Bridging gaps between theory and practice in inclusive education: Pakistani PSTs’ insights into the HHH apprenticeship framework

This study suggests an alternative approach for a teacher education course emphasising inclusive education guided by Shulman’s (2004) inclusion by heart, head, and hands (3H) framework in Pakistan. This approach integrates theories into a practical model for university and school-based curricula to reinforce partnerships involving both university academics, including teacher educators, and school teachers, co-teaching an inclusive education course. The aim was to investigate how such collaborative experience influenced the inclusive practices of pre-service teachers (PSTs) over a 6-weeks duration who were given training through a traditional and an apprenticeship approach. From each cohort, 12 PSTs were recruited (Experimental N = 12; Control N = 12), their insights gathered through semi-structured interviews during their practicum and analysed through thematic analysis. Findings indicate that the apprenticeship approach enabled PSTs to integrate real classroom practical examples from collaborating with school teachers, facilitating networks between inclusive education theory and practice in their teaching.