Effective Teacher Education for Inclusion

“This is an important book, full of rich insights, that presents a refreshing approach to addressing the challenges of inclusion by boldly engaging with complexity and advocating for the vital preparation of new teachers through navigating the historical, political, and practical hurdles they will face. In doing so, the book confronts the prevailing neoliberal culture that has marketised education, fragmented teacher agency, and standardised practices, thereby marginalising the most vulnerable in our schools. Grounded in research, Deborah thoughtfully emphasises the importance of recognising and reclaiming the intellectualisation of teacher preparation as an integral feature of higher education, highlighting the professional obligations required to support all children. This book is therefore an essential read for anyone interested in thoughtful consideration of teacher development and inclusion as it offers important alternatives to the prevailing superficial orthodoxies that now exist. By advocating for the redesign and re-politicisation of teacher education Deborah offers important and intelligent insights to address urgent questions, offering a new model of inclusion education that emerges through an enriched curriculum capable of challenging the neoliberal discourses that currently perpetuates the inequalities in our education system.” David Spendlove, Associate Dean and Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, UK. “This is an important book, full of rich insights, that presents a refreshing approach to addressing the challenges of inclusion by boldly engaging with complexity and advocating for the vital preparation of new teachers through navigating the historical, political, and practical hurdles they will face. In doing so, the book confronts the prevailing neoliberal culture that has marketised education, fragmented teacher agency, and standardised practices, thereby marginalising the most vulnerable in our schools. Grounded in research, Deborah thoughtfully emphasises the importance of recognising and reclaiming the intellectualisation of teacher preparation as an integral feature of higher education, highlighting the professional obligations required to support all children. This book is therefore an essential read for anyone interested in thoughtful consideration of teacher development and inclusion as it offers important alternatives to the prevailing superficial orthodoxies that now exist. By advocating for the redesign and re-politicisation of teacher education Deborah offers important and intelligent insights to address urgent questions, offering a new model of inclusion education that emerges through an enriched curriculum capable of challenging the neoliberal discourses that currently perpetuates the inequalities in our education system.” David Spendlove, Associate Dean and Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, UK.