Εκτίμηση της ωριμότητας και προσδιορισμός των πρακτικών εφαρμογής της εργοθεραπείας στη γενική προσχολική εκπαίδευση

Abstract

Today's school reality is characterized by multiple changes that have occurred due to the wider socio-cultural-economic conditions. Classrooms, inherently heterogeneous, are increasingly highlighting the need for radical reform of the educational system and educational policy in general, so that it is possible to address the diverse needs that arise on a daily basis. In the context of the general vigilance regarding the creation of a school for all and the promotion of the inclusive ideology, interdisciplinary cooperation is emerging, as the multiple needs of students can no longer be managed only by classroom teachers. The present quantitative research investigates the possibility of entering the specialty of occupational therapy in preschool through the views of the 171 active general and special education kindergarten teachers. Through a structured questionnaire, an attempt is made to assess the maturity of kindergarten teachers to welcome occupational therapists in the classroom, as well as the way in which they identify the science of occupational therapy. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive and inductive statistical analysis. The results have showed the positive attitude of the majority of participants towards the entry of occupational therapy in kindergarten and their intention to cooperate with occupational therapists within the classrooms. However, as far as occupational therapy is concerned, kindergarten teachers seem to associate it with its therapeutic-restorative role, focusing on motor development, while they seem to be not seemingly aware of its complexity as a science and its multiple areas of intervention in children with and without disabilities. Finally, demographic factors, such as the work context and the academic background of the participants, seem to influence their views on interdisciplinary cooperation and on the appropriate training of occupational therapists and kindergarten teachers in pedagogical and occupational therapy science respectively. This research highlights, finally, the need for further training of teachers on the science of occupational therapy, as well as the general need that arises from the current classrooms for their more interdisciplinary framework.