University Supervisors' Opinions on the Preparation Process of General Education Teacher Candidates for Inclusive Education
The 16th International Balkan Education and Science Congress , Edirne, Türkiye, 15 - 17 Ekim 2025, sa.350, ss.181, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Edirne
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.181
- Trakya Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
In Turkey, the education of students with special needs is legally guaranteed and integrated into general education. An examination of the number of students receiving inclusive education over the years reveals a gradual increase in this number. For inclusive education to be successful, collaboration between other education stakeholders is crucial, as is the provision of supportive special education services. Effective preparation of general education teachers, one of these stakeholders, for successful inclusive practices during their undergraduate education is also crucial. Although general education teacher candidates take some theoretical courses, both elective and compulsory, on teaching students with learning disabilities and their learning needs during their undergraduate education, they must also be able to apply the knowledge they acquire in these theoretical courses to bridge the gap between theory and practice before entering the teaching profession. The role and support provided by university supervisors in developing general education teacher candidates' skills in applying theoretical knowledge to practice is crucial. The relevant literature indicates that general education teachers lack sufficient experience in inclusive education during their undergraduate education. At this point, the teaching practice process is crucial for teacher candidates to experience the theoretical knowledge they acquired before entering the profession in a practical context and to acquire the necessary skills. This allows general education teachers to gain experience in planning and delivering instruction for typically developing children, as well as in planning and delivering instruction for students with special needs from a holistic perspective. Thirteen university supervisors from different departments participated in the research voluntarily, and during the research process, the practicing university supervisors were asked to share their opinions about the preparation of general education teacher candidates for inclusive education and the support and guidance that should be provided to the candidates during the teaching practice process. The participating university supervisors' opinions were collected online using an open-ended survey form developed by the researchers. Participants' responses were collected in writing via Google Forms. The data collected during the research process was analyzed using the MAXQDA 24 data analysis program using descriptive analysis. In the study, it was determined that the majority of the university supervisors did not have any experience in preparing teacher candidates for inclusive education during the teaching practice process and that they needed support by being trained on the subject as university supervisor. The experienced university supervisors' opinions focused on the social acceptance of inclusive students and the need to make arrangements to ensure their participation in music lessons. The university supervisors also expressed their opinions on the importance of inclusive education in the teaching practice process.