Becoming Inclusive: A Collection and Analysis of the Perceptions of Newly Qualified General Elementary Education Teachers on their Preparedness for Teaching in Inclusive Settings

The main research question this study will focus on is “How do newly qualified general elementary education teachers perceive their preparedness to teach in inclusive settings?’ After researching the literature on this topic, it has become clear that there is a need for more research regarding the preparedness of newly qualified general elementary education teachers (NQTs) to teach in inclusive settings. The goal of this study is to discover what areas teachers felt like they needed to build more proficiency in to successfully teach inclusion. To collect this information, 5 NQTs were interviewed, and their interviews were transcribed and coded to create common themes between participants. The results of this study indicated that NQTs felt they would be better prepared to teach in inclusive settings had they had more special education coursework and hands-on experiences in placements. The results from this research can be used to reform curriculum or requirements for bachelors of elementary education candidates in the coming years