A Critical Examination into Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions on Students with Special Educational Needs During Teaching Practice: Learning Subjects or Instructional Objects?

Overview

This study examines pre-service teachers' perceptions and practices regarding students with special educational needs (SEN) during teaching practice placements. The research investigates the ethical and pedagogical dimensions of how pre-service teachers engage with students designated as having SEN, focusing on whether these students are treated as active learning subjects or as instructional objects. The investigation centers on structural, pedagogical, and ontological issues arising from current teacher training practices.

Methods and approach

The study employed qualitative research design using purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants across four years from two universities. The participant cohort comprised eight pre-service teachers (two per year from each institution), four mentor teachers, and university tutors. Data collection involved in-depth semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted on the interview data to identify patterns and overarching themes.

Key Findings

Thematic analysis produced three primary themes: systemic and structural challenges, pedagogical and ethical compromises, and the ontological positioning of students with SEN. Key findings reveal that limited teaching practice schedules (one day per week) create structural constraints wherein pre-service teachers function as temporary guests rather than integrated practitioners. The teaching practice framework does not extend beyond ceremonial compliance with institutional requirements. Students with SEN are instrumentalized as objects for brief instructional episodes; however, critical follow-up learning stages including fluency development, maintenance, and generalization are systematically neglected.

Implications

The structural and pedagogical limitations identified in this study demonstrate how systemic constraints reinforce pre-service teachers' prioritization of graduation requirements over genuine engagement with student learning outcomes. The bureaucracy-centered model perpetuates quantitative compliance over qualitative pedagogical substance, with direct consequences for students with SEN who are positioned as passive objects rather than active learners. This objectification presents substantial risks to the autonomy and self-conception of these individuals, fundamentally undermining principles of inclusive and ethical pedagogy. The findings suggest that current structures systematically deny students with SEN the conditions necessary for sustained, meaningful learning experiences.

The research underscores the necessity for comprehensive institutional accountability mechanisms that simultaneously monitor both quality and quantity dimensions of teacher training systems. Effective oversight must extend across all stakeholder groups including pre-service teachers, mentor teachers, university supervisors, and institutional administrators. Implementation of such mechanisms requires structural reforms that extend beyond ceremonial compliance, establishing meaningful integration of pre-service teachers within schools and sustained engagement with diverse learners. Enhanced accountability frameworks must specifically address the follow-up stages of learning and establish transparent monitoring of pedagogical outcomes for students with SEN.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.