catherine only

Teacher Preparation Programs

Abstract Comment by Anonymous: Your abstract is really long – while it summarizes everything in the paper, I recommend that you look at potential journals that you’re interested in to see what their word limit is for their abstracts. Most journals have a word limit of about 150 to 250.

Poor attitudes towards teacher training programs by the policymakers have had a huge impact on the education of children with disability. This has been contributed by the continuous poor speculations and perceptions among the key stakeholders who argue that the programs have not had a huge impact on the students not the teachers in their teaching techniques in school. Teachers who have attended teacher training programs have not showed any impact on their way of handling students with disabilities. This perception has grounded the growth of teacher training programs not only in the country but all over the world. This calls for research into the need for teacher training programs. This research is aimed at filling the gap between the perceptions and the teacher training programs. The findings of this research are projected to prove the existence of poor attitude towards the training of teachers programs. In addition, the research projects that there is a great impact on a teacher training program which has been shown by teachers teaching in special schools. There is also a connection between teacher training programs and quality education provision for students with various disability. The research also projects recommendations which can ensure that teacher training programs which has attracted poor attitudes can be transformed in order to provide quality education to students with special needs. The recommendations include integration of teacher’s coursework with hands-on practical to enable teachers to relate the two, carry out more research of importance of teacher training programs and also determine the impact of teacher training on students with special needs. The research applies a quota qualitative sampling method in the selection of the sample size. The sample group for the research is teacher training programs, special school teachers and lastly the education department for special education was chosen involving 2000 participants which gave a 100% representation. Data collected included the use of questionnaires and interviews for primary data and journals, articles and documentaries for secondary data. Data presentation used tables, charts and graphs. Analysis of the collected data applied narrative analysis in analyzing secondary data and discourse analysis in analyzing primary data. The results were presented widely and discussed to give a clear picture of the findings from the research study. All the research data from the research were also summarized to come up with a conclusion. The study has also cited gaps in the previous studies and given necessary suggestions which should be welcomed and used in the transformation of attitudes of the policymakers towards the training programs of teachers.

Key Words

Policymakers, Teacher Preparation, Attitude, Special Education.

Introduction

In recent times, there has been a worldwide shortage of teachers in special education while educations systems have been under fire for a failure to produce quality teachers who can impart learning effectively. According to Chitiyo & Muwana (2018), most education curriculums do not make any meaningful contribution to learners’ achievement or challenge their intellectual capabilities. As a result, they end up deterring bright and young students who are in pursuit of knowledge (Chitiyo&Muwana, 2018). Therefore, there is a need for additional teacher preparation programs that equip teachers with the skills as well as knowledge required to cater for learners with. In this regard, a teacher in special needs should have the knowledge on the needs of learner with disability besides the skill to use equipment that facilitates their learning. This research is essential in expounding on the various benefits that accompany teacher preparation programs. Special education programs are labor intensive and well crafted to create a relationship between theory and practice thus creating teachers who are well equipped to handle the need of the learners, especially those with diverse needs (Chitiyo&Muwana, 2018). Therefore, a teacher who has gone through an effective teacher training program will demonstrate clear programmatic vision while also being able to combine field experiences, learning theories, and subject-matter pedagogy (Villa et al., 2016). Another benefit of teacher preparation programs is that they offer varied experiences to teachers by focusing on diversity with the faculty on special education putting more emphasis on physically challenged students. Therefore, the teacher preparation programs help to change the perceptions of teachers about diverse learners while also enlightening them on the needs and challenges of such students. Comment by Anonymous: When you include this citation within a paragraph, spell out ‘and’. It is only when the citation is in parenthesis that you use ‘&’. Additionally, there should be spaces between the words. Comment by Anonymous: Refer to previous comment Comment by Anonymous: Same Comment by Anonymous: Seems like there is a missing word here.

