Evaluation of Elementary Science Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Inclusive Education Applications

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the problems and suggestions of the elementary science teachers having students with special needs in the inclusive education applications. The present study is a descriptive study which determines the opinions of elementary science teachers regarding inclusive education. Thirty seven in-service science teachers who have been working in schools where inclusive education is applied in different cities of Turkey participated in the study. Data were collected throughstructured interview form. Thirty-seven interview forms were completed with thirty-seven teachers working in the elementary schools. In an explicit coding process, the researchers grouped each data unit under a category according to common features. In the axial coding process, themes with characteristics similar to categories were classified and determined. When the themes emerged and in the selective coding process, the researchers tried to give meaning to these synthesized patterns. After the data was collected and analyzed, the following four main themes emerged: How do they deal with the inclusive student, the problems encountered in the classrooms where there are inclusive students, the methods applied, and the solutions suggested.