Opportunities and barriers to teaching English language in inclusive classrooms: Examples from the Styrian region in Austria

Inclusive education has grown to be a vital part of current social philosophy. Teachers are expected to guide society in managing groups of children with diverse abilities. Intending to examine English language teaching and learning in inclusive classrooms in the Austrian region, Styria, the study interviewed ten teachers regarding their perceptions, attitudes, and challenges they experience while teaching English in inclusive classrooms. Their responses reveal more general challenges in inclusive education than specific challenges while teaching English. The results highlight that these teachers are aware of children’s diverse learning skills and their cognitive abilities, and they understand that these skills/abilities need to be balanced with the teacher’s teaching style. They also report that the lack of teacher training for inclusive classrooms, the lack of ‘extra’ teaching material, and the lack of ‘extra’ teaching/learning environments make this balance difficult to achieve. In addition, their large class sizes present an additional challenge on inclusive education. Therefore, this study suggests the implementation of the abovementioned teachers’ needs that would provide both sustainable pocket opportunities and innovative pedagogical practices appropriate for diverse learners.