2023/4, стр. 462 - 482

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE COURSE OF SOCIAL STUDIES

Резюме:

Ключови думи:

Abstact. Social Studies and inclusive education aim at social development by ensuring education for all. The aim of this research is to comprehend the state of inclusive education in social studies education based on the perceptions and practices of the social studies teachers. Qualitative research approach and phenomenology pattern have been adopted in the research and 5 social studies teachers were participants. The research data has been collected through semistructured interviews, student personal data sheet, observations, and researcher diaries. The data has been analyzed through induction analysis. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that social studies teachers had a positive perception of inclusive education but did not apply this approach in teaching processes as they did not find it viable. Teachers associate inclusive education to a greater extent with the SEN and refugee students and do not diversify educational teaching practices.

Keywords: social studies cource; inclusive education; disadvantaged students; teaching practices

Introduction

Educating individuals for a just society that is sensitive to human rights is one of the main goals of education. The education system should aim for children to study with other students in public schools, to access and participate in education, and to develop and learn through a quality education (Booth & Ainscow 2006). The realization of these goals is possible by the fact that schools become learning and development environments organized according to the philosophy of inclusive education, where education is provided for all. The pandemic process in the 2020s, which has turned into a global crisis, has made it difficult to ensure the inclusiveness of education all over the world. Access and participation of disadvantaged students in education is difficult under normal circumstances, while the distance education process faces more problems in an academic and emotional sense. At the point of access to distance education, the alienation of students with insufficient socioeconomic level from education also increases the inequality of opportunity in the society in this process (Aimuaand 2021).

Today, inclusive education covers all children who have difficulties in accessing socio-cultural, educational, vital activities and opportunities that the rest of the society can access, whether they have special needs or not, together with other members of the society and on an equal level and defends the right of these children to receive education together with their peers („ztürk ve diğerleri 2017). With the Salamanca Declaration adopted by The publication of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) in 1994, it is emphasized that all children have the right to receive education and that students' unique qualifications, skills, interests and learning needs should be taken into account. Within the scope of this declaration, for the first time, the Education for All (EFA) approach came to the fore and it was emphasized that every child should receive a quality basic education and education systems should be developed to meet their needs and that countries should implement the necessary policies to promote inclusive education and that schools should be organized according to students in need of special education1.

The importance of inclusive education in the global sense and the 2030 agenda principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) points to the importance of inclusive education2. Within the Sustainable Development Goals, it is aimed to prevent a certain group of people from reaching the opportunities in the world we live in and to prevent those who are left from being deprived of these opportunities. For this reason, it is accepted that quality and inclusive education is necessary for all to eradicate and achieve poverty all over the world. The importance of education as a strategy for reducing poverty, the aim of ending the cycle of non-education, which causes chronic poverty and greater social exclusion is clearly demonstrated in the international goals (Hasan ve diğerleri 2018). Even though the importance of inclusive education in the global sense is explained with SDGs, the necessity of inclusive education in Turkey carries a different dimension.

As a result of a series of problems and events in the Middle East due to the 'Arab spring' that took place in 2010, Turkey received immigrants from Iraq, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran and mostly from Syria. These migrations have changed the migratory individuals, as well as the citizens of the countries that have emigrated, in a socio-economic, political, cultural and demographic sense. As a result of the changes, the civil war in Syria and the mass migration movements that followed required the development of new policies especially in Turkey and the integration of Syrian children into the Turkish education system.

Another disadvantaged group other than refugees is students who need special education (SEN). Although inclusive education in Turkey is generally used for SEN students this use is limited. The concept of disadvantage is discussed in different contexts. In this research, disadvantaged groups in inclusive education were determined according to Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. According to the article called prohibition of discrimination; “The rights recognized in this contract and enjoyment of freedoms; gender, race, color, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, belonging to a national minority, wealth, birth should be provided without any discrimination based on any other situation3”. Disadvantaged groups in this study are: Having disadvantages such as socio-economic inadequacies, being a child of a broken family, being exposed to disaster, needing special education, experiencing gender inequality, being a child at risk and being a refugee.

There are many students in Turkey with different disadvantages and students with disadvantages make up a significant part of the total population. If these students do not receive a qualified education, it is possible to face problems such as the inability to adapt to society and the increase in discrimination, especially for Syrian students, especially in relation to the increase in poverty. The importance of this research; considering that inability to attend education will make the disadvantages of students more evident, it will contribute to prevent social and economic problems that will be encountered and also to provide equal opportunities in the social sense by providing quality education to these students.

