Developing inclusive pre-service and in-service teacher education : Insights from Zanzibar primary school teachers

Abstract

Developing inclusive teacher education to improve learning and schooling for all children is attracting increasing interest worldwide. This study examined teachers’ insights into the development of inclusive teacher education by drawing on collaborative action research conducted by 20 primary school teachers in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and self-reflective journals kept by the teachers and the first author. The qualitative thematic content analysis revealed: (1) the need to embed inclusive education and action research into pre-service and in-service teacher education curricula and (2) both school-based organisational learning and school–community and school–university collaborations may foster collaborative school cultures and inclusive inservice teacher education. The study discusses the role of teachers’ voices in informing teacher education development for educational equity and inclusion.