Quality of school inclusion and digital technologies: A pilot study

Abstract

The quality of school inclusion of children with disabilities is a complex construct that emerges from the interaction between individual needs and different systems and processes; therefore, it needs to be investigated through a multi-method approach, using tools capable of grasping its complexity.The general goal of the study is to describe and test the modified version of two instruments: ICP and SELFIE. The ICP (the Inclusive Classroom Profile; Soukakou, 2016) is an observational tool aimed at measuring and quantifying school inclusion quality through the observation of the teachers' daily practices and the analysis of the school's policy. For the present research, the ICP was adapted to the Italian school context. Moreover, other minor changes were applied to adapt the tool to the primary and secondary levels of education. The SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering Innovation through Educational Technology; European Commission, 2018) analyses the use of digital technologies in the school context. Originally developed as a selfevaluation questionnaire, for the present study it has been transformed into a guided interview, allowing the research team to collect more comprehensive quantitative data.The tools were tested in a pilot study involving a kindergarten and a 3rdgrade class in the municipality of Genoa. Results outline the strengths and weaknesses of the modified versions of the instruments and further changes are proposed. Furthermore, the SELFIE interviews content analysis highlights valuable insights regarding kindergarten and primary school teachers' use of digital technologies.