Policy makers are responsible for formulating policies that govern the education system and teacher preparation programs. They have proved rigid in changing the policies that govern the education of special needs children and over the years have insisted on the separation of typical students and special needs students when providing their education (Villa et al., 2016). Therefore, a transformation of policymakers’ attitude towards teacher preparation program in special education will provide better learning conditions for special needs children. This research is aimed at highlighting the benefits of a teacher preparation programs in facilitating effective learning and hence help in changing the attitude of policymakers. Policymakers should change their attitudes about teacher preparation programs since they are essential in developing teachers who are competent and committed to handling students with special needs, impart teachers with the knowledge on how to handle specific challenges, help teachers in counseling learners who are undergoing difficulties, and train teachers how to operate machinery used by students who are physically challenged. Comment by Anonymous: Ok- statement of purpose.

Theoretical Framework

Research has shown that for this new approach to education to succeed, there has to be a change in the culture and attitudes of people (Martin, 2018). The problems that are currently being witnessed in the education system can be attributed to the current organization of schools, the nature of the curriculum and the methods of teaching being utilized (Martin, 2018).

Research Problem Comment by Anonymous: This was stated above in the introduction so I think it is redundant to provide this section again.

The research problem in this research is that policymakers have negative attitudes toward teacher preparation programs. Therefore, the objective is to change their perceptions and attitudes so that they can embrace these programs.

Research Question

The study will is trying to answer the question of; how can we change the attitudes of policymakers towards teacher preparation programs? Comment by Anonymous: ?

The key components of this study are policymakers, attitudes and teacher preparation programs. In an educational setup, policymakers are the people or bodies responsible for developing ideas and plans to be used by educational institutions (Walton &Rusznyak, 2014). They then combine those ideas and plans to draft policies which dictate rules, procedures, and standards that all educational institutions must follow. Examples of policymakers in our education system include school boards, education ministry, and the national government as they are all responsible for creating educational policies. On the other hand, an attitude refers to the way one regards another. According to Martin (2018), it can also be defined as an orientation that someone holds which influences their operations. For example, most Islamic countries in the past had negative attitudes towards women involvement in politics. Teacher preparation programs are the last crucial components in this study and they entail all pre-service training that teachers go through. In these programs, teachers are taught on matters such as inclusivity and how to handle learners with special needs once they get into service. Comment by Anonymous: The introduction of the definition of attitude is very abrupt.

How this Study Aims to Achieve its Objectives

To achieve its objective, this research study analyzes the weaknesses of relying on the current programs to achieve inclusivity of learners with special needs in our educational systems. By doing this, the study aims to demonstrate why education systems around the world should embrace teacher preparation programs for preparing their teachers before they start their practice. For example, Chireshe (2011) indicates that most teachers cannot attain actual compliment children with disabilities and they regard inclusivity as a hindrance to effective learning process in the classrooms. Villa et al., (2016) posit that the reason why policymakers do not see the value of teacher preparation programs is that there is a lack of support from stakeholders which affects their performance. In an effort to convince policymakers to change their negative attitudes and encourage teachers to embrace pre-service trainings, this study expounds on the benefits of teacher preparation programs. For example, Chitiyo&Muwana (2018) indicate that these programs equip teachers with specific skills on how to handle the special needs of learners while also enabling them to offer additional services such as counseling sessions. According to Walton &Rusznyak (2014), teachers in pre-service programs are also taught how to operate machinery and equipment used by children with special needs. By expounding on the benefits of these programs, this research study demonstrates why policymakers should change their attitudes and embrace them. Comment by Anonymous: Not sure what you mean by this. Comment by Anonymous: Refer above Comment by Anonymous: Refer to above comment about citations Comment by Anonymous: Will be helpful to include findings from this research – were teachers better able to help students after being taught how to operate machinery etc.?

Literature Review

Teacher preparation programs are taken by undergraduate and graduate students who have the desire to become teachers. They are also known as non-degree certification programs. In these programs, the students are educated on education pedagogy and are given the opportunity of having student-teacher experiences. The coursework for this program revolves around issues in education, student assessment, early childhood methods, language and literacy, educational psychology and child or adolescent development. One of the emerging issues in the education system in the inclusion of learners with disabilities in regular school. The structural changes taking place in teacher preparation programs are mainly as a response to the increase in the demand for inclusive practices in schools. Comment by Anonymous: The transition between the two paragraphs is a bit awkward.

