Preparing teachers for inclusive teaching
The Swedish case (A pilot study)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/ejie.v4i2.157093Keywords:
Inclusive education, teacher training, Sweden, Policy and practice, curriculumAbstract
Abstract
This paper aims to identify how inclusive education is implemented in teacher education programs in Sweden. Most Swedish teacher education programs include a short module (approximately 7.5 ECTS) that covers aspects of special education, conflict management, and social relations. However, there is limited knowledge about whether—and how—content related to inclusive education permeates the core curriculum (Miškolci et al., 2021). The Swedish context is shaped by collective action within a social democratic welfare state, a political and cultural background that has played a crucial role in challenging traditional special education and exclusionary practices. This context has fostered the development of concepts such as normalization, integration, and inclusion (Beach & Dyson, 2016).
Despite this progressive foundation, several studies highlight a significant gap between policy intentions and actual practices regarding inclusion. There is general agreement among both researchers and practitioners that a fundamental element of inclusive education is ensuring that all teachers are adequately prepared to teach all students (Paulsrud & Nilholm, 2020). This study investigates how inclusion is integrated into teacher education in Sweden, with a particular focus on the extent to which the ten principles of effective teacher education for inclusion (Van Peteghem & Consuegra, 2021) are embedded in the curriculum of general teacher education programs for primary and secondary schools at a Swedish university, and how these principles are perceived in practice. Although the broader study aims to explore all ten principles, this pilot project addresses selected aspects of them. The analytical framework for the data analysis is based on these ten principles. Preliminary findings from the pilot study, supported by a literature review, suggest that the concept of inclusive education is only marginally integrated into various subject areas and content domains. The pilot study concludes by highlighting the key challenges, opportunities, and dilemmas involved in preparing future teachers to create inclusive learning environments within their teaching practice.
References
Alquraini, T. A. S., & Rao, S. M. (2018). A study examining the extent of including competencies of inclusive education in the preparation of special education teachers in Saudi universities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 65(1), 108-122.
Arnaiz-Sánchez, P., De Haro-Rodríguez, R., Caballero, C. M., & Martínez-Abellán, R. (2023). Barriers to educational inclusion in initial teacher training. Societies, 13(2), 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13020031
Barow, T., & Berhanu, G. (2021). Inclusive education in Sweden: Policy, politics, and practice. In N. B. Hanssen, S.-E. Hansén, & K. Ström (Eds.), Dialogues between Northern and Eastern Europe on the development of inclusion: Theoretical and practical perspectives (pp. 35–51). Routledge.
Beach, D., & Dyson, A. (Eds.). (2016). Equity and education in cold climates: In Sweden and England. Tufnell Press.
Bel Habib, I. (2001). Elever med invandrarbakgrund i särskolan: Specialpedagogik eller disciplinär makt [Students with immigrant background in separate schools: Special education or disciplinary power]. Högskolan i Kristianstad.
Berhanu, G. (2008). Ethnic minority pupils in Swedish schools: Some trends in overrepresentation of minority pupils in special educational programmes. International Journal of Special Education, 23(3), 17–29.
Berhanu, G. (2016). Contemporary Swedish society and education: Inequities and challenges. In D. Beach & A. Dyson (Eds.), Equity and education in cold climates: In Sweden and England (pp. 43–59). Tufnell Press.
Berhanu, G., & Dyson, A. (2012). Special education in Europe: Overrepresentation of minority students. In J. Banks (Ed.), Encyclopedia of diversity in education (pp. 2070–2073). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Bui, X., Quirk, C., Almazan, S., & Valetti, M. (2010). Inclusive education, research and practice: Inclusion works. Coalition for Inclusive Education. Retrieved from https://teaching.common.cdl.edu
Bükki, E., & Fehérvári, A. (2021). How do teachers collaborate in Hungarian VET schools? A quantitative study of forms, perceptions of impact and related individual and organisational factors. Empirical Research in Vocational Education and Training, 13(1), 1–26.
