Proceedings of The 4th World Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2021
DOI:
Determınıng the Needs of Pre-School Teachers Relatıng to the Specıal Educatıon Process
A. E. Sardohan Yıldırım, G. Akçamete
ABSTRACT:
The development of children with special needs in preschool years, which is very critical for the development of children, can not be supported and the expected benefits of special education processes cannot be provided. This research aims to determine the needs of preschool teachers related to the special education process. In this research, a qualitative research method was used. For this purpose, in the study, an “Interview form for determining the needs of preschool teachers relating to special education” developed by the researchers was applied. 22 preschool teachers working in Antalya participated in the research. The data were analyzed with content analysis. According to the findings, preschool teachers stated that they did not perform activities in preparation for the integration of special needs students enrolled in their classes, their families, and other students in the class. Also, they said that they do not have in-depth knowledge about the inclusion practices and children with disabilities, do not perform effective collaboration with parents, fail to prepare individualized education plans for children with disabilities, and fail to support the education process of the child. Teachers stated that the training given to them was not accessible and individual to meet their needs, and they needed accessible practices carried out in both e-learning environments. Finally, they stated that they were constantly stuck in an ethical dilemma because they could not evaluate the child’s education process and did not know the ethical principles in special education processes. Preschool teachers suggest the creation of e-learning platforms where they can receive training in line with their needs relating to the special education process.
keywords: needs; preschool teacher; special education; special needs; qualitative research.