Some schools lack the required facilities for accommodation of students with disabilities. (Chireshe, 2011). These facilities are essential for allowing effective learning among students with special needs. For example, those with eyesight problems may need visual aids to be able to see information written in whiteboards by the teachers in classrooms. Policymakers should ensure that institutions have the necessary infrastructure that accommodates all types of learners. If a school has special equipment for learners with special needs, teachers should be trained on their operation to ensure that they offer the necessary support to those learners at all times (Chireshe (2011). Thus, policymakers should encourage institutions to invest in facilities that aid learners with special needs and train teachers on the use of support equipment.

Inclusivity in education entails the act of placing learners, with and without disabilities, in the same classroom.  Most teachers lack the knowledge of dealing with students with disabilities such as educational challenges that range from behavioral disturbance disorders to learning difficulties (Lewis et al., 2017). One reason why they lack this knowledge is the lack of exposure to teacher preparation programs that would equip them with the knowledge on how to handle learners with special needs in an out of the classroom (Lewis et al., 2017). Therefore, it is important that teachers enroll in such programs as this will equip them with the skills and knowledge that is allowed to ensure educational inclusivity for all. Comment by Anonymous: Good

Most teachers are not well trained on how to handle inclusivity classes. Most teacher trainees believe that including students with special needs in their daily classroom teaching will negatively impact on their teaching methods and disrupt the teaching programs (Lewis, Wheeler & Carter, 2017). However, the reason why some teachers find it difficult to adopt inclusivity in classrooms is that they are not well trained on how to handle learners with special needs. Moreover, such teachers do not possess the necessary skills or knowledge on how to successfully implement inclusive education. Nevertheless, this problem can be solved by reconstructing teacher training program into a single acceptable program is one way that has been proposed to reshape the program. For inclusive education to be a success, there has to support from various stakeholders such as the government, education institutions, students, parents, and the society at large (Villa et al. 2016). However, this problem could be solved if all the stakeholders collaborated in supporting the teachers, for example, through organizing workshops and seminars for the teachers on special education and supporting them to enroll for training programs (Villa et al., 2016). Consequently, the teachers will feel supported and be more willing to accommodate more learners with special needs in their classrooms. Comment by Anonymous: I think you can merge this paragraph with the one above it. You seem to be discussing inclusivity in both paragraphs. In the top paragraph it appears as though you were done discussing inclusivity and then in this bottom paragraph you brought up the discussion again so it is a bit confusing.

Teachers who dislike the idea of all-inclusive systems tend to become uncomfortable with having learners with special needs in their classrooms and they may pass this discontent to other students who do not have any challenges. Such cases could result in a rift between normal learners and those with special needs (Martin 2018). However, this would not be the case if a teacher has undergone teacher preparation programs as they will have knowledge and skills on how to handle students with special needs without strain. Additionally, attending such programs helps a teacher to understand that learners have different capabilities and the goal is to accommodate everyone without discrimination (Martin, 2018). For example, if there is a learner who is facing learning difficulties, the teacher should not put pressure on them to perform in academics since the aim of teaching is not just to achieve academic results but it also involves developing all rounded individuals. In special education, the aim of teaching involves producing learners who are morally upright and have desirable values such as compassion, love, and honesty. Comment by Anonymous: Citation?

In 2000, the University of Denver, School of Education merged special and general education which led to all the students from different courses taking the same core courses. Special education majors did not share any aspects with those of general education. The changes required that instructors of a particular course met regularly with a lead instructor. The lead instructors also met every month to ensure support of the program, address issues raised by students, address program-level issues and mentor new faculty members (Sobel, Iceman-Sands & Basile, 2007).

Social Justification

Special schools all over the country and beyond has been neglected for a long time. The lack of adequately trained teachers in handling these children has denied the children access to quality education. Offering and supporting the teachers training programs offers many benefits to the society. children with disabilities will access better education which can help them in socializing at home. The quality education will also help the children I acquiring employment after their school. Comment by Anonymous: ?

