting their trainees’ self-efficacy. The study emphasizes how theoretical and practical knowledge can enhance PIMEs’ self-efficacy. This research addresses a literature gap by highlighting the importance of PIMEs’ professional development and theory-practice integration in inclusive education, with implications for teacher training curricula and professional development programs.