Teachers’ Experiences in Ensuring the Inclusion of Students with Special Needs in Primary Education

Abstract

This qualitative research study aims to capture the attitudes of elementary school teachers regarding the inclusion of students with special needs in elementary education, the teachers’ knowledge of inclusive education as well as to analyze the strategies they use, the challenges they face, and their support needs during this process. To conduct this research, we used semi-structured interviews with 20 elementary school teachers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify the main themes that emerged from the teachers’ responses. The results of this study show that teachers are committed to inclusion but face challenges such as a lack of resources and insufficient training. The study also considers the implications of inclusive practices in English Language Teaching (ELT), where learning a foreign language presents additional challenges for students with special educational needs.