Inclusive education in Israel from a curriculum perspective: an exploratory study

The objective of this exploratory study was to examine the curricular practices of teachers in Israel as a result of the mandate to include children with special educational needs. It is based on the understanding that curriculum is at the core of education. As inclusive education has become more prevalent, the curriculum perspective has gained greater interest among educators and researchers. The questions we sought answers to were: (1) what are the curricular practices teachers employ in inclusive settings?; (2) what are the curricular practices teachers employ in non-inclusive settings?; and (3) what are the changes that have occurred in teachers' curricular practices? Data were collected by pre-service special education teachers as part of the requirements in an undergraduate course. Twenty-nine teachers, representing a variety of educational settings, ranging from inclusive classes in a mainstream school to special schools, were interviewed. In addition, observations were carried out in their classes. Content analysis of the different texts revealed the following themes: (1) the nature of the curriculum; (2) possible connections between the individual educational plan and the general curriculum; (3) employing curricular adaptations. Discussing the changes in the past decade resulted in a typology of the implementation of inclusion in Israel.