Teacher Competencies for Inclusive Education and Resources for Their Improvement

Abstract

Knowing the importance of teachers’ competencies for inclusive education and the fact that the vast majority of them have not had the opportunity to develop them in the initial [undergraduate] education, the aim of this work is to determine the competencies of teachers for inclusive education and to examine the possibilities for their improvement. For research requirements a questionnaire was created. The study was carried out in January 2018 and encompassed 70 teachers of primary and secondary schools in Kragujevac. The general findings that teachers have assessed their competencies for inclusive education as low and that they mapped the difficulties they face in inclusive practice, point to a conclusion about the generally developed awareness of the importance of competencies for inclusive education, the need for their improvement and the efforts made by them in that direction. Through suggestions of activities that represent significant resources for inclusive education empowerment, teachers emphasize the importance of exchanging experiences with colleagues and the occasional involvement of mentors in immediate school practice, while the greatest help in school is expected from professional associates. In this regard, the obtained findings, although on a small sample of teachers, which can be considered as a limitation of the research, suggest the importance of creating various programs of school support and developing the competencies of teachers for inclusive education that would be realized, both in the school context and in the wider community.