TEACHER EDUCATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FROM AN INCLUSIVE PERSPECTIVE: TRAJECTORY, RIGHTS AND CHALLENGES OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE

Abstract

This article discusses teacher education for special education from an inclusive perspective, considering its historical development in Brazil, the affirmation of education as a human right, and the challenges that permeate pedagogical practice in mainstream schools. This qualitative bibliographic study draws mainly on Costa (2023) and Oliveira and Abreu (2024), connecting discussions on human rights, school democratization, special education policies, and teacher education. The analysis shows that special education teacher preparation has historically been shaped by disability-centered models, specialization, normalization, and integration. The expansion of the inclusive paradigm shifted the debate toward participation, learning, accessibility, and the collective responsibility of schools. Nevertheless, tensions remain between general and specialized education, theory and practice, enrollment and effective participation, as well as limitations related to fragmented preparation and homogenizing practices. The article argues that teacher education should integrate theoretical foundations, knowledge of public policies, reflection on school experience, flexible planning, and a commitment to human rights. It concludes that inclusion cannot be sustained merely by placing students in mainstream classrooms; it requires transforming pedagogical, institutional, and formative conditions so that learning, participation, and belonging become possible.