Beliefs and practices of social studies teachers on inclusion

Abstract

The aim of the study is to demonstrate the reflections of social studies teachers' beliefs regarding inclusion and their students in in-class practices. The survey, conducted by the case study method, was performed with three Social Studies teachers. Observation and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection techniques. Data obtained from observations and interviews were analysed by content analysis. In the study, it has been found that teachers have the belief that academic objectives should be pursued during inclusive practice, in accordance with the modern philosophy of inclusion. In addition, teachers have the perception that the inclusion students can learn every subject up to a certain level. It was identified that teachers cannot turn these beliefs into practice, and inclusion students are "neglected". It was concluded that this gap between belief and practice is caused by factors such as inadequate pedagogical content knowledge, inability to comprehend the philosophy of inclusion, the gap between the theoretical education and practice, and inadequate education resources at school. Depending on the obtained results, suggestions were made towards increasing teachers' self-efficacy on inclusive practice, establishing a direct connection between education faculties and schools, and ensuring coordination between the stakeholders.