Although Canada is often regarded as a leader in inclusive education, reports note that many students’ needs remain unmet and inclusion is typically implemented by placing students in mainstream classrooms with individualized accommodations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of seven early career K–6 public general education teachers in Ontario (1–4 years of practice) as they engaged in inclusive education and prepared to teach students with special needs. Participants reported that teacher preparation coursework presented inclusive models only superficially, professional development was fragmented and insufficient prompting self-directed learning and structural constraints in schools limited individualized support. Teachers described feelings of fatigue and overwhelm when meeting diverse learner needs and identified specific gaps in preparation such as requiring more practical training in adapting instruction, supporting diverse learners, and interpreting and developing IEPs. These findings indicate that despite policy-level commitments to inclusion, current teacher education and PD provide uneven and inadequate preparation for creating truly inclusive classrooms.
","abstract_html":"<p>Although Canada is often regarded as a leader in inclusive education, reports note that many students’ needs remain unmet and inclusion is typically implemented by placing students in mainstream classrooms with individualized accommodations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of seven early career K–6 public general education teachers in Ontario (1–4 years of practice) as they engaged in inclusive education and prepared to teach students with special needs. Participants reported that teacher preparation coursework presented inclusive models only superficially, professional development was fragmented and insufficient prompting self-directed learning and structural constraints in schools limited individualized support. Teachers described feelings of fatigue and overwhelm when meeting diverse learner needs and identified specific gaps in preparation such as requiring more practical training in adapting instruction, supporting diverse learners, and interpreting and developing IEPs. These findings indicate that despite policy-level commitments to inclusion, current teacher education and PD provide uneven and inadequate preparation for creating truly inclusive classrooms.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ray, Alexandra E"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Jennifer Galipeau","Jennifer DeBurro"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:42Z","subjects":["Inclusive classroom","teacher preparedness","inclusive education","practicum teaching","professional development","special education","special needs","support","Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/69","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Jennifer Galipeau","Jennifer DeBurro"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ray, Alexandra E"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Inclusive classroom","teacher preparedness","inclusive education","practicum teaching","professional development","special education","special needs","support","Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/69"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Although Canada is often regarded as a leader in inclusive education, reports note that many students’ needs remain unmet and inclusion is typically implemented by placing students in mainstream classrooms with individualized accommodations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of seven early career K–6 public general education teachers in Ontario (1–4 years of practice) as they engaged in inclusive education and prepared to teach students with special needs. Participants reported that teacher preparation coursework presented inclusive models only superficially, professional development was fragmented and insufficient prompting self-directed learning and structural constraints in schools limited individualized support. Teachers described feelings of fatigue and overwhelm when meeting diverse learner needs and identified specific gaps in preparation such as requiring more practical training in adapting instruction, supporting diverse learners, and interpreting and developing IEPs. These findings indicate that despite policy-level commitments to inclusion, current teacher education and PD provide uneven and inadequate preparation for creating truly inclusive classrooms.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Exploring Early Career Public General Education K–6 Teachers’ Experiences With Their Training For Teaching Special Education Students In Inclusive Classrooms"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Jennifer Galipeau","Jennifer DeBurro"],"dc:creator":["Ray, Alexandra E"],"dc:description.abstract":["Although Canada is often regarded as a leader in inclusive education, reports note that many students’ needs remain unmet and inclusion is typically implemented by placing students in mainstream classrooms with individualized accommodations. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of seven early career K–6 public general education teachers in Ontario (1–4 years of practice) as they engaged in inclusive education and prepared to teach students with special needs. Participants reported that teacher preparation coursework presented inclusive models only superficially, professional development was fragmented and insufficient prompting self-directed learning and structural constraints in schools limited individualized support. Teachers described feelings of fatigue and overwhelm when meeting diverse learner needs and identified specific gaps in preparation such as requiring more practical training in adapting instruction, supporting diverse learners, and interpreting and developing IEPs. These findings indicate that despite policy-level commitments to inclusion, current teacher education and PD provide uneven and inadequate preparation for creating truly inclusive classrooms.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dune.une.edu/edu_diss/69"],"dc:subject":["Inclusive classroom","teacher preparedness","inclusive education","practicum teaching","professional development","special education","special needs","support","Education"],"dc:title":["Exploring Early Career Public General Education K–6 Teachers’ Experiences With Their Training For Teaching Special Education Students In Inclusive Classrooms"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:42Z"}