Inclusive education peculiarities of teachers' perception of a learner with a disability

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, in the context of the of the education system humanization and with the tendency to increase the proportion of students with disabilities in the total number of children, special attention is paid to creating an inclusive educational environment in basic education institutions. There is a natural increase in requirements for the quality of differentiated educational programs implementation, which is largely determined not only by special professional competences among teachers, but by their individual characteristics as well. In this regard, the issue of accounting for teachers' perception of students with disabilities in the education system is brought out. Aim. The aim of the presented study was to identify the characteristics of the perception of students with disabilities by teachers who have different experiences of interacting with this category of students. Methods of research. The questionnaire survey was attended by 336 teachers. Methods of mathematical statistics: nonparametric criterion Mann–Whitney U-test, correlation coefficient r-Spearman. Statistical calculations were done using a specialized IBM SPSS Statistics 22 program. The results of the study. It is found that the structure of perception of a student with a disability among teachers with diverse experience of interaction with students with disabilities is characterized by a significant number of positive connections between its components. Differences in teachers' attitudes towards students with disabilities (U=121.0; p = 0.003), their emotional attitude (U=120,0; p = 0,000) as well as in the readiness of teachers to implement the educational process (U=118.0; p = 0.000) were revealed. The lack of this experience leads a teacher to the prejudiced assessment of difficulties when organizing and implementing the educational process with the participation of students with disabilities and contributes to the growth of emotional stress in teachers during classes. Scientific novelty. The structure of perception of a learner with a disability by teachers was developed and empirically confirmed on the basis of significant connections of mindsets, attitude and readiness of the teacher. Practical significance. The results of the study will make it possible to develop effective measures of psychological and pedagogical support for teachers in inclusive education, including additional professional programs on inclusive education, accumulation of practical experience of interaction with persons with disabilities in the educational process and everyday life, discussion and elaboration of emotional experiences that arise when interacting with students with a disability.