Cochran-Smith, M. (2005). Studying teacher education: What we know and need to know. Journal of Teacher education, 56(4), 301-306.
De Boer, A., Pijl, S. J., & Minnaert, A. (2011). Regular primary school teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education: A review of the literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(3), 331–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903030089
Emanuelsson, I. (2005). Inclusive education in some Western European countries: Different policy rhetorics and school realities. In Contextualizing inclusive education (pp. 130–154). Routledge.
Ennerberg, E., & Economou, C. (2022). Career adaptability among migrant teachers re-entering the labour market: A life course perspective. Vocations and Learning, 15(2), 341–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-022-09294-w
Englund, T. (2005). The discourse on equivalence in Swedish education policy. Journal of Education Policy, 20(1), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/0268093042000322829
Engstrand, R. Z., & Roll‐Pettersson, L. (2014). Inclusion of preschool children with autism in Sweden: Attitudes and perceived efficacy of preschool teachers. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 14(3), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12020
European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. (2018). Analysis framework for mapping inclusive education policies. Odense, Denmark.
European Commission. (2010). European disability strategy 2010–2020: A renewed commitment to a barrier-free Europe. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52010DC0636
Florian, L. (2014). What counts as evidence of inclusive education? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 29(3), 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2014.933551
Florian, L., & Camedda, D. (2020). Enhancing teacher education for inclusion. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(1), 4–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2019.1708996
Friesen, D. C., & Cunning, D. (2020). Making explicit pre-service teachers’ implicit beliefs about inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24, 1494–1508. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1626817
Gidlund, U. (2018). Teachers’ attitudes towards including students with emotional and behavioural difficulties in mainstream school: A systematic research synthesis. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 17(2), 45–63.
Göransson, K., Bengtsson, K., Hansson, S., Klang, N., Lindqvist, G., & Nilholm, C. (2020). Segregated education as a challenge to inclusive processes: A total population study of Swedish teachers’ views on education for pupils with intellectual disability. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(14), 1367–1382. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1779635
Göransson, K., Nilholm, C., & Karlsson, K. (2011). Inclusive education in Sweden? A critical analysis. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(5), 541–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2010.507948
Gustafsson, J. E., & Yang Hansen, K. (2018). Changes in the impact of family education on student educational achievement in Sweden 1988–2014. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 62(5), 719–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2017.1305933
Haug, P. (2017). Understanding inclusive education: Ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 19(3), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2016.1224778
Helldin, R., Bäckman, Ö., Dwyer, H., Skarlind, A., Hugo, A. J., Nel, N., & Müller, H. (2011). Opportunities for a democratic pedagogy: A comparative study of South African and Swedish teachers' attitudes to inclusive education. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 11(2), 107–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-3802.2010.01163.x
Herrera-Seda, C., & Walton, E. (2025). Teacher education for inclusive education: A scoping review of Global South scholarship. Journal of Education for Teaching, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2025.2345678
Holmgren, R., & Pettersson, G. (2023). The vocational teacher, an inventor in special needs education: A study on Swedish vocational programmes. Nordic Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 13(2), 100–123. https://doi.org/10.3384/njvet.2242-458X.2312100
Isaksson, J., & Lindqvist, R. (2015). What is the meaning of special education? Problem representations in Swedish policy documents: late 1970s–2014. European journal of special needs education, 30(1), 122-137.
Jerlinder, K., Danermark, B., & Gill, P. (2010). Swedish primary-school teachers’ attitudes to inclusion: The case of PE and pupils with physical disabilities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(1), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856250903450800
Kurniawati, F., De Boer, A. A., Minnaert, A. E. M. G., & Mangunsong, F. (2014). Characteristics of primary teacher training programmes on inclusion: A literature focus. Educational Research, 56(3), 310–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2014.917099
Kwakman, K. (2003). Factors affecting teachers’ participation in professional learning activities. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19(2), 149–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00101-4
Magnússon, G., Göransson, K., & Lindqvist, G. (2019). Contextualizing inclusive education in educational policy: The case of Sweden. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 5(2), 67–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2019.1632531
McDonald, T. (2013). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning. Oxford University Press.
