A Qualitative Study on Teachers’ Necessary Skills for Successful Implementation of Inclusive Education (Case Study: Torbat-e Heydariyeh Teachers)

Implementation of inclusive education is a big challenge that the educational system encounters. One of the main problems in implementing inclusive education is that teachers of general education are not sufficiently prepared to work in the fields of inclusive education. Accordingly, the present study was performed to identify needed teachers’ skills to successfully implement inclusive education.

The study was conducted by using a phenomenological approach. To collect the data, a semi-structured interview was employed. Participants were selected from among all teachers in Torbat-e Heydariyeh considering sampling logic in phenomenological approach, through a purposive sampling technique (i.e. sampling among heterogeneous samples). Accordingly, 30 teachers (15 teaching in special schools; 15 teaching in normal ones) were selected interviewed. Having used an encoding qualitative content analysis method, the researcher classified the codes and, finally, defined the themes.

Based on the encoding used in interviews and the qualitative analysis, teachers raised core and necessary skills for a successful implementation of inclusive education in seven themes including “human relations ability”, “appropriate personality traits”, “scientific ability”, “teaching skill”, “class management skill”, “job commitment”, “facilitating holistic development of students”. Based on the findings, “human relations ability” was the most important skill that teachers need. Concerning “appropriate personality traits” such characteristics as patience, high motivation by the interviewees. Familiarity with a variety of disabilities and inclusive education were associated with “scientific ability”. Use of varied and new teaching methods was instances of “teaching skill”. The ability to manage the class was examples of “class management skill” proposed by teachers. Attending to pedagogical issues defined as “facilitating holistic development of students” were other teachers’ skills discussed by the interviewees. Amongst all skills enumerated by the study, such characteristics as “to be open to criticism”, “mastery of textbooks of students with special needs”, “lesson plan development” and “time management” were the new findings of the study which have not been discussed in previous research. Successful inclusive education depends on teachers who are equipped with the knowledge, skill, and qualities necessary for an efficient implementation of such education.  Focus on core skills needed for a successful implementation of an inclusive education discussed here in seven major themes together with programming and taking effective measures for the cultivation of such qualifications during teacher-education as well as in-service courses will further prepare teachers to work in inclusive education; therefore, they can, in addition to satisfying unique needs of all learners, develop an inclusive and a fair educational system, and take steps towards learners’ comprehensive growth and pedagogy.