Preparing Teachers for Diversity and Inclusion: An Analysis of Teacher Education Policies and Practices in Austria

Abstract

In recent years, diversity and inclusion became an important part of the education policy agenda in Austria, where the proportion of migrant students is higher in comparison to other European countries. In this increasingly heterogeneous and multicultural context, teachers need to be well prepared and supported to deal with diversity and inclusion in classrooms. Although teachers generally feel confident teaching in a multicultural class, a significant proportion of young teachers report that preparation for teaching in a multicultural environment was not part of their teacher education. The aim of this chapter is, thus, to examine recent policy developments as well as integration of aspects related to diversity and inclusion into teacher education curricula. The findings indicate that Austria adopted relevant policies to promote a social dimension in higher education and reformed its teacher education system to include intercultural competences and inclusive education. However, the analysis of teacher education curricula indicates that the implementation of explicit learning opportunities relevant to diversity and inclusion is not sufficient to prepare teachers to competently respond to contemporary challenges.