Exploring Scottish pre-service teachers’ perceptions of poverty and their implications for initial teacher education

Despite sustained policy attention to close the poverty-related attainment gap in Scotland, child poverty continues to affect students’ educational experiences and outcomes. Teachers can play a role in addressing this challenge, yet their effectiveness depends on how they perceive and respond to poverty. This study explores pre-service teachers’ perceptions of poverty and teachers’ roles in addressing it. Qualitative data from 18 participants were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate that participants primarily perceive poverty as financial hardship, though some acknowledged broader constraints related to limited opportunities. Participants also emphasised that teachers’ actions can shape classroom dynamics in ways that either support or marginalise children experiencing poverty. The study highlights the need for ITE programmes to broaden pre-service teachers’ understandings of poverty beyond its financial aspects to include social and educational dimensions. By engaging with these, pre-service teachers can build the agency needed to design inclusive practices for children in poverty.