Helping trainees to make learning inclusive (see also unit 7.5)

Even experienced teachers have difficulty in making their teaching inclusive. It is not surprising therefore that trainee history teachers may face real challenges in this area of their work. To build the trainees’ confidence and competence in this area you will need to help them to

• understand the different aspects of ‘inclusion’ defined in the National Curriculum
• know how to make history inclusive, i.e. both accessible and challenging for all
• avoid unsustainable, labour-intensive approaches to inclusion

The National Curriculum definition of inclusion requires teacher to address a wide range of issues such as personal interests, gender, ethnicity, first language, interrupted schooling, disability, and specific educational needs (behavioural, physical and intellectual). The focus in this unit is on ‘differentiation’ in mainstream teachings, i.e. matching content and teaching strategies so that important historical knowledge, understanding and skills are made accessible to the widest possible range of pupils.

There are links to Unit 9.2 as differentiated teaching addresses the preferred learning styles of pupils as well as their prior attainment. This is made clear in ‘Learning Styles and Writing in history’ (DfES in 2002). Working with text is likely to be a valuable focus for your work on differentiation with the trainees. History teachers have made considerable advances in this area in recent years and you should find many examples of imaginative and effective practice. (Counsell (1997); Taylor and Temple (1996)).

As with most aspects of the course, you will need to blend university-based training with school based sessions. You may already have developed some ideas on when and how you will tackle ‘inclusion’ as part of your response to Activity 3.1.3 and Activity 7.5.1. You may also have found that Activity 1.2.2 offers a helpful model for tackling aspects of differentiation through school-based training. Many trainers like to run a discrete university led session where ‘inclusive teaching’ is the prime focus. Activity 9.4.1 suggests a range of approaches some of which you could include in such a session and others of which you might use at appropriate points.

Work on inclusive teaching will require regular reinforcement so that trainees are constantly developing their thinking and their practice in this area. You (and mentors) can reinforce differentiation by asking trainees:

• to analyse how you used questioning and small group work to make the learning inclusive in a session that you have just led
• to suggest which types of learner might benefit particularly from an approach a trainee has just used
• to identify words, resources or activities that may require specific extra attention when analysing a classroom or fieldwork activity
• to suggest how an activity might be extended to ensure that gifted and talented pupils are challenged at an appropriate level.

When they first teach full classes with a mix of abilities, trainees may well concentrate their efforts on helping lower attainers and ask too little of higher attainers. Activity 9.4.2 gives you the chance to think how best to tackle a scenario of this sort.