Inclusive cultures, policies and practices in Spanish compulsory secondary education schools: teachers’ perceptions in ordinary and specific teaching contexts

Abstract

This article presents a study that attempts to inquire into the indicators related with inclusive education by taking into account teachers’ responses in the ordinary and specific teaching contexts (experts in special education needs, specialists in therapeutic pedagogy and compensatory education or specific programmes organised to accommodate diversity). We used a Spanish translation of the Index for Inclusion, which has been adapted and divided into three Likert‐type scales about inclusive cultures, organisation in the teaching–learning context and inclusive practices. We did a t‐test to detect any significant differences in teachers’ responses in terms of the ordinary or specific teaching contexts in which they work. No significant differences were seen in the items related to cultures and organisation, but we found significant differences in 12 of the 36 items of the inclusive practices scale. Finally, we discuss the role of the processes for innovation and transformation in secondary schools and provide key factors to build an intercultural inclusive school.

Keywords:

• inclusive education
• teacher’s perceptions
• secondary schools

Notes

1. The documents that form the bases of this report may be consulted in the ‘Inclusive Education and Classroom Practice’ section of the Agency’s web page at www.european-agency.org, where the following documents may be found: (1) the international literature review on classroom practices: inclusive education and effective classroom practice in secondary schools (2004); (2) reports on exchanges in five countries; and (3) reports of cases from 14 participating countries. All the project information related to primary education is also available.