Primary Education students host insightful podcast reflecting on the role of inclusive practice within teaching

As part of their second year studies, our BA Primary Education students have taken part in creating a podcast, discussing an important question; How do teachers adapt their teaching, to ensure that all learners are able to make progress?

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The podcast was initially teacher led, due to the ambition of our academics to provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their inclusion Intensive training and practice (ITaP) experiences, as an alternative to a written reflection.

Inclusive practice is an established element of BGU’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) curriculum and is linked directly to our module entitled ‘Developing Knowledge and Understanding of Inclusion and SEND’.

The whole cohort were involved in the creation of the podcast – working in small group to discuss, reflect and share ideas on inclusive practice.

Tracey Kilcoyne, Programme Leader for BA Primary Education at BGU, explains the benefits of this method of reflection: “Using the podcast as a method of reflection has been an inclusive way of engaging all involved.

“Professional dialogue is an essential aspect of teacher’s practice and prepares our trainees to be able to express their views in a professional manner, engage in educational debates about current issues in school and understand their developing personal philosophy.”

The podcast was the final teaching and learning task at the end of a weeklong ITaP experience, focused on inclusive practice and supporting primary children with English as an additional language (EAL).

Currently, the podcasts have only been shared within the cohort. However, our programme leaders have ambitions to launch a regular ITE podcast aimed at trainee teachers and those considering training to be a primary teacher.

Tracey comments on the work of those involved: “Our students have surpassed our expectations in their ability to professionally articulate their views on inclusive practice.

“They have developed an understanding of the complexity of meeting individuals needs and shown a commitment to inclusive practice.”

One of our students reviewed their time on the podcast: “The podcast day was fun and allowed me to talk with others about EAL learners. I enjoyed that I could have an engaging free flow conversation with other students.”

To find out more about BA Primary Education and other Routes into Teaching, please click here.

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