Training for complexity: what helps teacher trainees plan for inclusive classrooms?

In May 2025, over 270 secondary teacher trainees across six National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) campuses and four regions of England participated in an ambitious and exciting randomised control trial.

The goal? To explore how different training approaches can better prepare future teachers for inclusive practice. The research was a collaborative effort, bringing together expertise from the research team, content team and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) faculty.

How did we approach the research?

At the heart of the research was a training day with sessions on two separate approaches to help trainees build their understanding of inclusive grouping strategies and how to implement them.

The first approach took a ‘beyond the classroom’ angle, inviting trainees to zoom out and adopt a holistic, systems-thinking mindset. While grouping decisions might seem like small, everyday choices made in the moment, the session content revealed how these micro-level practices are often deeply shaped by the wider context, such as school policies, external accountability demands, and the expectations of various stakeholders. This session aimed to help trainees recognise that wider systemic forces, though often unseen, can subtly shape the everyday decisions they make in the classroom.

The second approach reflected more familiar, day-to-day training, focusing on practical classroom techniques for flexible grouping.

What was the end goal?

Rather than pitching one superior method, the goal was to understand how each approach could support trainees to make principled, contextually responsive decisions in complex, real-world school settings. Systems thinking may hold great promise for teacher training by pushing future educators to think beyond theory. However, with limited time in the training year, providers must make difficult choices about what to prioritise. While systems thinking can deepen understanding, would more time spent practising how to organise and manage groups build greater confidence in trainees’ day-to-day teaching?

How did we collect relevant data?

The research team collected data during the trainees’ usual campus-based training. Trainees began the day by completing a baseline scenario-based task, where they had to think through seating and grouping decisions using data about the fictional class and individual pupils. They also reflected on whether, and how, they might adapt their plans if new, unexpected information came up, such as insights from a conversation with a parent, colleague, or school governor.

Trainees also completed short questionnaires on their self-efficacy and motivation to implement grouping strategies with inclusive practice in mind. A week later, trainees revisited their original answers on the scenario-based assessment and were given the opportunity to justify any changes. This method was intentionally designed to prompt critical reflection, a skill shown to enhance teaching practice.

To enrich the data, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held after the endline scenario-based task, giving trainees a chance to share crucial insight into how the training played out in real-time and the different factors they felt supported or hindered their understanding and application of the training. Finally, surveys were filled out by tutors at the end of the day, allowing us to capture how the sessions landed from their perspective.

Does research always go to plan?

The research process ran relatively smoothly, but it wasn’t without logistical challenges, including printing issues, timing delays and incomplete responses. However, thanks to strong collaboration between ITE teams, these challenges were handled effectively, making the trial’s data collection an overall success.

What’s next?

Now that data collection is complete, the research team is ready to dive into the next phase: pulling everything together. That means combining baseline and endline responses to the assessments with insights from trainee and tutor surveys, along with rich reflections from interviews and focus groups. This mix of numbers and stories will help us build a fuller picture—not just of which approach made a difference, but how it worked, why it mattered, and who it worked for.

We are especially interested in what helped trainees make sense of inclusive approaches to classroom grouping, and what got in the way. The goal is to generate valuable insights that spark fresh thinking in ITE, particularly around curriculum design and content, given limited time. By considering how to better prepare new teachers for the real-world complexity of the inclusive classroom, we can better inform what should be prioritised in the ITE curriculum.

To conclude

Finally, more than just a research trial was reflected: the project demonstrated a shared commitment to integrating evidence into teacher development. It brought together multiple teams across the NIoT, each playing a crucial role in understanding how best to equip teachers for the realities of the classroom. Ultimately, this work builds toward our larger goal: making teacher education more responsive, inclusive, and connected to the systems in which it operates.

We want to support educators to identify what truly makes a difference in developing great teachers and leaders so that the ripple effect of professional growth is felt in every child’s learning journey.