Research Methodology

This research requires exclusive research which will give a clear picture of the reasons why policymakers over the years have had a poor attitude towards teacher training programs. Therefore this research will use a sample size of 2000 respondents. The response needs to represent the views of all stakeholders in the special education teacher training programs. Therefore, the respondents will be drawn from five teacher training colleges for special students from within the country. This will give a sample of 1000 respondents forming fifty per cent response. The next sample will be drawn from special schools within the country which will give the 800 respondents to give forty per cent response. The last group will be drawn from the department of education special learning section which will give the last ten per cent response. The sample size has been picked in order to give a wider perspective of the real problem facing the teacher training (Silverman, 2016). Comment by Anonymous: Consider rewriting Comment by Anonymous: While having a large sample size will be helpful to represent the views of all stakeholders (as mentioned in this paper), how feasible/likely are you are to get 1800 responses? And how will such a large number of respondents affect the timeline of data collection, coding and analysis?

Sampling

The qualitative sampling method was used in data collection. According to Palinkas, (2015), the quota sampling method is the best method of sampling. This is because of the ability of the method to collect information to its saturation level. In addition to the large sample size selected, this method will provide quality results which will reflect the true facts.

Data Collection Methods and Procedures Comment by Anonymous: Has data been collected? If not, pay attention to grammar in this section.

Data collection was done in sections. The first section was used in collecting data from the colleges selected to participate in the research. The process will utilize questionnaires both the structured and the unstructured ones to get quality information. Interviews will be used in addition to the questionnaires. The second section involved the collection of data from the teachers in special schools selected throughout the country. The process utilized both the structured and unstructured questionnaires. Interviews were used alongside the questionnaires. The third section involved the collection of data from the department of special education for children with disability. During the process of data collection, the respondents were notified and their consent requested. The research was done in groups for each section where each section had at least two groups depending on the size of the respondents in the section. The groups were assigned time for the interview and the questionnaires. For the interviews, the recording of the sessions was done to avoid the bias of information.

Participants

This research study will have participants from the three aforementioned sources which are teachers training colleges, the education special teachers training departments and special schools in the country.

Colleges

Colleges are the major source of knowledge and the main special education teachers training programs are offered there. This part of the sample is very critical for the study as it will contain tutors, managers and other facilitators. Respondents from each of these sections within the college will be given a chance to give an equal number of participants to represent the college in the research. The respondent requirement will be the position they hold and the number of experience each respondent should have. This information is critical to the study as it widens the perspective of the researcher. In addition, more experience and senior positions have more understanding of what happens in the institution and possible areas of need in the institution. Respondent’s selection will also take into consideration the gender equality and geographical locations to allow wider response perspective. All these factors are key in the provision of quality data from the research study.

Special Schools

Special schools in our case represent schools which offer education for children with disability. These schools are fewer compared to normal schools in terms of numbers. This gives the research an upper hand in covering as many schools as possible. The respondents from special schools will give 40% of the respondent which is eight hundred participants. The participants will be drawn from forty different special schools from within the country. Each school will choose 20 respondents to participate in the research study. This respondent will represent all the teachers from special schools in the country. The selection of the teachers to participate in the research study will follow a certain criterion which are, the number of years in service, the position held by the respondent, gender equality will be a factor to avoid gender bias, geographical location and lastly the willingness to participate in the research study. These factors are critical in determining the type of response received from the respondents. Geographical location has been considered because a variance in the locations of respondents may give a different opinion.

Education Department For Special Program

This is the department within the education ministry will is responsible for training and supervising special schools. This section forms an important part of the research study because it contains critical information why the program has not been widely embraced, the challenges as well as the possible solutions for implementation in the programs. This part of the respondent will contribute 10% to the study. Criteria for selection and participation in the research study will be in relation to the number of years of service/ experience, the position, geographical location of the employee and lastly gender and geographical location. The responses from this section will be fit for research because it has attained gender and geographical equality in participation.

