ABSTRACT
Since the 1990s, special education has continued its expansion in Finland and it is evident that it has been used as a tool to respond to the increased diversity of learning needs in compulsory education classrooms. During the last few years, however, there has been a systematic attempt to change both the rhetoric and services of additional learning support towards a more inclusive direction through a new special education strategy based on the revised Basic Education Act and updated National Curriculum Guidelines. The reform implies many new requirements for all teachers. We give background to the current situation by referring to our recent research findings from a large-scale study (N = approximately 800) on teachers' perceptions of inclusive education and self-efficacy for inclusive practices. We analyze the reform by referring to discussion on Response to Intervention (RTI) models and the findings of meta-studies on effective teaching methods. Finally, we suggest what the key determinants for success may be in this reform and conclude with the discussion of future directions for Finnish teacher education.
