Preservice Teacher Preparedness to Teach in the Inclusive Classroom Setting: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand how teacher preparation programs provided experiences with inclusive practice coursework for novice (no more than three years of experience) special education and general education teachers working with students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom setting at K-12 schools in Southwestern Missouri. The theory guiding this study was the Self-determination Theory (SDT) by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, as it focused on the social conditions that could allow for or hinder the flourishing of an individual. The central research question guiding this study was: How have teacher preparation programs provided experiences with inclusive practice coursework for K-12 special education and general education teachers working with students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom setting? A qualitative hermeneutical phenomenological study design was utilized for this research study. The study took place in the Southwest region of Missouri and involved a purposeful sampling of 10 participants working in local school districts with no more than three years of teaching experience who taught special education and/or general education. Extensive data collection came from in-depth interviews, reflective writing prompts, and questionnaires. A thorough analysis of the data indicated that the teacher preparation programs often fell short in delivering comprehensive coursework that focused on inclusive educational practices for K-12 educators, both regular and special education. The major thematic findings for this study were: Pre-service Coursework Lacked Inclusive Practices, Personal Development in Inclusive Education, and Challenges and Strategies for Inclusive Education.