"Over the years I've come to realize that every student has the right to learn": An Exploration of the Experiences that Influence Beginning Teachers' Beliefs about Diverse Learners and Inclusive Education
Abstract
The current study explored the experiences that influence beginning teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning in diverse classrooms. Teachers’ beliefs inform their instructional practice, which in turn has direct bearing on their students’ success. Interview data was collected as part of a larger study by the Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education. Fifteen pre-service teachers and 13 new teachers sorted the data using Trochim’s (1989) group concept mapping method to identify themes. Pre-service teachers identified four distinct themes: (a) education, (b) practicum/collaboration, (c) work experience, and (d) personal experience with diversity. New teachers identified eight distinct themes: (a) education/training, (b) overall teaching experience, (c) classroom experience with exceptionalities, (d) learning from students, (e) teacher collaboration, (f) learning from personal experience, (g) organizations, and (h) other. These results underscore the importance of both professional and personal experiences and implicate teacher education programs and schools in the development process.