In order to adapt to the changing world, many innovations in the field of education are on the agenda. Although there are many studies and innovations in terms of educational philosophy and practices, but still the teaching processes are in shaped according to the traditional approaches. However, educational processes must be deconstructed if education is to be inclusive. “Today, still “one size fits all” pedagogy continues to be practiced in many classes and mainly textbooks, mostly standard learning resources are used in the lessons” (Mutlu, „ztürk & Aktekin 2019, p. 186). It should be taken into account that the expectations of the education system have also changed in the changing world. For this reason, different models and strategies such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), individualised instruction, studentcentred learning and others are put forward as possible approaches and practices for teachers to create more inclusive learning environments (Gheyssens et al. 2021). Also differentiated Instruction (DI) is advocated as both a teaching practice and a teaching philosophy to meet the needs of diverse learners. Differentiated practices refer to the proactive adjustments of the curricula, teaching methods, resources, learning activities. In this way, every student is provided with maximal learning opportunities (Tomlinson 2014). The aim of inclusive educational practices is to maximize students' learning within itself. For that it is important to understand teachers’ approaches of inclusion. In the light of this information, the research questions are as follows:

Research Aims

The main aim of this study is to reveal how the situation of inclusive education in Social Studies education is based on the perceptions and practices of Social Studies teachers. For this purpose, the research sought answers to the following questions:

1. How do social studies teachers perceive inclusive education?

2. How are social studies teachers’ practices for inclusive education in the teaching process?

Method

Research Design

As a phenomenon (Glesne 1999), the research aims to understand the perceptions of inclusive education of social studies teachers, so the authors believed that qualitative research approach is suitable for the study. In the research, the phenomenology model, which is used to reveal the views, subjective and similar experiences and perceptions of one or more people about a concept or phenomenon, was adopted (Creswell 2013).

Participants

While determining the participants in this study, criterion sampling technique was used to determine the participants (Creswell 2013). Two criteria were determined selecting the participants. The first criterion is to have a student in the disadvantaged group in the class, and the second criterion is to be a Social Studies teacher. Selecting teachers with disadvantaged students in their class gives them an in-depth view of the situations in which these teachers practice of inclusive education. In this study, five social studies teachers were studied. The research was conducted in 5th grade branches of 2 secondary schools. The reason these schools are preferred for research is because school principals, the Social Studies teachers and parents were willing to participate in the research. Characteristics of teachers who are research participants are shown in the Table.

Data Gathering

In order to collect data within the scope of the research, official written permission was obtained from Anadolu University Social and Human Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee, protocol number is 44563 and Kayseri Provincial Directorate of National Education, regarding the fact that the research does not contain objectives, methods and subjects that violate the code of ethics. In the study, Social Studies teachers and students’ parents are informed about the research before performing the observations. Then, oral and written consent were taken from teachers and families.

The Current Study

In this study, semi-structured interviews, observations, student personal data sheets and researcher diaries were used to collect data on the subject being investigated. The data was collected in the 2018 – 2019 fall and 2019 – 2020 spring periods. During the data collection process, the semi-structured interview form was examined by three experts, and then the first pilot interview was conducted with its final version. After the necessary changes were made, a second pilot interview was conducted and semi-structured interviews were conducted over this form. During the data collection process, students in the participants' classes were asked to fill out personal data sheets, and fifteen interviews were conducted in three sessions with the participants. Each of the interviews lasted about 30 minutes. During the five-month observation process, a total of 285 lesson hours were observed. While making the observations, notes were taken on the observation form, and observations were recorded about the predetermined contexts. Research diaries were kept by the researcher from the moment the observation began. İn the researcher's diary, the course hours schedules, the situation of disadvantaged students in the class, teacher-student dialogues, the feelings and thoughts of the researcher, the difficulties encountered, the developing ideas, the communication with the administrators, exchange of ideas, interviews with classroom teachers are noted.

Interviews made with participants were voice-recorded via the researcher's personal mobile phone. During the data collection process, after completing the first interviews, the first analyzes were carried out. Then, the second and third round of interviews was conducted and analyzed. Interviewing participants three times helped to, understanding whether the participants' views are consistent, and has contributed to reaching deeper knowledge of the subject through the dissemination of interviews into the process. The final interviews were conducted after the observations were completed. Thus, it is aimed to prevent interview topics from affecting the process.

