Formación del profesorado para la inclusión educativa del alumnado con necesidades educativas especiales

Abstract

Introduction: Teacher training for educational inclusion is a key component in European education systems. There is a growing body of research focused on identifying the professional competencies that teachers need to address diversity, particularly in the educational support of students with special needs. Understanding the teacher training landscape and how this student population is served in educational institutions in other European countries is a primary objective for proposing improvements in university curriculum plans. Training teachers in inclusive competencies would alleviate the current challenges, as highlighted by various studies. Objective: This doctoral thesis aims to deepen our understanding of teacher competencies for diversity and their training, contextualizing this knowledge at both the national level and comparatively with another country in our surroundings with similar characteristics. The goal is to contribute to potential improvements in curriculum plans. Methodology: Various methodologies were employed in designing this research, tailored to the objectives of each study. The first two studies utilized a qualitative methodology: a systematic review in the first study and a comparative analysis in the second. The third study employed a quantitative methodology through a survey method. The first study conducted a systematic review of the competencies required for teachers for the educational inclusion of students with special needs. Building on this, the initial teacher training and school organization were analyzed in a comparative study with the Italian education system. Finally, the perceived competencies of practicing teachers for diversity in classrooms, including students with special educational needs, were examined. Conclusions: Attitudinal competence stands out among other inclusive teaching competencies. This aligns with proposals by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation and the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, emphasizing the essential value of a positive attitude toward educational inclusion. The research also highlights the traditional dual model between the curriculum teacher and the specialized support teacher for students with special needs, indicating its inadequacy in representing an inclusive educational reality based on the reviewed scientific literature comparing this traditional model in Spain with Italy. Similarly, it emphasizes that support teachers do not necessarily require specialization as a mandatory condition for entry into the profession, potentially creating a professional gap in terms of educational support for students with special needs. Lastly, support teachers perceive themselves as more competent in addressing the diversity of their students, a logical outcome given their typically deeper initial training in this specific field.