Initial training of teachers for the education of students from social welfare institutions in an inclusive school

Abstract

Students from social care institutions are a sensitive subgroup whose inclusive needs often diverse the average student’s needs and for which specific teachers’ competencies are expected. The paper presents the special educational needs of this heterogeneous group of school children explaining the frequent occurrence of learning difficulties, behavioral, emotional, and other developmental problems conditioned by unfavorable educational, social, economic, and cultural factors. The valid available online study programs of faculties for future teachers for mandatory elementary school subjects and classroom teachers at the faculties of two universities in the Republic of Croatia were analyzed. The goal of the research was to determine the number of subjects aimed at teaching students with disabilities during the initial future teachers’ education and the occurrence of topics of students with disabilities education in the subjects that form the basis of future teacher practice, subjects for the acquisition of didactic-methodical, psychological, pedagogical, social, and practical teaching competencies. The obtained results can serve as a predictor for future research and the basis for creating programs for professional development in inclusive teaching based on the objective needs of individual teaching professions.