Iranian EFL Teachers' Practices for Learners with Physical Disabilities in Inclusive English Language Classrooms

Inclusion as a vast-growing practice commits teachers, the central pillar of the inclusive education, to maximize learning outcomes for all learners. In spite of voluminous research on inclusion and the critical role of teachers in its successful implementation, there remains a paucity of research on EFL teachers’ practices for students with disabilities in inclusive classes. This qualitative study aimed to detect EFL teachers’ practices in inclusive English language classes and describe how inclusion may influence teacher practices. To this end, five English language classes were observed for sixteen 90-minute sessions (7200 minutes), and30 EFL teachers (15 male and 15 female) with the experience of teaching at least one learner with physical disability over the past six months were also interviewed. This multiple-case study revealed that EFL teachers' practices are partially, but not completely, tailored to the needs of learners with disabilities in inclusive EFL classes. A conceptual framework was also developed based on 483 extracted entries, according to which teachers’ inclusive practices in EFL classes were classified into support-oriented (and non-support-oriented categories. Findings also offered valuable insights into the current status of inclusive English language teaching in Iran. The pedagogical implications of the study are discussed in the paper.