A Comparative Analysis of Inclusion Practices in the United States and the Republic of Ireland: An International, Interdisciplinary Perspective of Teacher Training

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Higher education institutions can enhance the quality of teacher preparation programs by incorporating coursework on international perspectives in education. This 60-minute workshop reports on the learning outcomes of pre-service teachers enrolled in a course titled "A Comparative Analysis of Inclusion Practices in the United States and the Republic of Ireland" offered at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA, USA. Students and faculty from the Departments of Education and Occupational Therapy partnered with Mary Immaculate College and four Irish National Schools in Limerick, Ireland. Students broadened their perspectives on inclusion practices during classroom visitations and activities while abroad. Using video conferencing, the students continued their established relationships with their partner Irish teachers through semester-long collaboration on lesson planning and developing instructional resources. Students reported gaining a global perspective of problems of practice in special education and expanding their skills in collaboration. In addition to reporting on the learning outcomes of students enrolled in this course, the presenters will also share their experiences and ideas for developing and facilitating similar types of courses in other teacher preparation programs.

Stream: Teacher Training and Professional Development

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Carroll Tyminski currently serves as Chair of the Education Department at Elizabethtown College which prepares preservice teachers in the areas of Early Childhood Education, Elementary/Middle Level Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education. She has previously served as Associate Dean of Elizabethtown College. She has published a textbook on student teaching (2nd textbook in press)and articles on inclusion of special needs students, collaboration, and school violence. She presented a paper at the 2003 International Conference on Learning in London that was subsequntly published.

Elizabeth Coyle joined Elizabethton College in 2004 after receiving her doctorate at The Pennsylvania State University. She teaches the Behavior Management Concentration courses as well as Child and Adolescent Psychology. Prior to coming to Elizabethtoewn College, she taught graduate classes in School Violence Prevention and Childhood Mental Health Disorders. Her research interests nclude classroom management, bullying prevention, and women's learning. She has shared her scholarly work in several publications and at a number of national and internationl conferences.