Inclusive co-teaching as a new model of teacher education. The views of university faculty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/mar.7.2.2026.22376Keywords:
teacher training, inclusive co-teaching, inclusive education, university teaching, expert by life experienceAbstract
Effective pre- and in-service teacher training in inclusive education is a universally agreed goal that, nevertheless, poses challenges regarding its achievement. ‘Inclusive co-teaching’ is a new university teaching model applicable to teacher education in inclusive education, and consists in the joint teaching of a subject by both academic lecturers and teachers with life experience in the same subject matter. Given the need to conduct research into this emerging model, this study investigated how university faculty teaching and researching in the field of inclusive education perceived inclusive co-teaching. The methodological design was qualitative and involved semi-structured interviews with seven university teachers from public universities in Madrid. The findings are important for the creation and development of the model. Participants highlighted its applicability on bachelor’s degrees and postgraduate courses in education in modules focusing on inclusive education and attention to diversity. The training potential of the model was recognized as valuable as it integrates theory, practice and experience in teaching, questions prejudices and stereotypes, and fosters complementarity between academic knowledge and that developed through life experience. Some difficulties and barriers were also identified, such as legislative and administrative limitations, economic resources and lack of training of the teacher educator. The study opens up new lines of research on the inclusive co-teaching model.
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