Online Preschool Inclusive Education in Turkey During the Pandemic

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of preschool teachers who have inclusion students with special needs in their classrooms during distance education process carried out due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with 10 preschool teachers who have inclusion students with special needs in their classrooms through online platforms. The findings obtained were analyzed by content analysis. As a result of the interviews, preschool teachers stated that they still had problems in technological infrastructure and difficulties using the online teaching systems, the families of the inclusion students with special needs did not participate in the distance education process at a sufficient level, and this process negatively affected the social interactions of the students. In addition, all preschool teachers who participated in the study stated that the online preschool inclusive distance education process was not suitable for students with special needs. All data obtain from this study discussed and some implications were suggested according to literature.