Between inclusion and education standards: Special education professions since the 2000s from a comparative perspective

National school systems have been significantly conditioned by two global trends since the end of the 20th century. On the one hand, there is a shift towards inclusive education that aims at accommodating schooling to all pupils’ learning conditions. On the other hand, there is a rapidly growing focus on standards, emphasising goal achievement for all pupils as well. In this field of tension, the profession of special educators has been central, as it has traditionally focused on students for whom instruction in regular classrooms lacks appropriate educational solutions yet still expects regular goal achievement. While much is known about how global trends have changed national school systems and teaching professions, we know little about how these trends have affected special education professions internationally. Against this background, this volume presents studies on the formation of Special education professions since the 2000s in Germany and Sweden.