Teachers in-service training for the inclusion of students with disabilities: the point of view of the teachers in the province of Agrigento.

Abstract

Today more than in the past, topics and issues related to inclusion pose challenges to the world of education and schools, wherein teachers are “agents of change”. With the Italian D.M. n. 188 of June 21th, 2021, teachers training for inclusion becomes central in the considerations of teacher future generations, stimulating different questions: is the Italian School system ready to promote the culture of inclusion in a broad sense and to contribute to it? What is teachers’ knowledge around inclusion and how much do educators feel to be trained on the inclusion? Through a focus group online with a sample of 60 kindergarten and Primary and secondary School teachers it has been found that the majority of teachers participants in the training course for the inclusive and support activities of the school of Agrigento- Area 01 knows the contents of the inclusion and believe its knowledge to be relevant for the personal and professional growth. However, that knowledge necessarily needs to be complemented by a deeper understanding of the methods, educational and assessment tools for inclusion.