Analysis of Would-be Teachers’ Perception of Inclusion as a Phenomenon of Modern Education System
One of the priority areas for the development of special education in the Republic of Belarus is the transition from integration to inclusion. Inclusive education, being a logical continuation of the system of integrated education, offers new, more advanced approaches to the organization of the learning process and interaction with each child. One of the important factors in promoting the idea of inclusion is the acceptance of this phenomenon by teachers. The purpose of the article is to study the attitude towards inclusive education (joint education of children with a norm and children with special psychological development) on the part of would-be teachers. Material and methods. A study was conducted among the students of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining of Personnel, senior students of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Educational Establishment «Vitebsk State P.M. Masherov University named». The basis was A.A. Sinyavskaya’s questionnaire «My Attitude toward Inclusive Education», adapted and supplemented with issues corresponding to the peculiarities of inclusion in the Republic of Belarus. Findings and their discussion. The study showed that the advantages of inclusive education include the socialization of the child, the emergence of an adaptive educational environment in which all children can learn. Inclusion is characterized by increased attention to groups of learners who may be at risk of isolation, exclusion, low achievement. However today inclusive education in general schools is only available where special conditions are created for children with special needs of psychophysical development. Practice has shown that a teacher, who was originally prepared for work in a regular general education school, finding himself in conditions of inclusion, is not always able to organize the educational process effectively. Special educational needs of the child require provision of additional individually targeted materials, programs or services. Conclusion. To date, the idea of inclusive education is relevant and should become an integral part of the professional thinking of teachers. The study showed that the majority of teachers are in the stage of latent resistance, they occupy a passive position and only a small part of them is ready to actively accept inclusion as a special form of organization of the educational process.