Inclusive Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Future Teachers and the Changing Foreign Language Teaching Landscape

Abstract Summary

Abstract :

Numerous studies suggest that foreign language education promotes diversity and an inclusive classroom culture (Kelly et al., 2004; UNESCO, 2005; Smith, 2006). With the rise of globalization and English as a lingua franca, qualities such as tolerance and social awareness have been integral to English language teacher education. The introduction of inclusion further emphasizes the urge for adequate teacher preparation and professional development in inclusive practices.







This paper aims at analyzing Bosnian Herzegovinian pre-service English language teachers’ attitude and understanding of classroom diversity in terms of student structure and background, as well as their preparation to work in the challenging landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). BiH has immense difficulties in implementing the principles of social inclusion and inclusion in education (Abadzija, 2015; BišÄ‡ević et al., 2017), with the lack of Regulations on Inclusive education, professional development programs, and impact evaluation. The question remains whether the future English teachers of Bosnia and Herzegovina truly grasp the meaning of inclusion and what it encompasses, as well as the advantages that diverse classrooms offer to foreign language teaching. The research at hand will employ a mixed-methods approach. A combination of content analysis, questionnaires, and focus groups will allow for triangulation of the research methods and provide comprehensive data.







The results will provide important insight for further evaluation of teacher preparation programs in the countries of the Western Balkans; and scratch under the surface of prejudice, fear of the unknown, and genuine hard work – all of which are present since the introduction of inclusion.