What Do Teachers Really Think About Inclusive Education? A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers' Perspectives and Experiences in Relation to How Children With Autism Are Included Within The Mainstream Setting of Gaelscoils.

Abstract

Recently there has been a shift towards educating children with autism in the mainstream school as a result of the establishment of inclusive education policies and a move away from segregated provision for those children. Gaelscoils are Irish medium education schools and as they are mainstream, they are also required to facilitate the enrolment of children with special educational needs. Children with autism require social and communication interventions and sensory regulation, therefore teachers must be sufficiently qualified and competent to facilitate the educational needs of those children within an inclusive setting. This thesis aims to carry out qualitative research on how teachers are really perceiving and experiencing teaching children with autism in the Gaelscoil. Using data gathered from the qualitative analysis of the teachers interviewed, the findings should provide a deeper insight into teacher self-efficacy and how this can affect a teacher’s experience and perspective on inclusion. It is hoped that this study will inform future policies on more practical and appropriate teacher professional development and training for inclusion in Gaelscoils.