Abstract Trust and communication are vital competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) in intervention services for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). This study investigates the role of trust and communication in IPCP for the Norwegian and Dutch context, based on the framework for IPCP of Stutsky and Laschinger (2014) and with the purpose of learning from identified practices across national support services for children with SLCN. Seven professionals from Norway and five from the Netherlands participated in individual semi‐structured interviews and transcripts were investigated in a thematic analysis with a priori codes complemented by inductive analysis. The results of the study highlight the importance of integrating services at local and national levels, which has a consequential impact on professionals, teams and intervention services. Mutual understanding and professional competence were facilitated by interpersonal trust, engagement of supportive professionals, applying adapted professional language and effective communication through coaching and accessible tools. A lack of interorganisational trust and integrated support for IPCP were identified as system‐level barriers across countries. Breaking down these barriers and providing support for the joint implementation of interventions that benefit children with SLCN in ECEC requires strengthening mutual trust and communication between professionals and organisations.
Teachers' self‐efficacy plays an important role in sustaining inclusive practices, yet limited evidence exists from Central European contexts where systemic support remains developing. The present study examined differences in self‐efficacy and emotional responses toward teaching pupils with autism in general physical education among Slovak primary education teachers. A total of 156 in‐service primary education teachers participated (mean age = 42.14 ± 11.27 years), of whom 62.8% had prior experience teaching pupils with autism. Data were collected using the PESEISD‐A questionnaire. Group differences were analysed using independent‐samples t ‐tests, while associations between self‐efficacy and feelings were examined using Pearson correlations and simple linear regression analyses. Teachers with prior experience reported significantly higher self‐efficacy than those without prior experience ( p < 0.001), while stress levels were significantly higher than nervousness among experienced teachers ( p < 0.001). Higher self‐efficacy was associated with lower levels of stress ( r = −0.528) and nervousness ( r = −0.534) and was a significant predictor of both emotional responses, accounting for 27.9% of the variance in stress and 28.5% of the variance in nervousness. These findings suggest that teaching experience is associated with higher perceived teaching competence and different emotional responses in inclusive physical education at the primary education level.
This article uses Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the racialised implications of the 2026 Schools White Paper: Every child achieving and thriving and the associated open consultation, SEND reform: putting children and young people first. Drawing on scholarship in critical race theory, disability studies, and intersectionality, the paper argues that policy frameworks often obscure the structural inequalities experienced by pupils who occupy multiple marginalised identities, particularly those at the intersection of special educational needs and different racial backgrounds. The analysis focuses on the deconstruction of the White Paper and SEND reforms consultation, with close attention to the discourse and how it relates to wider power relations and ideology. Evidence demonstrates persistent ethnic inequality in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) identification and support, overrepresentation of ethnically and racially minoritised groups in exclusion statistics and racialised barriers to accessing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The analysis highlights how policy discourses emphasising standardisation and accountability risk reinforcing institutional inequities. The article concludes by proposing an intersectional policy framework that foregrounds race and disability within SEND governance and accountability systems.
Abstract The growth of asynchronous delivery in higher education has made it increasingly important to examine the conditions that support meaningful student engagement. This article reports on a qualitative case study of five pre‐service teachers (PSTs) enrolled in fully asynchronous professional experience (PEx) coursework at a large Australian university. PEx is the work‐integrated learning component of initial teacher education (ITE), where university coursework connects with supervised practice in schools and early childhood settings. The study draws on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to examine which guidelines PSTs identified as supporting engagement. Data were generated through semi‐structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings show that in asynchronous PEx, engagement was supported by the two UDL engagement guidelines, including welcoming interests and identities and sustaining effort and persistence. The study shows that asynchronous PEx coursework can be a way of modelling differentiated practice for PSTs through multiple means of engagement that respond to learner differences. By experiencing this design as learners, PSTs can see how to enact differentiation in their own future practice.
Abstract Educational inclusion remains a key challenge for education systems worldwide. Ensuring high‐quality teacher education that promotes the presence, participation and learning of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is essential for developing equitable and inclusive schools. This study analyses mainstream classrooms that include students with autistic neurodivergence and examines barriers to meaningful learning in four public schools located in diverse socio‐geographical contexts in Valencia (Spain). A qualitative methodology was employed using a multiple case study design. Data were collected through in‐situ classroom observations and semi‐structured interviews with teachers and students. The research explores the structural and cultural factors shaping inclusive or exclusionary practices in everyday school life. The findings identify several persistent barriers: insufficient teacher preparation for inclusive education, limited pedagogical and material resources, fragmented support systems, weak coordination among professionals, the persistence of segregating attitudes and practices and reduced participation of autistic students in classroom and school dynamics. Based on these results, the study proposes ten practical recommendations aimed at supporting inclusive transformation. These actions emphasise integrating inclusive principles into school planning and curriculum design, strengthening both initial and continuous teacher education and fostering a school culture that recognises neurodiversity and promotes shared responsibility for inclusive education.
