Collaborative Mentoring as a Way of Meeting Teachers’ Inclusive Teaching Practices Needs: Investigating Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: This article discusses a mentoring project that was aimed at improving the inclusive education practices of teachers. Methods: There were 10 mentors who were faculty members in science education and special education. Mentees were 59 teachers who have an inclusive student in their class or school. A qualitative approach was chosen. Results: Reported learning outcomes referred to changes in knowledge related to “Basic Concepts”, “Educational Support and Legislation”, “Assistive Technology”, and “Educational Accommodations”. Discussion: The results of this study points to the needs for more interdisciplinary collaboration studies in order to support teachers’ dealing with diverse students. Limitations: The results of the study are bound to the project duration and the place of the study. Conclusions: The current collaborative mentoring study has several contributions for teachers in terms of their knowledge and skills in implementing an effective inclusive education.