CHALLENGES AND POSSIBILITIES OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

Abstract

The research focuses on the topic of inclusive education and its importance in the educational landscape. Inclusive education aims to create equal learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The research problem revolves around the need to understand the current methodologies employed by teachers at Pedro Cabral de Melo Elementary School to promote inclusive learning environments. It seeks to uncover the challenges they face and the potential benefits of these methodologies. The main research questions are: What methodologies are currently being used by teachers at Pedro Cabral de Melo Elementary School to create inclusive learning environments? What are the main challenges teachers encounter when implementing these methodologies for inclusive education? What are the potential positive outcomes and benefits observed when specific methodologies are employed to promote inclusive learning environments at Pedro Cabral de Melo Elementary School? The overall objective is to analyze the challenges and possibilities associated with inclusive education through the use of various methodologies. The research is structured based on Castro (2022); Tonini and Costas (2005); Machado, Martini, and Souza (2019); Bezerra, Pantoni (2022); França (2018); De Souza, Stein, and Vitalino (2020); Rocha et al. (2022). This exploratory study uses an inductive and qualitative approach to understand teachers' experiences with various methodological approaches in the teaching process. The research results indicated that most teachers face several challenges, such as a lack of continuing education training in inclusive education and an absence of adequate resources to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Furthermore, the school also faces infrastructure challenges, such as lack of accessibility and a lack of adapted materials. However, the study also identified promising possibilities for the development of inclusive education at the school, such as teachers' interest in learning new methodologies and improving their performance in response to the specific needs of inclusive education. Although the school does not currently have programs and strategies that promote teacher training, the institution demonstrated openness to possibilities and changes that could promote such improvements. The school has sought to promote the participation and involvement of parents and guardians in the educational process, in addition to encouraging collaboration among teachers to share experiences and teaching strategies. A critical analysis of the results led to the development of final considerations on the importance of teacher training for the use of inclusive methodological approaches.