Student teachers with disabilities: the position of supervisors

In initial teacher training in French-speaking Belgium, teachers mandated to supervise trainees with disabilities feel under-prepared and express the need for tools and avenues to support them equitably. Student teachers report problems during their internships related to their disability, and yet do not benefit from any accommodations and feel tensions during supervision. In this study, we aim to better understand how the beliefs of supervisors evolve through contact with student teachers with disabilities. More specifically, we are looking at trainees with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders with or without hyperactivity, many of whom request accommodations. Through an online questionnaire, we interviewed the entire staff of a Brussels university who supervise student teachers in the primary school section. In parallel, we asked four supervisors to participate in a focus group before and after the evaluation of student teachers with disabilities. This made it possible to bring out their initial beliefs, already rich, as well as they ways in which these beliefs evolved. What stands out the most is the difficulty in adapting to unique trainee profiles despite regular discussions with the supervisor, and the need for more support from the inclusive service.