The Self-Evaluation of Teachers’ Competences for Inclusive Teaching in the Conditions of Pre-Pandemic Education/Samoprocjena kompetentnosti učitelja za inkluzivno poučavanje u uvjetima predpandemijskoga obrazovanja

Abstract

AbstractThis research has been aimed at discovering how teachers evaluate their own competences for inclusive teaching and support they give learners with disabilities to help them learn. The total of 263 teachers from regular primary schools in the central regions of Croatia participated in this research, for which an adequate questionnaire was designed. The obtained results show that teachers do not consider themselves competent for inclusive teaching, but they do support their learners with disabilities. Seniority (the duration of teaching career) has an impact on their self-evaluation related to competences for inclusion. In inferential statistics, a polystochastic model was used for making conclusions. Such findings indicate, among other things, a need for teachers’ permanent education towards inclusive teaching, especially about their stronger role in unusual life circumstances like pandemic, as well as the encouragement of teachers’ professional development and their acquisition of new competences required for inclusive teaching since teachers represent direct stakeholders in education activities. Having all this in mind, together with the aim to provide education which actively promotes the complete development of every learner, as suggested in the National Strategy of Development until 2030, it is necessary to reform processes within the system of education.Keywords: competence self-evaluation/self-estimation; education staff; inclusive education---Sažetak Cilj je istraživanja utvrditi kako učitelji procjenjuju vlastitu kompetentnost za inkluzivno poučavanje te stupanj pružanja podrške u učenju učenicima s teškoćama. Na uzorku od 263 učitelja iz redovitih osnovnoškolskih ustanova iz središnje Hrvatske primijenjen je upitnik o samoprocjeni kompetentnosti učitelja za inkluzivno poučavanje i pružanje podrške učenicima s teškoćama, koji je konstruiran za potrebe ovoga istraživanja. Rezultati pokazuju da se učitelji ne smatraju kompetentnima za inkluzivno poučavanje, no pružaju podršku u učenju učenicima s teškoćama. Pri tome duljina radnoga staža utječe na samoprocjenu kompetencija za inkluziju. U inferencijalnoj statistici korišten je polistohastički model zaključivanja. Ovakvi nalazi, između ostaloga, ukazuju na potrebu kontinuirane edukacije učitelja za inkluzivno poučavanje, posebice njihovo osnaživanje u izvanrednim životnim okolnostima poput pandemije, kao i na poticanje profesionalnoga razvoja te stjecanje novih kompetencija za inkluzivno poučavanje njih kao neposrednih nositelja odgojno-obrazovnoga rada. U tom smislu, a s ciljem ostvarivanja obrazovanja koje aktivno potiče cjelovit razvoj svakoga učenika, kako je predviđeno u Nacionalnoj strategiji razvoja do 2030. godine, potrebno je provesti reformske procese u sustavu odgoja i obrazovanja.Ključne riječi: inkluzivno obrazovanje; odgojno-obrazovni djelatnici; samoprocjenjena kompetentnost.