Secondary Data

The above methods were used in the collection of primary information for the research study. Secondary data is collected from the university library archives. Articles and journals are used in addition to books in providing secondary data. According to Quinlan, Babin, Carr & Griffin, (2019), secondary data is very important, especially in a qualitative research study. This is because the information attained from the secondary sources links the researcher and the researchers using the written and documented information about the idea. In addition, secondary information acts as a gap link between what has been researched on and what needs to be researched on. This creates a clear purpose of why the research should be carried out and what specific information to look for and to collect using the primary data collection methods. Therefore, the use of secondary data will be used to direct the study in during questionnaire development and data collection process.

Data Analysis

Data Presentation and Coding Comment by Anonymous: Has this been done? Please pay attention to the use of tenses in this section.

After the collection of the data, both primary and secondary, coding was done. Coding of the data helps the researcher in understanding the respondent’s point of view (Sutton, & Austin, 2015, 226). Coding was important in the classification of the collected data in accordance with its similarities, differences, themes as well as the emerging issues.

After coding has been done, data is presented using tables, graphs and charts. The tables are used in the presentation of demographical information, educational background information and during the analysis of the data. Charts and graphs are used in the presentation of the trends in the number of training programs, the flow of resources for special education teacher training programs and lastly for the growth in the number of colleges training special education teachers.

After the coding process, identification of patterns as well as the relationship between the data collected. This process entails the collection and classification of themes from the collected data. The second step will be to establish the importance of the responses given during the research and generate connections between the topics and try to possible explanations for the information. The research will use QDA software in the organization of the data, coding, and relationship development. Comment by Anonymous: ?

Data Collected Will Be Analyzed to Come Up With Results For The Study.

Discourse Data Analysis Method

Qualitative data analysis exploits the use of various analytical methods. This research study utilized a discourse analytical method. This method is best in analyzation of both questionnaire and interviews research (Greenhalgh, et al. 2016). This method of data analysis emphasizes on the language used by the respondents and their ability to express themselves towards a given condition. This information is very critical because it helps in understanding the response better in addition to the information being collected from them. This method is applied in the analysis of primary data collected from the field.

Narrative data analysis

Data collected from secondary sources contain information in different versions which are written. This information requires a method that a clear method which can be best used in the analysis of this information in order to deliver the desired results. The narrative analytical method is preferred for this type of data analysis. The method highly relies on the stories of the authors and how they told they part of the story. This method utilizes software such as ATLAS. In the analysis of data. The software assists in the cataloguing, penetration as well as analyzation of the data collected from the research study which in this case are secondary sources. According to Flick, (2018), this method is preferred for secondary data sources such as articles, journals, observation records as well as autobiography documentaries. The method collaborates the information using the software in order to come up with an agreed relationship between the data collected.

Results Comment by Anonymous: I’m assuming there are no results yet since this is just a proposal, so pay attention to the use of grammar in the above sections.

Results from the study are given after the collection, presentation and analysis of the data both primary and secondary data. The results will reflect the true findings of the study from the field. These results may differ or support the hypothesis of the research. However, the research findings and results from this study are expected to support the research hypothesis. The hypothesis is that there are poor attitudes by policymakers towards the teacher preparation programs in relation to special education for children with disability. The hypothesis also states that most teachers lack the required knowledge for teaching in classrooms. Comment by Anonymous: This was not introduced previously, so introducing this here is a bit jarring. I recommend introducing your hypothesis earlier – possibly under a section on purpose of present study.

Discussion Comment by Anonymous: Good

Policymakers have a negative attitude towards teacher preparation programs because they believe that they do not improve teachers’ outcomes. According to Villa et al. (2016), they believe that conducting those programs is a waste of resources since they do not impact the teacher trainees’ with the required skills and expertise to handle inclusivity effectively. The policymakers also believe that teachers who have attended such programs do not demonstrate additional competence when handling learners with special needs when compared to teachers who are not exposed to the programs (Villa et al., 2016). Since there is a lack of distinction between teachers who have pre-service training and those who have not, most policymakers argue that the teacher preparation programs should be removed from educational systems. In addition, policymakers hate the teacher preparation programs as they believe that they have not solved inclusivity problems in our educational system. Despite the vast advocacy efforts on inclusivity, education systems still face criticisms from their failure to effectively provide quality education to all children with special needs (Villa et al., 2016). As a result, the policymakers argue that the programs are not effective as they have not helped in solving issues on the ground.