Trustworthiness

In the research, what is done to ensure trustworthiness is: During the research process, being in the environment for an education year, making systematic observations, making data diversity, comparing the obtained data sources, getting expert opinions, compromising in data collection tools and analysis processes, making audio recordings and reflecting the opinions of all participating teachers fairly can be listed as (Bogdan & Biklen 2007; Glesne 1999). In this study, the data were examined and analyzed by an expert in order to develop code, check the suitability of these codes, create themes, and expand the researcher's point of view. In addition, some of the audio recordings of semi-structured interviews were listened by another expert and credibility was provided on the accuracy of the recordings. In addition, the forms prepared for the data gathering tools were examined by 3 field experts. A total of five field experts provided their views on the research process, data review, validation and analysis. In the light of these views, the research process was developed by reaching consensus. In accordance with the privacy policy of the study, pseudonyms were used in the presentation of data obtained from participants. During the data gathering process, participants verbally control of the data was ensured, the opinions expressed by the participants were determined by the researcher. Confirmation was obtained from the participants by checking whether they were understood correctly or not.

Data Analysis

In this study, data analysis was used of qualitative research using a content analysis approach. In the coding process, the researcher tried to determine the dimensions that are important for the purpose of the research by reading the data line by line. The data obtained from all data collection tools were deciphered by transferring them to written form, and common themes were formed by coding them separately. Categories were reached from these themes. For data processing, this list has guided the analysis by creating a conceptual structure. As an example of the codes: Social Studies teachers define inclusive education as: Inclusion of disadvantaged students in education, equal opportunity to all, approach to students with different needs, struggle with social pressure. For exclusion statements: access to education, participation, equality, individual differences codes are used. Giving all students a place in life, education for all, having different student profiles together. For education of disadvantaged students: Participation, individual differences, peer education codes are used. By trying to find common aspects between codes to find themes, the data from the emerging themes were examined with a deductive approach, and a deeper inference was reached according to a semantic integrity. After that to understand explanations of what the participants' practice with the phenomenon, direct quotes resorted. The findings were interpreted by the researcher and the conclusions were drawn (Moustakas 1994). After the analyzes are completed, the participants are asked to confirm the findings (member checking). Final analysis was completed after the relevant analysis drafts, codes and themes were submitted and verbal approval was received from the participants.

Limitations

Among the disadvantaged student groups, students who were exposed to disasters, students with different religions, languages, ethnic origins and students at risk were not encountered during the data collection process. Therefore, students with these disadvantages were not included in the study. Also in this study, data were collected in the focus of refugee and SEN students from disadvantaged groups, as teachers mostly associate inclusive education with them. Despite the fact that inclusive education is far beyond just these disadvantaged groups, the participants' perception of disadvantaged students has led to this limitation. Another issue is that since the journal has a word limit, the opinions of all participants on the subject could not be included in the results section. Only direct quotations from relatively important data are included.

Results

The findings are discussed under two main headings. These are: Perceptions of Social Studies teachers towards inclusive education and inclusive educational practices of Social Studies teachers.

Perceptions of Social Studies Teachers Towards Inclusive Education

It is aimed to have an idea about the perceptions of Social Studies teachers towards inclusive education. Teachers' perceptions of inclusive education were examined under the following themes: Social Studies teachers' definition of inclusive education, the necessity of inclusive education and teachers' perceptions of disadvantaged students.

Social studies teachers' definition of inclusive education

Under this theme it is aimed to understand how teachers define inclusive education, which expressions they used to describe it.

Although many definitions of inclusive education have been made, the definition of inclusive education made by UNESCO mentioned on introduction section was used in this research. The reason for using this definition is that UNESCO is an internationally recognized organization.

As seen in Table 2, Arif and Nazlı defined inclusive education in accordance with the criteria in UNESCO's definition. According to this; They included all of the expressions in their definitions by increasing the participation of learners (differences, different levels), by increasing participation on education, culture and society (increasing participation, inclusion), reducing discrimination (preventing exclusion, approaching equal and egalitarian, accepting). Sample interview data is as follows:

“Equal education for all students. İnclusive education is, where all students benefit from education and all students are treated equally.” – Nazlı, Interview 1.

