10th Annual Partnership Conference for Educational Renewal

The purpose of the study was to explore the change in teacher candidates' attitudes and beliefs about inclusion following an application-based online discussion paired with an 18-hour clinical experience in their EDCO202 course --Supporting the Exceptional and Gifted Learners in the General Education Classroom. These effects were examined while controlling for other influences on preservice teachers' perceptions of inclusion such as their personal history with a close family member or friend who is disabled. First, the participants will learn how teacher candidates' attitudes changed about the inclusion. This was assessed by a survey before and after their application-based interactive discussion and occurred during their clinical experience. Also, the study demonstrates how their attitudes were likely to have been impacted by the use of application-based online discussions. Second, they will learn how to implement application-based online discussions that robustly foster reflection and cognitive growth that is consistent with the tenets of sociocultural theory. To that end, the presenters will explain the course goals as well as corresponding examples of the application-based interactive discussions. In the context of this, the transformation of pre-service general education teachers' struggles with teaching students who have disabilities into healthy experiences will be shared, illustrating the way theories were actively reconciled with the messy realities of practice into an authentic schema of beliefs that are likely to optimally foster learning of students with disabilities. Subsumed within this process is fostering the cultivation of trusting peer-to-peer relationships through Blackboard's mobile applications (or apps in other Learning Management Systems).
As a result, the participants will be able to identify how to promote best practices informed by inclusive values among future general education teacher candidates. This is important, as the future of inclusive education relies on perspectives and attitudes of teachers who are responsible for supporting all students including students with special needs.