Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices Toward the Inclusion of Students With Special Educational Needs

Abstract

In a time when issues such as inclusive education, inclusive attitudes and practices have a growing evidence, particularly in elementary education, it is necessary to consider diversity as an enriching source of the educational process, since, from it, you can envision education as a favorable path to achieve equality principles. Therefore, it is important to understand if teachers are achieving an effective flexibility and differentiation of inclusive practices in schools. In this context, this research is based on the problem: what are the attitudes and practices of teachers from the 5th to the 9th year towards the inclusion of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the classroom? Starting from a quantitative research methodology using a questionnaire applied to 105 teachers from the 2nd and 3rd cycles of three elementary schools in Viseu, we found data that confirm teachers’ attitudes and practices favorable to the inclusion of pupils with SEN. It is also confirmed that the teachers who enforce more frequently their attitudes and practices by the concept of inclusive education are the male teachers, the ones who have complementary training/education and also the teachers who have between six and ten years of service and the same time experience with SEN students. It can be concluded that the existing practices in school are guided by inclusive attitudes. However, there is still a long path to walk though in order to improve what is proclaimed for inclusive education.