Challenges of implementing inclusion in German teacher training programs

In this ED-TED podcast episode, Julius Rix interviews Professor Kerstin Merz-Atalik from the University of Education in Ludwigsburg, Germany, who discusses her involvement in various research projects and policy initiatives aimed at promoting inclusion in teacher education. She explains that past initiatives like the Teacher Education for Inclusion project (TE4I) run by the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education have shaped the way inclusion is implemented in teacher education in many European countries – e.g.  the National Framework for Inclusion in Scotland. In Germany, however, political structures and the lack of binding national standards have impeded changes in teacher education. Implementation efforts are mostly based on recommendations, leading to significant disparities between federal states and universities. Merz-Atalik emphasizes the need for national policies to ensure that teacher education programs effectively help preservice teachers to develop competences for inclusion. She also suggests that German teacher education programs need to co-operate with model schools and foster international collaborations to advance inclusive education.

Listen to the audio version:

Read the whole interview transcript here