Abstract

FERREIRA, Marco; OLCINA-SEMPERE, Gustau  and  REIS-JORGE, José. Teachers’ Perceptions of the Challenges of Inclusive Education in Portugal. Pág. Educ. [online]. 2023, vol.16, n.2, pp.212-231.  Epub Dec 01, 2023. ISSN 1688-7468.  https://doi.org/10.22235/pe.v16i2.3314.

This study aims to understand the conceptions and practices of teachers (5th to 9th grade) regarding the inclusion of students with special needs. It is an exploratory, qualitative study in Portugal with 21 teachers. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews. The majority of the participants showed positive attitudes towards inclusion; they valued more the development of social relationships than the acquisition of subject matter knowledge. Some teachers claimed that, in their practices, they tried to adapt teaching methodologies and make the curriculum more flexible in order to make their classes more inclusive. However, our results suggest that inclusion still has a long way to go. It is necessary to strengthen teachers` awareness about (i) the benefits of inclusive education and (ii) the impact that flexibility in their practices can have on the inclusion of all without exception

Keywords : inclusive education; decree-law 54/2018; specific needs; inclusive practices; qualitative research.

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