A Call for Action: Practicum Placement in Diverse Contexts as a Measure to Prepare Pre-service Teachers for Inclusive Classrooms

The increase in diversity of learners, including those with special needs, socioeconomic, linguistic, gender, ethnic minorities has informed the importance of integrating pedagogic responsiveness to diversity in pre-service teacher education programs[1] [2].  In contexts like the USA, co-teaching arrangements between general teachers and those with expertise in special needs education work together, sharing responsibilities for planning, delivery and assessment of learners[3]. Through co-teaching, students with additional learning needs remain in regular classrooms and gain access to both mainstream as well as specialized teaching and learning. However, this remains elusive in resource-constrained contexts especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), given budgetary and infrastructural limitations. Practicum placement of student teachers in diverse contexts provides an opportunity for them to gain inclusive pedagogical skills[4], especially in developing contexts such as SSA, where resource limitations necessitate that general classroom teachers provide access to learning for all learners in the class, without the support of special education specialists.