Despite the negative attitudes by policymakers, a study on teacher preparation programs indicates that they contribute significantly to improving learning outcomes. The effectiveness of any education system is dependent on the quality of its teachers. According to Chitiyo&Muwana (2018), teachers are the primary determinants of whether an education system achieves its goals and objectives. Hence, it is of profound importance that a teacher has the necessary attributes such as commitment, competence, and resourcefulness. With this in mind, policymakers should place great emphasis on recruiting highly trained teachers who can impart effective learning. Apart from recruiting competent teachers, Chitiyo&Muwana (2018) argue that policymakers should also ensure there is quality professional education and teachers are given in-service training. The advantage of these teacher preparation programs is that they equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to handle the teaching-learning process while also exposing them to educational trends and practices (Chitiyo&Muwana, 2018). For this reason, a teacher who has gone through an effective preparation program is more adept at handling learners with special needs as he or she is conversant with their needs and how to assist them.

Teacher preparation programs trains teachers on specific skills that are essential in handling learners with special needs. For example, some in-service training programs help teachers in particular areas such as how to handle learners with hearing impairment, learning disabilities, or mental problems (Chitiyo & Muwana, 2018). Most teacher training colleges do not offer courses on such crucial areas which creates the need for additional preparation programs that can focus on specific areas according to a person’s areas of interests. Moreover, some preparation programs offer cross-categorical courses covering numerous disabilities such as physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, sensory disabilities, and behavioral disorders, among others (Chitiyo&Muwana, 2018). Given that most states experience a shortage of special education personnel, such programs are essential in promoting inclusivity in education systems. A teacher who has undergone training through such a program will know how to handle learners with special needs according to their various disabilities.

Teacher preparation programs also enable teachers to provide any additional services that learners with special needs may require. For example, students who are physically challenged may face feelings of low self-esteem, loneliness, or feel rejected. As a result, such students require constant counseling services to motivate them and develop their self-worth. As Chitiyo&Muwana (2018) postulate, a teacher who is well trained on their challenges is more suitable for counseling services as opposed to one who is not. Thus, teacher preparation programs are essential as they impart teachers with such knowledge thus enabling them to be not just teachers but also motivators and counselors. Apart from counseling, other programs will impart teachers with knowledge of other aspects such as speech and physical therapy.

Another benefit of teacher preparation programs is that they enable teachers to model their teaching and instruction according to the needs of their learners. According to Walton &Rusznyak (2014), teachers who have attended pre-service training are taught how to use different methods of instruction in instruction and how to operate machinery or equipment used by learners who are physically challenged. In inclusive classes, teachers will, therefore, use different methods of instruction to impart learning. For example, if a classroom consists of one learner who has eyesight problems, a teacher may opt not to use whiteboards in instruction as it may not be suitable for the learner. Instead, the teacher may use other methods such as handouts to offer instruction. Thus, teachers who have gone through pre-service training are ideal as they are conversant with different methods of instruction and equipment for children with special needs which they use in different classroom situations.

Conclusion

The failure of current education programs to make meaningful contributions to learners, especially those with special needs, creates the need for additional teacher preparation programs. Therefore, policymakers should change their negative attitudes towards teacher education and instead support those programs as they are essential in solving major problems in the current systems. Previous research done on the current curriculums indicate various weaknesses such as the failure to effectively address learners with special needs, lack of necessary facilities and infrastructure, the reluctance of teachers to embrace inclusivity in classrooms due to low training, and lack of support from stakeholders such as national governments (Villa et al., 2016). However, a study of teacher preparation programs indicates that they present various benefits such as creating competent and committed teachers who understand learners’ needs (Chitiyo & Muwana, 2018). Also, they impart teachers with specific skills such as counseling abilities and how to handle challenges like hearing disabilities and learning difficulties while also training teachers how to operate equipment used by children with special needs. These skills and abilities are not taught in normal teachers colleges which signify the need for additional teacher preparation programs.

