Factors that influence the university's inclusive educational processes: perceptions of university professors

Abstract

Background: Training in attention to diversity is a key aspect for achieving the inclusion of students with special educational needs in higher education for these students to have access to the same rights as any other student. Aims: To determine, through the perceptions of university professors, if the existence of barriers that arise in the teaching-learning process is determined by various factors of interest such as gender, training in attention to diversity, and, even, the attitudes that the professors present before the inclusion of these students. Methods and procedures: The research was carried out in eight universities in Andalusia (Spain), using as the main method of data collection a validated survey, the APTD Scale (Accessibility, Processes, Training, Demand), with the participating sample of 580 university professors. Outcomes and results: The university professors generally agree to perform inclusive actions in their teachinglearning process, although a significant association between variables. Conclusions and implications:The study includes a series of perceptions that may help other university professors to make their practice more inclusive. What does this paper add?This research's main novelty is to show, through the perceptions of university professors, what factors generate exclusion and how this situation can be reversed. This article analyses the association between the attitudes that professors have regarding the inclusion of students with special educational needs in the university and the inclusive educational processes they use in their teaching-learning process.The continuous training of university professors in inclusive responses and strategies is necessary to not be an obstacle in the development of students with special educational needs as well as the establishment of positive relationship between professors and students.Professors are essential to create and support inclusive processes in the university classroom since they have to respond to the students' needs by making the necessary adjustments in their teachinglearning process, taking into account their abilities, needs, and interests.

Gamification in Initial Teacher Training to Promote Inclusive Practices: A Qualitative Study

“…Finally, the students mentioned that performing gamified challenges related to the theme of functional diversity and developmental disorders fostered a greater understanding of abilities and limitations, thus achieving greater empathy towards developmental disorders. To complete an inclusive education, future teachers must be trained to be sensitive to the needs of all students so that they can promote inclusive educational processes in their future teaching work [39].…”

Inclusive Culture in Compulsory Education Centers: Values, Participation and Teachers’ Perceptions

“…However, other works affirm the opposite, pointing out that men have better attitudes towards inclusive education [ 29 , 30 ]. This paper [ 24 ] also highlights results that indicate that teaching experience positively correlates with favorable attitudes towards educational inclusion [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. It is also shown how other investigations define the association between the training that teachers have with the presence of a disposition, an attitude more favorable to respond to the specific needs of the students [ 34 , 35 ].…”

El papel de la universidad en la construcción de sistemas educativos inclusivos. Dificultades, propuestas y desafíos

“…Como han puesto de manifiesto numerosos organismos internacionales e investigadores, la educación inclusiva implica una reconstrucción de los procesos políticos, sociales y culturales que tienen lugar en las organizaciones educativas, reduciendo las prácticas de exclusión e incrementando los apoyos a la diversidad (Aguirre et al, 2021;González et al, 2021).…”

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