Miller, A. L., Wilt, C. L., Allcock, H. C., Kurth, J. A., Morningstar, M. E., & Ruppar, A. L. (2022). Teacher agency for inclusive education: An international scoping review. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26(12), 1159–1177. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1945123
Miškolci, J., Magnússon, G., & Nilholm, C. (2021). Complexities of preparing teachers for inclusive education: Case-study of a university in Sweden. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(4), 562–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2021.1880257
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Goh, S., & Cotter, K. (Eds.). (2016). TIMSS 2015 encyclopedia: Education policy and curriculum in mathematics and science. TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Center. http://timssandpirls.bc.edu/timss2015/encyclopedia/
OECD. (2015). Improving schools in Sweden: An OECD perspective. OECD Publishing. http://www.oecd.org/education/school/Improving-Schools-in-Sweden.pdf
Paulsrud, D., & Nilholm, C. (2020). Teaching for inclusion: A review of research on the cooperation between regular teachers and special educators in the work with students in need of special support. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1744265
Persson, B. (2011). Teacher education for inclusion country report: Sweden. European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. https://www.european-agency.org/projects/te4i/country-reports
Pinter, H. H., Bloom, L. A., Rush, C. B., & Sastre, C. (2022). Best practices in teacher preparation for inclusive education. In Research anthology on inclusive practices for educators and administrators in special education (pp. 822–840). IGI Global.
Reichenberg, M., & Berhanu, G. (2024). Addressing social disparities in special education placement in three welfare states: Student demographic correlates of the share of students identified with special educational needs at the school level using TALIS data. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24(4), 960–971. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12675
Rouse, M., & Florian, L. (2012). Inclusive practice project. Final Report
Sandberg, A., & Ottosson, L. (2010). Pre-school teachers’, other professionals’, and parental concerns on cooperation in pre-school: All around children in need of special support—the Swedish perspective. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(8), 741–754. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110903145382
Simoni Symeonidou, A. (2017). Initial teacher education for inclusion: A review of the literature. Disability & Society, 32(3), 401–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2017.1298992
Skolverket. (2019). TALIS 2018: En studie om lärares och rektorers arbete i grund- och gymnasieskolan. Delrapport 481. Skolverket.
Smith, K. (2021). Educating teachers for the future school: The challenge of bridging between perceptions of quality teaching and policy decisions: Reflections from Norway. European Journal of Teacher Education, 44(3), 383–398. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2021.1883981
Söderlund, G., Thoutenhoofd, E., Andersson, G. W., Gerrbo, I., & Berhanu, G. (2024). Inclusive education in Sweden: A survey of teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy and collaboration towards better meeting pupils’ learning. European Journal of Inclusive Education, 3(1), 142–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2024.1234567
Sveriges Riksdag. (1985). Education Act, SFS 1985:1100. https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/
Sveriges Riksdag. (2010). Education Act, SFS 2010:800. https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/
Takala, M., Hausstätter, R. S., Ahl, A., & Head, G. (2012). Inclusion seen by student teachers in special education: Differences among Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish students. European Journal of Teacher Education, 35(3), 305–325. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2012.684110
Thoutenhoofd, E. D., Söderlund, G., Andersson, G. W., Berhanu, G., & Gerrbo, I. (2020). Utvärdering av kompetensutvecklingsinsatsen Specialpedagogik för lärande (SFL). RIPS, Institutionen för pedagogik och specialpedagogik. http://hdl.handle.net/2077/67206
UNESCO. (2000). Education for all 2000 assessment: Global synthesis. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2005). Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to education for all. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2020). Inclusive teaching: Preparing all teachers to teach all students. Global Education Monitoring Report Team.
Van Peteghem, H., & Consuegra, E. (2021). Aandacht voor culturele diversiteit in de (leraren)opleiding. In Diversiteit in het hoger onderwijs: Van theoretisch kader naar praktijkgerichte verandering (pp. 129–145). ASP.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Girma Berhanu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (full legal code).