Recommendations Comment by Anonymous: Good

One way of improving teacher preparation programs entails integrating coursework with field experiences to maximize a prospective teacher’s knowledge and skill development. According to Houston-Powell (2014), a teacher who has theoretical knowledge on how to handle learners with special needs may still fail if he or she has not interacted with them at a personal level hence the essence of field works. Additionally, the teacher preparation programs should demonstrate high levels of student collaboration and emphasize instructional methods to enable a teacher to handle adversity better (Houston-Powell, 2014). Thus, policymakers should change their negative attitudes towards teacher training processes and instead incorporate programs that create a balance between classroom learning and field experiences to improve the impact of teachers on learners with special needs.

Another way to improve the impact of teacher preparation programs is increasing the research on their usefulness on special education. Lately, policymakers have criticized teacher education saying it does not reflect the needs of the learners to the extent that some of them are proposing the abandonment of classrooms (Houston-Powell, 2014). To demonstrate the value of teacher education, there needs to be vast research on how training teachers improve their competence and ability to impart learning to all types of learners. Currently, there is minimal research on how the knowledge gained in teacher preparation programs impacts on special education teachers or their students (Houston-Powell, 2014). If research is done on the various programs and how they make a difference in teachers’ abilities, policymakers might change their negative attitudes towards teacher education and embrace it.

Determining the required outcomes of teacher education is another way to change the negative attitudes of policymakers towards teacher preparation programs. Apart from determining the valued outcomes, there should also be a clear way of assessing these outcomes (Houston-Powell, 2014). Some of the criterion measures could involve classroom retention and the teacher’s knowledge that is useful for students (Houston-Powell, 2014). Consequently, it will be easier to ascertain the impact of teacher training programs on both the teacher’s and learner’s development. Again, there should be a set standard for every teacher in special education since the field is of a complex nature. In this regard, every teacher who has undergone training on special education must demonstrate the ability to impart learning on students with various needs, instruct different content areas, and engage with learners in different roles (Houston-Powell, 2014). Additionally, a teacher’s competence in the classroom should also be measured by the student outcomes and the results used as evidence to support teacher preparation programs (Houston-Powell, 2014). For example, national assessments do not indicate essential outcomes in learners with special needs such as their ability to socialize freely or live independently (Houston-Powell, 2014). Therefore, teachers in special education should be assessed differently from other teachers and this knowledge is useful in understanding the value of preparation programs.

Federal governments and educational organizations should support and fund more teacher preparation programs. According to Houston-Powell (2014), teacher training, especially on special needs, is a complex process as the trainees play varied roles and handle students with different challenges. As a result, the special education community needs a lot of support from other stakeholders to enable them to handle the daily complexities they encounter every day. As Lipkin & Okamoto (2015) indicate, around 15% of the learners in the US have a special need and therefore, they play a significant role in the country’s education system. With this support, there will be more inclusivity for children who are physically challenged as their special needs are addressed. Additionally, the funding will allow for extensive research on ways to help students with special, needs thus increasing the teachers’ knowledge and competence in the field.

References

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Chitiyo, M., &Muwana, F. C. (2018). Positive Developments in Special Education in Zambia and Zimbabwe. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 14(1).Retrieved fromhttps://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1181432

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Villa, R. A., Thousand, J. S., Van der Klift, E., Udis, J., Nevin, A. I., Kunc, N., & Chapple, J. (2016). Questions, concerns, beliefs, and practical advice about inclusive education. Leading an Inclusive School: Access and Success for All Students.Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?

Walton, E., &Rusznyak, L. (2014). Affordances and limitations of a special school practicum as a means to prepare pre-service teachers for inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(9), 957-974.Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2013.872203