Fostering Collaboration in Greek Secondary Schools for Inclusive Education: Exploring Attitudes and Overcoming Obstacles between Special Education and Mainstream Teachers.

Abstract

Attitudes of both general education and special education teachers play a critical role in the successful implementation of inclusive education. When these two groups of educators collaborate, they can pool their resources, knowledge, and skills to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment that benefits all students. By working together, they can identify students who may need extra support, develop appropriate accommodations and modifications, and create an individualized educational plan that meets each student's unique needs. Inclusive education requires a collective effort, and when general and special education teachers collaborate, they can ensure that all students receive the education they deserve.The main objective of this study is to analyze the perceptions of Greek secondary school teachers on the parallel support model for inclusive education. The specific objectives of the study include investigating the teachers' perspectives on collaborative efforts, identifying the necessary changes and potentialobstacles for achieving successful collaboration, and examining the role of the teacher in the process. The study also aims to assess the attitudes of Greek secondary school teachers towards inclusive education, evaluate the impact of training on these attitudes, explore differences between special educators and mainstream teachers, as well as differences based on demographic characteristics. Finally, the study aims to investigate the effects of attitudes towards collaboration on the overall success of inclusive education initiatives.Current research is mixed qualitative with semi-instructional interviews and quantitative, synchronous, primary, correlational between and within groups in a non-experimental design, using reliable (a>0.66) and valid Likert type questionnaires. A sample of quantitative research was conducted by 307 teachers of secondary Greek schools, almost equally distributed among permanent (N = 159), deputies (N = 146), general (N = 166), and special education (N = 141) teachers. Data analysis was performed with a significance level of 5% using the independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and multiple linear regression. A sample of qualitative research was conducted by 21 teachers of general (N = 10) and special education (N = 11) with low (N = 11) and high (N = 10) experience. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.The study found that teachers generally have positive attitudes towards inclusive education for students with special educational needs (SEN) and report high levels of collaboration between special and general educators. They also recognize the crucial role of teachers in promoting inclusion. The key elements of effective collaboration between special and general education teachers include feedback, mutual respect, trust, communication, and interaction. However, teachers also face obstacles to collaboration, including the lack of time, the need for special knowledge to work with children with SEN, and a lack of clarity about roles. The study also revealed that special education teachers, those with special education training, and younger teachers with less general education experience tend to be more inclusive but collaborate less. In contrast, less experienced general education teachers tend to focus on dealing with children's difficulties. The study found that attitudes towards collaboration are closely linked to inclusive attitudes, with higher levels of collaboration associated with more inclusive attitudes. Teachers who have personal experience with a child with SEN at home are also more inclusive and collaborative. Certain characteristics and professional qualifications were identified as important for general education teachers to effectively support inclusive education, and while teachers generally felt relatively prepared for this role, they noted that their undergraduate education and seminars had only prepared them to a limited or medium degree. In summary, this study highlights the importance of collaboration and inclusive attitudes in promoting successful inclusive education initiatives, while also identifying specific obstacles and areas for improvement in current practices.