In addition, it is seen that other participants made definitions in accordance with some of the criteria in UNESCO's definition of inclusive education. Also, it is seen that all participants include education for all in their definitions. It can be said that there is a consensus that inclusive education means education for everyone.

The necessity of inclusive education according to social studies teachers

According to teachers, the necessity of inclusive education is related to whether it is beneficial or not. Below are examples of this data on the subject.

“The idea that inclusive education should be taught together in regular classrooms is a necessary approach. It is very beneficial especially for SEN students when students receive education together in regular classrooms. Also other students are learning tolerance, which is beneficial for them” – Deniz, Interview 1.

Inclusive education is found necessary by most of the participants. The participants, who think that it is beneficial, think that it will be beneficial for students to receive education in regular classrooms, especially for disadvantaged students.

Some of the participants think that inclusive education is not necessary. Participants associate this situation with the difficulty of applying inclusive education in lessons. In addition, they think that students with differences receiving education together affects other students negatively by disrupting education, especially in classes with refugee and SEN students.

“We're having hard time implementing this. We cannot involve Syrian students much in the lesson. Of course the classes should include them, but it saddens me that SEN students couldn't understand but to a certain extent. If I take care of SEN students, this time other students get bored, they want to have a say, these students pull them back. It is unfair to them too. Refugee students who don't speak Turkish, if I take care of them, there will be noise in the classroom. Disadvantaged students are invisible in society. If we don't take care of them at school, they will disappear. I think that there should not be education in the regular classrooms together” – Serpil, Interview 1.

“SEN student Arda does not attend the lesson. The teacher does not communicate with him. While two refugee students who knew Turkish well, attended the lesson more actively than most Turkish students, no dialogue took place between those who did not speak Turkish” (Serpil, Observation, 18.12.2019). It is also supported by the observation data that Serpil teacher has difficulties in the participation of disadvantaged groups, especially refugee students and SEN students.

It is understood that the participants associated inclusive education with receiving education together in regular classrooms and considered it unnecessary because they did not find it applicable.

Social Studies teachers' perceptions of disadvantaged students

Under this theme, it is aimed to learn which groups Social Studies teachers consider as disadvantaged. Based on the European Convention on Human Rights’s article 14, called the prohibition of discrimination, which is also included in the introduction section, Information on the definition of disadvantaged groups in inclusive education according to Social Studies teachers is given in the Table 3.

In table 3, it is seen that none of the participants could rank the disadvantaged groups according to the order in the article. Although the participants listed these disadvantaged groups, their examples and experiences were focused on refugees and SEN students throughout the study. This shows that the participants put the disadvantaged groups in order of importance. Below is the interview data of Merih about disadvantaged groups.

“Economically, socially, politically, religiously, by gender, even people belonging to dierent sects with the same belief may be disadvantaged depending on the environment they live in. Disadvantaged groups;students with SEN, refugees, children from broken families, those with poor socio-economic status, and children who were harmed after a natural disaster” (Merih, Interview 1).

It is thought that the approaches of the participants to disadvantaged students will help to understand their perceptions of inclusive education. Below are the data on the Nazlı’s approach to disadvantaged groups. Nazli's views on the approach of refugee students are as follows:

“Syrians, they know Turkish, they have lived here for many years, and I think I am behaviorally useful to them in this regard” (Nazli, Interview 1). Nazli states that she is trying to overcome problems by approaching students with behavioral disorders from a behavioral point of view.

“Nazli handles the lesson always with the same people. Abut (Syrian) only participates in events held in turn. The teacher made no attempt to include him in the class” – Researcher's Diary, 03.10.2019.

“Nazli continues the course with active Iranian and Turkish students. I've never seen the teacher speak directly to Abut. She also did not have any approach in a behavioral sense” – Nazli, Observation, 21.11.2019.

Nazli states her opinion on her approach to refugee students as “Among the refugee students, Iranian students were more successful, but Syrian students acted with the thought of “I will pass anyway” and she only benefited them behaviorally. Nazli notes that she experiences anxiety that she does not benefit every student in the classroom equally. The data contained in the researcher's diary on the approach of the Nazli to refugee students also confirms the interview data and shows that the teacher is not sufficiently interested in these students.

