The reality of undertaking an inclusive education internship

This paper reports on a study examining pre-service teachers' views about working with children in inclusive settings. The study has two foci: one, the development of views about inclusive education whilst partaking in an extended practicum; and two, the strategies employed by these teachers in and outside their classrooms during the extended practicum. Data gathered from these pre-service teachers were analysed using qualitative procedures, guided by the principles of grounded theory. The results show that the data can be grouped within 15 categories of response and that these can be subsumed within three major themes, namely, positive realities, negative realities, and coping strategies. The implications of this study for tertiary course designers, practicum personnel, supervising teachers, and future pre-service teachers are considered.