Perceptions of inclusive education in schools delivering teaching through learning communities and service-learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT Schools need to rethink their educational approach in order to cater for increasing student diversity in the classroom. The inclusive education model has emerged in response to this need, which encompasses practices such as learning communities and service-learning projects. In this study, we examined the perceptions of different education stakeholders regarding inclusive education in schools that have adopted these practices, with a view to identifying areas for improvement. We administered seven adapted questionnaires to the four main education stakeholders. The sample consisted of 757 participants (215 families, 446 students, 81 teachers and 15 management team members), and we performed descriptive and inferential analyses of the data they provided. The areas for improvement perceived by them concerned overcoming architectural barriers, promoting student participation in the organisation and planning of school activities and training for the educational community in specific educational measures targeting particular groups, such as immigrant students and students with motor and sensory disabilities. However, stakeholders appreciated positively some aspects like the new ways of collaborative working and the increase of family participation. Our results also indicated that teaching staff’s perceptions were more critical for all the variables except relations between students, where families were the most critical.