Teachers' attitudes and perceived barriers to inclusive education in Spain. Systematic review

Abstract

Moving towards more inclusive education involves identifying and removing barriers to learning and participation that may exist in school cultures, policies and practices. The values that represent the identity of schools and are embodied in institutional policies, together with teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education, can influence inclusion as either enabling factors or barriers. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and analyze the studies carried out in recent years on the attitudes and perceptions of pre-school, primary and secondary school teachers in Spain towards inclusive education, as well as those related to the barriers they encounter in developing more inclusive educational spaces. A systematic review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA statement, identifying 256 articles of which 28 were selected for review. The results show the growing interest in this area of research. Furthermore, they highlight the positive attitude of teachers towards the use of inclusive practices, although the lack of specific training may influence their attitude. On the other hand, barriers such as the lack of initial training, the tendency to segregate pupils and the scarcity of resources are highlighted as hindering the full development of inclusive education. The conclusions show that it is necessary to transform classrooms through adequate initial training and practices with a theoretical-practical approach.