This qualitative study aimed to determine the best initial teacher-training methods for a system that is moving towards inclusive education in the hope of obtaining educational equity. A thorough investigation of initial elementary-school teacher training in Israel was conducted to achieve this. The main objective of the research was to determine suitable guidelines for initial teacher training programs in Israeli teacher training institutions concerning inclusive education training due to the transition towards inclusive education in Israel. The study investigated the curriculum components that currently exist, are emerging, or are absent in Israeli elementary-school teacher training teacher colleges. The research question that was posed was as follows: What are the optimal existing, emerging, and absent components within the teacher training programs in Israel that assist teacher candidates in teaching successfully in heterogeneous classes, which include pupils with diverse needs?

Theoretical framework:

The study is grounded in the theoretical understanding of inclusive education as a process that fosters accessibility, participation, and engagement for all students, regardless of their challenges (UNESCO, 2020; OECD, 2023). The core principle is that education systems should adjust to accommodate students rather than expecting students to conform to existing structures. Inclusive education is a global priority, endorsed by organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD. The OECD (2023) highlights inclusive education as a means of ensuring quality education for all while respecting diversity. Studies have shown that inclusive education improves social cohesion and equal access to learning opportunities (Cerna et al., 2021).

Following an amendment to the Israeli special education law in 2018 aimed at increasing the number of children with diverse needs learning in general classes, schools in Israel have started implementing inclusive education practices. The general education classrooms in Israel are heterogeneous and demand that teacher knowledge be adapted accordingly. The primary responsibility for all pupils learning in general education, including those with diverse needs, rests with the general education teachers, with special education professionals providing support. Assimilating the concepts of inclusive education relies on changing paradigms within the existing education system, thus leading to an equity-based system. Underlying inclusive education is understanding and accepting that all pupils are entitled to participate in the general educational system despite differences, thus also dismantling racial injustice (EASNIE, 2019a; 2019b; UNESCO, 2019). Before the amendment of the law regarding inclusive education, research regarding the integration of children with special needs within general education classes encouraged providing general education teachers with only basic knowledge concerning special education needs. Like many other countries, Israel did not stipulate including inclusive education in initial teacher education programs. According to the Global Education Monitoring Report (UNESCO, 2020), teacher training programs should not highlight inclusion as a specialized, individual subject but as a core element of general teacher preparation. To date, there are no clear recommendations regarding inclusive education in initial teacher training programs.

The traditional curricula in Israel's initial teacher-training programs include theoretical and practical aspects. The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is a four-year degree based on programs that include, for the most part, a curriculum consisting of educational knowledge (e.g., methods of instruction, foundations of education, educational psychology, philosophy and sociology, assessment, etc.), discipline knowledge (e.g., mathematics, literature, biology, etc.) and hands-on practical fieldwork. The practical fieldwork occurs within educational frameworks (e.g., kindergartens or schools) throughout the first three years. The teacher education programs differ between sectors (e.g., early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special needs education). Content knowledge about diversity and special needs is usually added to the existing programs as supplementary courses.

The study was designed as a qualitative empirical study. There were thirty-four participants in the current study, including four heads of elementary school education programs at academic teaching colleges, seven pedagogical counselors who train the candidates in the schools, six teacher candidates studying in a B.Ed. elementary school teacher-education program, six elementary school principals, and eleven elementary school teachers. The colleges were chosen following statements affirming they had already begun implementing inclusive education within their B. Ed. elementary-school training programs. The interviewees from the teacher colleges were the heads of the elementary-school training programs, pedagogical counselors who taught in those programs, and teacher candidates who studied in those programs. The schools were chosen according to the program heads’ recommendations as schools that were implementing, at least to some degree, inclusive education within the schools. The interviewees from the schools were principals, and general education teachers selected according to the program heads' recommendations. All the program heads had a minimum of one-year seniority as program heads and had been pedagogical counselors for a minimum of five years. All the pedagogical counselors had at least three years of experience, and all had been teachers in general education schools before their work at the colleges. The program heads and pedagogical counselors taught at least one course connecting theory and practice. Except for one principal with only two years of seniority, they all had been principals for a minimum of three or more years. All the participating teachers had been teaching for a minimum of three years. The data was collected via semi-structured interviews conducted with each participant to learn about their experiences. Each of the 34 interviews was conducted as a semi-open conversation, with guiding questions added by the interviewer. The collected data underwent content analysis, focusing on the interviewees' words and constant comparison to ensure validity. The data underwent two stages of content analysis that were theory-driven. In the first stage, the authors read all the data as a whole, and in the second stage, they reviewed the themes together. When analyzing the data, peer debriefing and member checking established the trustworthiness and validity of the analysis. Peer debriefing was implemented as the researchers presented preliminary findings to a national educational forum established to advance inclusive education in teacher education in Israel. In addition, all the interviewees received their transcribed interviews and were asked to review them, thus employing member checks.

The content analysis yielded four major themes. The first was practical fieldwork experience, emphasizing its significance as crucial for training future teachers to teach in classrooms with diverse student populations. The second was theoretical knowledge, with the participants stressing the need to incorporate concepts of inclusive education and diversity throughout the training program. The third was practical tools necessary in the practical field experience, which was crucial for promoting optimal inclusive education. The fourth was professional development and included two subthemes: knowledge teacher educators have regarding inclusive education and professional development programs within the colleges. The themes that arose in the current study are not surprising, as they are the same challenges that one deals with in all initial teacher preparation programs. However, they underscore what is relevant to inclusive education and its related shortcomings. There is a clear gap between the principles stated in policy documents and the practical implementation of inclusive education within the initial teacher training programs. The teacher-training system must adjust to prepare teacher candidates for inclusive education and educational equity. The research uncovered a significant requirement for more training, professional growth, and well-defined standards for teacher training. Reforming initial teacher education programs to include training for inclusive education is imperative on a national and international level (EASNIE, 2019a; 2020; UNESCO, 2019). According to the Global Education Monitoring Report (UNESCO, 2020), approx. seventy countries have reported incorporating inclusive education in their initial teacher training. Hence, there is an urgent requirement to promote international teacher education reform. True reform mandates rethinking and restructuring the training programs. Regrettably, many countries are only making minor adjustments to their teacher training programs, such as adding courses or fieldwork or extending the length of the programs, instead of completely overhauling or reevaluating the programs.

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