Co-Leads of Murdoch University’s Academy for Inclusive Education Excellence Dr Liana Luyt and Dr Alison Hilton say they are passionate about the responsibility of the Higher Education sector to equip graduate teachers with these important skills. 

Using an innovative co-design model, key stakeholders and principals across several education support centres and schools provided insights to design a curriculum to equip pre-service teachers with tools to support children with additional and complex needs. 

“An increasing number and proportion of students with disability across Australian schools means there is an increased demand for teachers with specialist skills to include all students in their classes,” Dr Luyt said. 

As part of Murdoch’s innovative program, the University partnered with Maddington Education Support Centre (ESC), to give pre-service teachers real-world experience within the education support system. 

Shelby Kent has been studying Inclusive Education while working at Maddington ESC full-time after being accepted as a Limited Registration teacher (a pre-service teacher who has been offered an early position and has the required skills for the role). 

Ms Kent said the experience she has gained during this time – from managing classrooms to working with therapists and writing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) - has solidified her love for teaching and prepared her for a full and rewarding career. 

“It’s crucial for pre-service teachers to learn how to support students with disability in the classroom because nine times out of ten, you’ll go into a mainstream classroom and there’ll be students with disabilities,” Ms Kent said.  

You need to be flexible, tailor your programs, understand motivators and triggers, and set up your classroom to support everyone. 

Maddington ESC Student Services and Placement Coordinator Ashwini Sivanantham said this flexibility was a critical skill within the classroom and correlated with the first Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) standard – know your students and how they learn. 

“Being in an Ed Support Centre helps you build a toolbox of strategies you can use anywhere. The individualised learning you develop here can be transferred to mainstream classrooms – that's the biggest takeaway,” Ms Sivanantham said. 

Maddington ESC mentor teacher Courtney Churchill said extra skills, such as knowing how to liaise with paediatricians and which assessments helped students to access support, was an incredible tool from an industry perspective. 

I wish I had the experience I have now when I was in a mainstream school – using timers, visual schedules, and giving processing time makes a huge difference.

Dr Hilton said feedback from participating pre-service teachers showed the program has increased confidence and preparedness and helped reduce burn-out and overwhelm. 

“It is the most rewarding experience watching pre-service teachers grow. When they step out into the world, they are ready to help ensure each child’s personality, talents and abilities can shine through,” she said. 

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