"It's a very strange system!" - Special education, adapted education, and newly qualified teachers' competence

Abstract

The new Norwegian five-year primary and lower secondary school teacher education prepares teachers with increased subject-specific and research-based knowledge. These new teachers should be able to adapt teaching to individual students and integrate special education approaches. The research question is: How do newly qualified teachers experience their formal teacher competences from a five-year integrated master's programme compared with their need for knowledge about adapted and special education at career-start? The study is based on qualitative interviews with 43 newly qualified teachers from the first three cohorts of a five-year integrated master's teacher education programme at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The study is part of the longitudinal research project "Relevant master education for school teachers". Data are thematically analysed in Nvivo12 with results showing that new teachers experienced challenges in adapting teaching to all students, especially to students with needs of additional support. The new teachers found that they lack the competence to work with behavioural problems and particular diagnostic groups. They felt that they lack expertise on how external specialist support systems work and how and when to report concerns. Newly qualified teachers acquire special education competence by testing out their own ideas or based on advice from colleagues. Some also attend courses or seek guidance from support services on topics such as individual plans or diagnoses. The experience-based learning approaches taken by new teachers strengthen established and criticised thinking about special education and perpetuates a dysfunctional system. Newly qualified teachers need more knowledge about inclusive pedagogy, adapted education, and relational thinking in education. 2020