In this research, we investigate the understanding of inclusive education, teaching methods and the curriculum and seek requirements, problems, and ways to improve inclusive education in-service training.
The purpose of this research is to analyze teachers’ awareness of inclusive education and problems within in-service training programs. This paper will provide fundamental reference to build a more effective program and investigate ways of improvement to give substantial help for operating inclusive education.
This research is conducted with semi-structured interviews on the awareness and reality of inclusive education, teaching methods, curriculum coordination and learning-administrative support. The research analyzed in narrative based on this issue; How teachers recognize inclusive education in-service training, and what they said is needed for improvement.
Focus groups were composed of 5 inclusive classroom teachers and 5 special education teachers in Elementary school who have experienced model school for inclusive education and participated in inclusive education unions.
The results of the research are, firstly, teachers at site considered inclusive education only for special students. They mostly defined subjects of inclusive education as disabled students and special classrooms help out inclusive classroom teachers. They say inclusive education has to be executed for all learners theoretically, but is not practical. While they feel the need of cooperative teaching, they were unsure about the educational meaning of cooperative teaching or terms such as team teaching or parallel teaching. Special education teachers also never experienced cooperative teaching and were doubtful whether it is possible to execute cooperative teaching and felt the limits of it.
Curriculum coordination and IEP stays in written word without being executed.
Inclusive education is used only for the transition of understanding the disabled and is not regularly introduced as inclusive form of education and school culture. This perception about inclusive education relates to perception of in-service training and teachers at site lack of professional ability about inclusive education and are feeling need.
Therefore in-service training should instruct inclusive education not as means of special education but as equal education for all learners to bring a shift of recognition. The major problem of inclusive education is that it evaluates students by diagnosis and classification. To change awareness of inclusive education, in-service training must not be included in other in-service training nor as remote in-service training.
It should be implemented as a independent training for supervisors, administrators, general education teachers and special education teachers. Considering the contents of in-service training, inclusive in-service training should compose qualified contents and practical programs in order to enhance teachers’ performance skills.
Secondly, onsite teachers think inclusive education in-service training must be assorted, departmentalized, phased and systematized and be done on a regular basis and obligatory. To change the viewpoint of inclusive education in-service training, it must cultivate inclusive education teaching skills and universally design content-focused training including teaching methods and curriculum coordination. Jointed in-service training should not be special education teacher centered, but 2 groups of teachers should be able to collaborate and share.
In-service training with a new viewpoint about how inclusive education is applied in the educative environment is needed. To improve Inclusive education in-service training, the 9 criteria training system should not be dichotomous. The collaborative training system should meet demands of the 2 groups of teachers where general and special education are harmonized and improve to a integrated training system which share experience and suggest opinions.
In conclusion, inclusive education in-service training is essential because administrators and education departments will form programs that require philosophical, academic background and expertise in the field. Furthermore, supervisors or teachers must cultivate expertise in order to transform the classroom and school as a teacher, dexterity in the inclusive education alters teaching methods and ability to coordinate curriculum.
Therefore, changes in inclusive education in-service training will shift system and law to restructure school and innovate teachers’ recognition of inclusive education that will bring expected effect through this research.