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Universities often struggle to translate theory of inclusive education into real life practices for pre-service teachers (PSTs). In this paper, we evaluate an innovative partnership between Australian secondary school teachers and university academics where they co-designed and co-taught an undergraduate inclusive education course. We used a quasi-experimental design where 67 PSTs were grouped into two cohorts: one co-taught by the team of school educators and university academics (n = 26), the other taught only by university academics (n = 41). PSTs' scores on teaching efficacy, attitudes and intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms were measured at the pre and posttest stages of the course. Our evaluation showed significant increases in positive attitudes and teaching efficacy skills, decreased concerns and higher intentions to teach in inclusive classrooms among PSTs who were co-taught. The co-teaching team also identified various professional and personal benefits of collaborating. We further discuss the implications of our research for teacher education programmes and the usefulness of including school educators' expertise in bridging the gaps between theory and practice.

An appreciative inquiry approach oriented eight semi-structured interviews conducted with teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Italy, Spain, Canada, Bangladesh and India to identify their intrinsic and extrinsic strengths and understand how they were able to translate them into practice during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Commitment and determination, collegial support and solidarity were some of the common driving forces identified, despite the differences in teachers' backgrounds, education systems, policies and cultures. Our research sheds light on opportunity solving in times of crisis as well as on the way education systems worldwide can renew themselves to ensure innovative and inclusive quality education.

Objectives: Our paper reviews current teaching practices used to support students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the South Asian region, and to what extent these teaching practices reflect key research based effective practices. We have focused our attention on teaching practices at a time when we are witnessing a greater thrust towards achieving inclusive education at both, regional and global levels. Methods: We have used an eclectic approach for the study by employing a scoping review methodology to identify peer reviewed journal articles from South Asian countries. Having identified 10 articles and three dissertations in total from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, we have used a matrix method to present our data against nine best teaching practices for students with ASD. Results: Results from the review indicate three practices (of the nine best teaching practices) were most frequently used. These are assessments, alternative, and augmentative communication systems, and parentimplemented instruction/program. The other six teaching practices were not widely reported. Conclusions: We identify significant implications for practitioners, educators, and teacher education programs within the Asian region and beyond. The use of an eclectic approach in making choices regarding teaching strategies, incorporating varied research based effective teaching practices, and following a systematic and informed approach of assessments -- teaching interventions -- ongoing evaluation are key to supporting students with ASD.

This article reports a qualitative document analysis of India’s NEP with a view to understand how the policy embeds notions of inclusion and equity. It also highlights how the policy sets out to achieve universal access to quality education for all children in India. An analytical framework based on the Context Led Model of Education Quality was developed with a focus on the dimensions of inclusion, relevance and participation to undertake the analysis. This framework offers a novel approach to comprehensively analyse and evaluate educational policies for diverse contexts. The key findings of our analysis suggested that even though the NEP makes progressive statements towards the transformation of the current education system in India, it presents pitfalls undermining social justice concerns of education. Possible ways to address some of the challenges observed in the policy are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools are one of the most important social-geographic sites where children's lives play out. Although researchers have sought to understand children's school experiences in India, very few have considered marginalised children's opinions regarding what they value and the alternatives to their current school experiences. Consequently, this article draws on the voices of 10 marginalised children (11-13 years) as co-researchers from a remote public school in Uttarakhand, India. The co-researchers generated qualitative data with the help of participatory tools based on the Mosaic Approach to identify ways in which their experiences at school could be improved. Children expressed three critical aspects where their school experiences can be enriched: 1) better school and classroom conditions to enhance learning spaces, 2) enhancing school accessibility, classroom pedagogy, and curriculum, and 3) space to act and effect change by learning and becoming. Last, we provide implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers with a call to reimagine schooling and children's agency within the rural and remote school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]