Preservice teachers as curriculum creators: promoting inclusive education for all learners

This study examines how preservice teachers in Iraqi Kurdistan Reframe the tensions between standardized, product-oriented curriculum delivery and inclusive, process-driven pedagogy. Grounded in Stenhouse’s curriculum-as-process theory (1975) and Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus, and capital (1992), the research explores the development of ‘curriculum-making capital’, a novel construct distinct from pedagogical capital or curriculum agency, emphasizing accumulated resources for Resolving product-process tensions among seven preservice teachers in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan. Data from semi-structured interviews and concept maps reveal that, despite rigid curriculum delivery mandates, teachers actively integrate local cultural and linguistic elements to foster inclusive learning environments. The study identifies significant challenges, including inflexible lesson plans and institutional resistance, which constrain teacher agency. However, adaptive strategies such as reflective practice, collaborative planning, and mentorship emerge as effective means to overcome these limitations. Findings underscore the need for reforms in initial teacher education that empower educators to reconcile standardized content with culturally responsive approaches, ultimately enhancing teacher agency and educational equity in diverse, post-conflict settings and inform critical future policy reforms.