All ready for action in inclusive classrooms? Conceptions of the tiered support framework, professional roles, and collaboration among Finnish pre-service teachers
: Yada, Akie; Björn, Piia Maria; Savolainen, Pirjo; Kyttälä, Minna
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
: 2025
International Journal of Inclusive Education
: 1360-3116
: 1464-5173
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2025.2581766
: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2025.2581766
: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/505143272
The idea of inclusive education became prevalent around the world. To implement inclusive education, some countries adopt a multi-tiered support framework to support children with special educational needs. Although Finland introduced this framework already in 2010, few studies have investigated how pre-service teachers understand its implementation and multi-professional collaboration. This study examined pre-service teachers’ conceptions of the multi-tiered support framework, professional roles, and collaboration in Finland. Data were collected from 139 pre-service teachers using questionnaires. Cluster analysis identified four pre-service teacher profiles: ‘Support knowing-doing gap’, ‘Support positive’, ‘Support negative’, and ‘Three-tiered support negative’, revealing a knowing-doing gap in the implementation of the support framework. Furthermore, the result indicates that some pre-service teachers were more critical of the multi-tiered support framework than of multi-professional collaboration, possibly due to the framework’s relative novelty. This study provides useful insights for developing pre – and in-service teacher education regarding inclusive education.
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This project was supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture [grant number OKM/JY/79/592/2018]. The work by Akie Yada was funded by The Centre of Excellence for Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn CoE) in the Research Council of Finland's Center of Excellence Programme (2022-2029) (JYU-EDU/Aro 346120, JYU-PSY/Leppänen 346119, UTU/Korja 346121).