, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic 1 - The gap between policy and practice in training teachers for inclusive Page 3
classrooms in mainstream secondary schools.
Topic 2 - The role of assistive technology in promoting social participation of Page 10
learners with severe intellectual disabilities in inclusive primary schools.
Topic 3 - Barriers to curriculum accessibility for learners with specific learning Page 19
disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) in post-COVID-19 blended learning environments.
, THE GAP BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE IN TRAINING TEACHERS FOR
INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS IN MAINSTREAM SECONDARY SCHOOLS
1) Introduction
Inclusive education has emerged over the past three decades as a dominant paradigm within
educational policy discourse worldwide. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action
(UNESCO, 1994) proclaimed that regular schools with an inclusive orientation are the most effective
means of combating discriminatory attitudes, building inclusive societies, and achieving education
for all. Subsequent international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, United Nations, 2006) and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG 4), have reinforced the commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education. In
response, nations across the globe have enacted national inclusive education policies, legislation, and
strategic plans. In South Africa, Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001)
articulated a vision for an inclusive education system that recognises diverse learning needs and
removes barriers to learning. However, despite these robust policy frameworks, a persistent and
troubling gap exists between policy rhetoric and classroom reality. Teachers in mainstream
secondary schools consistently report feeling inadequately prepared to implement inclusive
pedagogies (Forlin, 2010; Florian & Linklater, 2010). The central research question guiding this
study is: How can initial teacher education programmes bridge the gap between inclusive education
policy and classroom practice in mainstream secondary schools? This question is examined through
three sub-questions: (1) What curriculum and pedagogical barriers within initial teacher education
programmes prevent pre-service secondary teachers from developing inclusive teaching
competencies? (2) How do pre-service secondary teachers perceive their readiness to implement
inclusive pedagogies at different stages of their initial teacher education programme? and (3) What
programme-level strategies and structural changes do teacher educators identify as necessary to align
initial teacher education with inclusive education policy mandates?
This literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing scholarship on inclusive
education policy, initial teacher education, and the policy-practice gap in mainstream secondary
schools. The review is organised thematically around the research questions. The first theme
explores the global and national policy frameworks mandating inclusive education and the gap
between policy rhetoric and classroom reality (UNESCO, 1994; United Nations, 2006; Department
of Education, 2001). The second theme examines the role of initial teacher education in perpetuating
or bridging the policy-practice gap, including curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and
practicum experiences (Florian, 2015; Forlin, 2010). The third theme investigates the specific
challenges of inclusive education in mainstream secondary schools, including subject specialisation,
high-stakes examinations, and large class sizes (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2013; van
Mieghem, Verschueren, Petry, & Struyf, 2020). The fourth theme explores the consequences of
inadequate teacher preparation for learners with diverse needs, including exclusion, stigmatisation,
and academic underachievement (de Bruin, 2019; Rose, Rajanahally, & Malli, 2019). The review
concludes by identifying gaps in the existing literature and positioning the current study within the
scholarly conversation.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Topic 1 - The gap between policy and practice in training teachers for inclusive Page 3
classrooms in mainstream secondary schools.
Topic 2 - The role of assistive technology in promoting social participation of Page 10
learners with severe intellectual disabilities in inclusive primary schools.
Topic 3 - Barriers to curriculum accessibility for learners with specific learning Page 19
disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) in post-COVID-19 blended learning environments.
, THE GAP BETWEEN POLICY AND PRACTICE IN TRAINING TEACHERS FOR
INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS IN MAINSTREAM SECONDARY SCHOOLS
1) Introduction
Inclusive education has emerged over the past three decades as a dominant paradigm within
educational policy discourse worldwide. The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action
(UNESCO, 1994) proclaimed that regular schools with an inclusive orientation are the most effective
means of combating discriminatory attitudes, building inclusive societies, and achieving education
for all. Subsequent international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, United Nations, 2006) and the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG 4), have reinforced the commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education. In
response, nations across the globe have enacted national inclusive education policies, legislation, and
strategic plans. In South Africa, Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001)
articulated a vision for an inclusive education system that recognises diverse learning needs and
removes barriers to learning. However, despite these robust policy frameworks, a persistent and
troubling gap exists between policy rhetoric and classroom reality. Teachers in mainstream
secondary schools consistently report feeling inadequately prepared to implement inclusive
pedagogies (Forlin, 2010; Florian & Linklater, 2010). The central research question guiding this
study is: How can initial teacher education programmes bridge the gap between inclusive education
policy and classroom practice in mainstream secondary schools? This question is examined through
three sub-questions: (1) What curriculum and pedagogical barriers within initial teacher education
programmes prevent pre-service secondary teachers from developing inclusive teaching
competencies? (2) How do pre-service secondary teachers perceive their readiness to implement
inclusive pedagogies at different stages of their initial teacher education programme? and (3) What
programme-level strategies and structural changes do teacher educators identify as necessary to align
initial teacher education with inclusive education policy mandates?
This literature review provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing scholarship on inclusive
education policy, initial teacher education, and the policy-practice gap in mainstream secondary
schools. The review is organised thematically around the research questions. The first theme
explores the global and national policy frameworks mandating inclusive education and the gap
between policy rhetoric and classroom reality (UNESCO, 1994; United Nations, 2006; Department
of Education, 2001). The second theme examines the role of initial teacher education in perpetuating
or bridging the policy-practice gap, including curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and
practicum experiences (Florian, 2015; Forlin, 2010). The third theme investigates the specific
challenges of inclusive education in mainstream secondary schools, including subject specialisation,
high-stakes examinations, and large class sizes (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2013; van
Mieghem, Verschueren, Petry, & Struyf, 2020). The fourth theme explores the consequences of
inadequate teacher preparation for learners with diverse needs, including exclusion, stigmatisation,
and academic underachievement (de Bruin, 2019; Rose, Rajanahally, & Malli, 2019). The review
concludes by identifying gaps in the existing literature and positioning the current study within the
scholarly conversation.
