Preparing teachers for inclusive and diverse educational environments: studying curricular reform in an initial teacher education course

Inclusive education is based on the principle that local schools should provide for all children and young people regardless of any perceived social, emotional, cultural intellectual or linguistic difference or disability. This paper identifies key concepts associated with inclusive education and discusses them in relation to issues in the reform of teacher education. It argues that the reform of teacher education for inclusive education is an important activity in improving educational equity. It presents the study design and some early findings of an innovative research and development project, the Inclusive Practice Project, based in the School of Education at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.