Phase 2 of the Agency’s Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion (TPL4I) project is well underway, with a series of workshops and focus group meetings currently taking place online.
The first phase of the project identified the elements of policy that are needed to prepare all teachers and educational professionals to support all learners and provide inclusive education to all. During phase 1, the project team identified the Agency’s Profile of Inclusive Teachers (2012) as a useful tool in developing inclusive teaching policy and practice. As a result, phase 2 of the TPL4I work is to revise and update the Profile and develop guidelines for its use at different levels of the education system.
To begin phase 2, the project team developed a survey for all Agency member countries. The survey examined the relevance of the Profile’s core values and competence areas and explored potential new competence areas. While the Profile was originally developed as a tool for initial teacher education, research shows that it has also been used in continuous professional development. As such, the survey also asked how countries have used the Profile’s competence framework to date and identified other competence frameworks for comparison.
Following on from the survey, the project team is currently running a cluster activity, including teacher education professionals, policy-makers and other experts from eight Agency member countries. These experts are taking part in a series of focus groups and workshops, exploring the survey results and developing the guidelines for using the Profile. The cluster activity is due to finish in early November.
The TPL4I project team will use the input and development from the survey and the cluster activities to finalise the revised Profile. The revised Profile will be a tool for self-reflection, dialogue, programme development and policy support for all teachers, school leaders, teacher educators and policy-makers. It is due to be available for download from the Agency website in spring 2022.
For more information on the TPL4I activities, visit the project web area.