This document summarizes a study that examined school staff's perceptions of their ability to teach students with special needs in inclusive settings. The study surveyed 186 school staff including teachers and paraeducators. It found that special educators were more confident and knowledgeable than classroom or subject teachers. Paraeducators had more positive perceptions than teachers regarding social situations, cooperation, and communication. The study concluded that knowledge should be better shared between teachers through pre-service education and in-service training, which could help improve inclusive teaching practices.

1. HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
HELSINGFORS UNIVERSITET
UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI
KÄYTTÄYTYMISTIETEELLINEN TIEDEKUNTA
BETEENDEVETENSKAPLIGA FAKULTETEN
FACULTY OF BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES
THE SCHOOL STAFF’S PERCEPTION
TO TEACH STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS
I n tr oduction
- The aim of the study was to examine the factors that identify school
staffs’ needs so, that the additional and in-service training and support is
more focused.
- Since the Change of Basic Eucation Act (CBEA 2010) the number of
student with special needs (SEN) has diminished slightly (Statistic
Finland 2014), how to support the staff to enhance inclusive practices?
Research questions
1. What are school workers' perceptions of the ability to meet the
education needs of SEN students?
2. Considering the participants’ genders, ages and groups with various
certifications, what are the differences in how they rely on their ability to
teach SEN student?
3. What are the differences between teachers’ and paraeducators’
perceptions to teach SEN student?
Participants
- The total sample in one middle-size city in Finland
N=186
principal
Bibliography
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education: a review of the literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education 15: no.
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Cardona, M.C. and E. Chiner. 2012. Inclusive education in Spain: how do skills, resources, an supports
affect regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion? International Journal of Inclusive
Education 17, no. 5: 526–541.
Jordan, A., E. Schwartz, and D. McGhie-Richmond. 2009. Preparing teachers for inclusive classrooms.
Teaching and Teaching Education 25, 535–542.
Theoretical background
- Inclusive education and how to change the system in practice by
supporting educators
- The aim of CBEA (2010) to bring the support to the student environment
instead of transferring the SEN student.
- Schools staffs’ positive attitude, knowledge and skills are important
factors to improve inclusive teaching. Specific and substantive in-service
training should be provided.
Data analysis and results
• Special educators were more confident and they have more
knowledge of teaching student with special needs than class teachers
in primary level and subject teachers in secondary level.
• Paraeducators perceptions were more positive than teachers in social
situations, cooperation with family and other professionals and
communication with SEN student
• Knowledge between teachers should be shared both in graduating
level and in practice. This means more cooperative teaching methods
and interest to teach all students in mainstream. In-service training
should be arranged in this point of view.
Kokko, T., H. Pesonen, J. Polet, E. Kontu, T. Ojala, and R. Pirttimaa. (2014). Erityinen tuki
perusopetuksen oppilaille, joilla tuen tarpeen taustalla on vakavia psyykkisiä ongelmia,
kehitysvamma- tai autismin kirjon diagnoosi. VETURI–hankkeen kartoitus 2013.
[Special support for student, who have severe mental problems, diagnosis of
developmental disability or autism spectrum disorder. The project of
VETURI, 2013] Universities of Jyväskylä and Helsinki.
Retrieved from http://www.peda.net/veraja/jyu/kastdk/veturi/ajankohtaista
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national effort for preparing teachers for the future. The Curriculum Journal 23, no. 4:
567–584.
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inclusion. Support for Learning, no. 4: 182 –186.
Author:
Birgit Paju
Department of Applied Sciences of
Education Faculty of Behavioural
Sciences, University of Helsinki
Supervisors:
Adjunct Professor Elina Kontu Ph.D
Department of Special Education in
University of Helsinki
Professor Raija Pirttimaa Ph.D
Department of Education in
University of Jyväskylä
Questionnaire
(likert 5-step)
• IEP
• evaluation
• teaching methods
• suitable teaching
materials
• to handle social
situations,
behavior
• to communicate
and cooperate
Principal
component
analysis (PCA)
• component 1:
KNOWLEDGE
(cronbach’s
alfa .947)
• component 2:
CONFIDENCE
(cronbach’s
alfa .926)
T-test and
ANOVA,
backgound
questions gender,
age, qualification
• no difference between men
and women and age groups
• Significant difference
between teachers and
paraeducators in confidence
• [t (69.08) = -3.07, p = .003]
• significant difference
between teachers'
qualification
• (KNOWLEDGE component
[F (3,124) = 34.73, p =.00)]
• CONFIDENCE
[F (3,121) = 18.40,
p = .00)].
Teachers
58%
paraeduc
ators
23%
s
10%
no
informatio
n
9%
TEACHERS’ degree
n
%
Class teacher
58
43,6
Special educator
29
21,8
Subject teacher
35
26,3
Other degree (different
11
8,3
combinations)
Total
133
100