Transforming to Teach in an Inclusive Paradigm

Abstract

Since the Declaration of Salamanca and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we have moved to an inclusive paradigm with regard to school. Mainstream schooling has become the rule. Thus, teachers in regular classes must work with all students, including those with special educational needs. It is not easy; many teachers face dilemmas in accommodating all types of students in the same classroom. This conceptual paper proposes a framework based on Mezirow’s transformative learning for understanding the transformations in teacher pedagogy needed to work in an inclusive school. It can be used as a basis for developing training mechanisms to support teachers in their transformation to work in an inclusive school.