Skills development for inclusive teaching

The development of inclusive education systems is one of the greatest challenges both nationally and internationally. This is linked to questions regarding the initial, further and continuing training of (prospective) teachers for inclusive schools. Until now, there has been a lack of suitable concepts that have been empirically validated in a comprehensive manner. The research project focussed on ways of developing the skills of students studying to become teachers at primary and special schools for inclusive teaching. The students took part in seminars on the development of inclusive teaching and inclusive schools. The students in the experimental group engaged in an active exchange with students from Austria and Italy - both through interactive teaching and learning formats and through reciprocal visits to the respective countries. The students in the control group only took part in the seminars during this time, as is usually the case. As part of the research project, the effects of different teaching and learning settings on students' skills development for inclusive teaching were analysed. The focus of the observations was on the question of whether and to what extent the confrontation and engagement with different inclusive education systems positively favours the development of students' skills.