Diagnóstico de necesidades docentes para implementar la educación inclusiva: Documento de información

In the context of the project "Advancing regional cooperation to promote the right to education for people with disabilities", the Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean OREALC/UNESCO Santiago, in collaboration with the Ibero-American Intergovernmental Network for Cooperation in the Education of People with Special Educational Needs (RIINEE), and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Spain (MEFP), commissioned a diagnosis to improve the understanding of the needs that primary and secondary public school teachers in RIINEE countries have in relation to their pedagogical practices with students with disabilities. The needs identified could be addressed through online training developed by the project later on.

Firstly, this diagnosis considered how educators perceive themselves in their professional performance, with an inclusive orientation, in terms of their knowledge, beliefs, and actions. And secondly, what their interests and training needs are regarding the implementation of inclusive education and students with disabilities. A total of 8,936 questionnaires from twenty participating RIINEE countries were collected. 52.5% of the respondents teach in primary education and the rest in secondary. 57% have tertiary education, and 29.4% even have postgraduate studies.

The majority of the surveyed teachers showed high scores of good performance in terms of implementing inclusive education from the dimensions of knowledge, beliefs, and actions. They highlighted their positive attitudes and beliefs towards inclusion: 80.3% agreed that students with disabilities have the same right to receive the teaching process with the same strategies and resources as students without disabilities. Similarly, 81.8% considered that attending to diversity is "their responsibility." Finally, 86.7% agreed that their teaching method will determine their students' intellectual abilities.

Teachers particularly believe they need more knowledge about the characteristics of all groups of students with disabilities (autism spectrum, hearing, visual, intellectual, and physical disabilities). Many express feeling "undecided" about meeting the educational needs of these students. They also require training in curricular adjustments, technological applications, educational strategies for students with high abilities, and protocolized interventions for those with emotional problems, among others. This diagnosis highlights that teachers working in rural areas need—significantly—more knowledge about data protection measures and technological security (cyberbullying, sexting, and identity theft).