Session Information
04 SES 17 E, Teachers Experiencing Inclusion
Paper Session
Contribution
An essential component of the 1999, Cyprus introduced legislation to promote the inclusion of children with disabilities, affirming their fundamental right to access mainstream education. This law established special education units (classes specifically for children with disabilities) within regular schools, offering individual and group support while promoting inclusion in regular classes. However, following an assessment carried out by a UN committee in 2017, it appeared that the existing legislation (Law 113(I)/99) did not respond effectively to the needs of children with disabilities. Then, with the guidance of experts from the European Organization for Special and Inclusive Education, the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth of Cyprus (MOEC), in 2021, a new reform began to be planned, aiming at a new legislative framework that is Inclusive Education. This framework extends the right of children with disabilities, including those with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC), not simply to be in mainstream education, while emphasizing their fundamental right to be educated, to receive quality education.
he existing legislation is a major step towards the integration of children with disabilities in mainstream schools and the alignment of the Cypriot education system with international practice (Angelides, Charalambous & Vrasida, 2004). However, there are still some important ideological controversies that concern the rhetoric of integration and the implementation of segregating practices (Liasidou, 2007a). Numerous researchers stress the importance of the exploration of teachers’ professional background and their attitudes and beliefs regarding inclusive education, for the successful adoption of an inclusive approach to education, as they are the eventual implementers of integration or inclusive practices (Symenidou & Phtiaka, 2009).
The following research study investigates the views and attitudes of Cypriot teachers towards the policy of inclusive education of pupils with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) in mainstream schools. The purpose of the research is to conduct a valuation concerning teachers’ views and understanding of ASC, their perceptions and attitudes on the education of children with ASC and how the perceptions they have affect the implementation of inclusive education for children with ASC in mainstream schools. The sample of the research study consists mainly of primary school teachers, who teach in three schools with Special Education Units (SEU) and three schools without SEUs, in the Limassol district.
The literature review led to the identification of an inequality in research undertaken on inclusive education of pupils with ASC in mainstream schools. The issue of inclusive education of students with ASC has been addressed only from a legal-administrative but also an organizational level. The educational and emotional aspects of the subject have so far not been addressed by the scientific Cypriot literature, which lacks research and empirical data. Furthermore, the connection between the challenges affecting children with ASC and the creation of an inclusive educational environment specifically for them has not yet been addressed in any consistent way and is something that needed to be explored.
Most of the research undertaken in the Cypriot school set up to this day, is comprised of data collected for special needs in general, inclusion for children with disabilities or perceptions on inclusive education of children with disabilities, and none for ASC specifically. This has led to the need for further investigation of teachers’ perceptions regarding inclusive education of children with ASC, and to the present research study, which aims to fill the existing gap in the literature.
Hence, I will be presenting the outcomes from the two phases of my research: initial quantitative data collection through questionnaires, followed by qualitative analysis through semi-structured interviews. The findings raised concerns about teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education for children with ASC, highlighting the need for its implementation.
Method
The objective of the present study is to conduct an explanatory case study regarding teachers’ perceptions on the education of children with ASD, the training of these teachers on the topic of inclusive education and their satisfaction with the implementation of inclusive education. To carry out scientific research, a necessary prerequisite is the development of a specific methodology in which this research will be conducted (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2007). The research questions of this study, provide the basis for the methodological paradigm chosen, and are the following: 1. What is the level of understanding of ASC by teachers? 2. How able are Cypriot teachers in assisting children with ASC in an inclusive educational setting without applying segregative practices? 3. How do the perceptions and attitudes of Cypriot educators on ASC, influence the effective implementation of inclusive education of children with ASC? The present research study had two phases. Α rigorous random sampling process was employed to select three primary schools with Special Education Units (SEUs) and an equivalent number of primary schools without SEUs in the Limassol district. The research sample consisted of teachers from these six selected schools. A comprehensive data collection approach involved the administration of questionnaires and subsequent interviews to explore the perceptions and views of the participants, in alignment with the research questions. The interviews were undertaken to provide further meaningful and in-depth information. The data underwent meticulous analysis, employing both descriptive statistics and appropriate inferential statistical methods. Statistical software tools, namely SPSS.IBM.25 and NVivo, were instrumental in executing the process of statistical analysis.
Expected Outcomes
The conclusions arising from the extensive exploration of the attitudes and perceptions of Cypriot teachers regarding the inclusive education of students with ASC were presented. The primary contribution of this study to the theoretical debate and the understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of educators was featured, after the acknowledgement of and the reflection on the limitations of the study. These have provided the formation of a comprehensive narrative of the study. The study has illuminated two critical dimensions of the attitudes of Cypriot teachers towards the inclusive education of children with ASC. The first one being the revelation that a majority of teachers display limited knowledge and hold misconceptions about ASC and differentiated teaching. This is coupled with the second dimension, which is the identification of anxiety and apprehension amongst teachers, concerning the inclusive education of children with ASC and the implementation of differentiated teaching practices. These underline a pressing need for broad and targeted teacher training programs in Cyprus, but also the necessity for the provision of structured support systems in the Cypriot education system, which include materials, staff, accessible resources and technical support. An essential revelation of the study is the prevailing segregative orientation within the Cypriot educational system, which undermines the principles of inclusive education. The existence of Special Schools, Special Education Units and special education teachers who take students out of their classrooms, are practices which contradict the vision toward an inclusive framework of education, creating an immense need for the critical evaluation of these systemic barriers in the Cypriot Education System. To conclude, the incorporation of the findings of the research study with the theoretical framework of the literature review, has created research which has contributed to the discussion on the inclusive education of children with ASC in Cyprus mainstream schools.
References
Angelides, P., Charalambous, C., & Vrasida, C. (2004). Reflections on policy and practice of inclusive education in pre-primary schools in Cyprus, European Journal of Special Needs Education, 18, (2), 211-223. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. London: Routledge. Liasidou, A. (2007a). Inclusive education policies and the feasibility of educational change: the case of Cyprus, International Studies in Sociology of Education, 17, (4), 329-347. N. 113(I)/99. Integration of Children with Special Needs Act. Official Gazette of the Republic of Cyprus. (in Greek).
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