‘Inclusion in Practice’: Programme Practices in Mainstream Preschool Classrooms and Associations with Context and Teacher Characteristics

Abstract

This study observed the extent to which teachers supported the inclusion of children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms and involved monitoring 52 mainstream preschool settings in Greece. The association between programme quality, context and teacher characteristics was also tested. Findings showed that the quality of inclusion ranged from ‘low’ to ‘minimal’, with teachers more frequently implementing practices that only partially promoted participation for children with disabilities in academic and social classroom activities. The analysis also revealed that the quality of programming was not influenced by the model of special education provision, the group size, the number of children with disabilities, the training teachers had in special education or their teaching experience. The results are discussed both at a national and international level, revealing areas that need further examination into preschool inclusion quality.

Keywords:

• Classroom quality
• descriptive observational methods
• early years
• Greece
• Inclusive Classroom Profile
• inclusive education
• programme practices

Acknowledgment

We are grateful to the teachers and pupils who participated in this study.