Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities in Mainstream Classrooms: The Challenge of Teacher Preparedness

Abstract

The global movement from special education to inclusive education has transformed mainstream classrooms. Students with physical and learning disabilities are now increasingly educated alongside other students who do not have these conditions. Although inclusive education is aimed at protecting the right to education of all students, this conceptual and analytical article focuses specifically on students with learning disabilities, because they present certain teaching challenges for classroom teachers. Outlining both the arguments supporting inclusion as well as the doubts regarding its feasibility, this article underscores the crucial importance of teacher preparedness in supporting these learners, whose ability to engage in learning depends largely on teachers’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in meeting their learning needs. It concludes with implications for Malaysia and other contexts, including Muslim-majority countries where inclusive education initiatives are increasingly being implemented.