A Framework for Preparing EFL Student Teachers to Teach English to Students with Special Educational Needs in Egypt Using Inclusive Education

This research study aims to explore the current state of EFL student teacher education programmes in preparing teachers to teach English to students with special educational needs (SEN) in Egypt and other Arab-speaking countries, and subsequently, to propose a framework for preparing English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers to teach students with SEN in Egypt based on experiences in Egypt and other Arab-speaking countries. This involves identifying the main challenges and needs of EFL student teachers and their educators in relation to teaching English to students with SEN in Egypt based on experiences in other Arab-speaking countries along with the existing policies and practices that support or hinder the implementation of inclusive education for EFL learners with SEN in Arab-speaking countries in general and Egypt in particular. The proposed framework is based on a review of the literature on inclusive education (IE) and foreign language teaching for SEN learners, as well as semi-structured interviews with 50 EFL teacher educators from seven Egyptian universities. The study identifies three main components of the framework: (1) developing general and pedagogical knowledge and skills of EFL teachers to cater for the diverse needs of SEN learners, (2) enhancing self-efficacy beliefs and positive attitudes of EFL teachers towards IE and SEN learners, and (3) incorporating relevant information and communication technology (ICT) tools to support EFL teaching and learning for SEN learners. The paper also discusses the challenges and implications of implementing the framework in the Arab context, especially in Egypt, and suggests directions for future research.