RESEARCH COMPETENCES OF INCLUSIVE TEACHERS: A SURVEY

Abstract The curriculum for teacher training, which cannot be limited to soliciting the development of theoretical knowledge, must activate both a cyclical processes of action and a research-oriented thinking (Ciraci and Isidori, 2017). Much has been theorized on these issues but little has been done in the daily teaching practice in schools. The survey presented was conducted on two distinct samples of teachers. The first sample consists of 158 teachers in training for the specialization course for didactic support of pupils with disabilities in all school grades; the second sample is made up of 138 teachers already in service. A total of 296 subjects have been interviewed (272 are female). The aim was to investigate through an online questionnaire if teachers mastered the tools for collecting empirical data as well as if they incorporated the results of research carried out at school into their teaching and academic research. Most of the teachers from both groups claim to master and use the tools for the collection of empirical data, but declare that they have difficulties in structuring a research project in the classroom. It should also be noted that the areas in which they would like to develop a research activity is the “learning area” (study method, motivation, etc.) and the “relational and communication area”. A high percentage of respondents also shows that it is essential to strengthen research in the context of developing collaborative skills, useful both for building supportive and inclusive contexts, and for sharing empirical investigations with colleagues. We hope that our study will contribute to provide insights for professional training programs, and also to promote teaching practice based on empirical evidence.