This study examines the perceptions and attitudes of department heads of teacher training programs towards inclusive education. In the past, differences among pupils were approached in terms of “gaps” that needed to be eliminated.  Differences among pupils in a class were considered, under the best of circumstances as a given reality, and in the worst cases, as a problem or a nuisance that needed to be eliminated. Today, there has been an attempt to change how diversity is perceived, and to value differences among pupils as an expression of individual uniqueness that needs to be maintained.

The principle of normalization was the main driving force behind the change from perceptions based on a medical paradigm to a humanistic one. This principle posits that a healthy society needs to accept all people, including those with disabilities. It leads to an approach that emphasizes the support systems needed to enable all children to overcome their limitations and difficulties.  The term “inclusion” describes how the educational system has incorporated this concept, and has created an instructional milieu that educates all pupils in the least restricted environment together with their peers while taking into account their needs, abilities and limitations.   The inclusion of youngsters with special needs in regular education requires a great deal of thought and an investment of resources. These efforts necessitate a fresh look at the way curriculum and teaching are organized in order to meet the varying needs of the pupils.

In Israel, the directives of the Education Ministry (2003) state that the majority of pupils with special needs can be given the support needed to be included in a regular classroom, and can benefit from this placement academically, socially and emotionally. 

The implementation of inclusion is not simple. One of the reasons for the confusion surrounding the inclusion of youngsters with disabilities stems from the lack of a single agreed upon definition of what constitutes inclusion. Both the meaning of inclusion as well as practical aspects remains ambiguous. This confusion exists, despite the official policy of the Israeli Ministry of Education.

This study focuses on teacher education.  Teacher training programs ought to be based on the new approaches toward children with special needs, and ought to be attuned to the present and future needs of the schools. Thus, teacher education programs need to be restructured and must take into account the fact that special education and regular education teachers will need to collaborate in the schools.

This study attempts to examine the educational perceptions of department heads of teacher education colleges in Israel regarding inclusion. It examines how they feel that the current reality of inclusion in the school system should impact the college curriculum for pre-service teachers. 

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