The views on how Nazli approached her SEN students in the class are as follows:

“Reza is a foreign national and a student of inclusion. He cannot be contacted at all. Like Reza, there is Yıldızhan. So, is he, the child is introverted and very quiet. It's really hard to get these two to the class. Unfortunately, I don't think I am of any use to Reza. Just behaviorally. Yıldızhan is a very innocuous student. I'm at a dead end with these two students, and I don't know what I can do. Yildizhan just comes and goes to school, the social environment is perhaps better for him here in terms of morale. I try to approach them sincerely, affectionately, more behaviorally” – Nazli, Interview 1.

“Reza ate junk food during the lesson, Yildizhan loudly insults Reza. The teacher said three times ‘shut up’ but did not leave the board. Neither of them has any material about the lesson on their desk” – Nazli, Observation, 03.10.2019.

Nazli states that she cannot communicate with her SEN students regarding the perception of self-efficacy, that she cannot be helpful enough in their education and that she feels sad about this situation. According to her, differences in the level in the classroom play a negative role in dealing with SEN students, Nazli is concerned that she does not benefit every student in the classroom equally. Data from the observation also shows that the participant has difficulty communicating with SEN students and attending these students to the lesson. As Nazli stated in the interview data, she has problems due to not knowing what to do about SEN students, and for this reason, she tends to ignore these students in the lessons.

Inclusive Educational Practices of Social Studies Teachers

Within the scope of this theme, it is aimed to have an idea about the educational practices that Social Studies teachers apply within inclusive education.

According to the inclusive education approach, the methods and techniques used by Social Studies teachers

According to the inclusive education approach of the participants, it is aimed to understand which methods and techniques they use in their lessons and how they perform these applications. In classrooms where inclusive and differentiated practices are not practiced, the possibility of disadvantaged students to be successful academically and socially decreases.

According to the inclusive education approach of Social Studies teachers, the data obtained from the interviews conducted to understand which methods and techniques they use in their lessons are shown in the Table 4.

Looking at the table, it is seen that all teachers benefit from the question and answer technique and they benefit from the activities on the smart board. Despite this, the site and applications that teachers follow through the smart board differ from each other. Teachers have stated that they conduct their lessons through presentation, at least in part of the course. It can also be seen in the Table 3 that dictation technique is used by all the participants. What is processed in the course is written as a summary in the student's notebook is a method that most teachers apply in their lessons. Below is data on the methods and techniques that teachers apply in the classroom:

“If the lesson becomes a game, all the children participate, I turn it into a game. I'm opening the EBA in the form of a quiz or online. I'm explaining questions using a smart board. I'm doing a, b, c, d rows and making it a competition. We applaud the group that knows more. Also I ask coded questions (the teacher creates codes by encoding her initials to keep in mind on issues that contain information), I do the lesson with questions and answers” (Deniz, Interview 2).

“The teacher opened a unit assessment consisting of matching, multiple-choice questions from a smart board. She divided the class into groups and wrote the group names a, b, c, on the board. She gave her pen to the first student. The student in the first row got up on the board, marked the right option, then wrote 10 next to Group A. Then the students in b, c, d did the same. They wrote 0 when they did it wrong. The teacher gave a hint to a student who looked hesitant to choose an option. Her classmates reacted,’ it's easy, you should know now.' The teacher quelled these reactions by saying, ‘Shh, Okay, shut up.’ Students showed interest in the event, creating a competitive environment in the classroom. At the end of the event, the scores were collected, and the first group was selected” – Deniz, Observation, 17.10.2019.

“The teacher usually performs her lessons with question-and-answer technique. In addition, in some courses, during the entire course hour, she does dictation and students notes the subject in a notebook. Especially at the end of the day, which is two hours, she opens video lesson from smart board and students follows the lecture. She performs multiple choice questions through smart board by turning them into a game activity” – Deniz, Researcher Diary, 27.12.2019.

As for the methods and techniques that Deniz uses in her lessons, she says that she makes the lesson enjoyable. For this purpose, she expresses that she has turned events into competitions, given reinforcements to the winning groups, benefited from technology, and benefited from smart board platforms. She states that she conducts her courses with the interactive question and answer technique. Observation data also confirms these statements of the teacher. However, the question-and-answer technique used by the teacher, is not fully suitable for the nature of inclusive education and learning, as it is constructed with questions in the dimension of knowledge.

Teaching materials used by Social Studies teachers in inclusive education

According to the inclusive education approach, it is important to realize an educational training process that will appeal to all groups of students in the classroom by using the differentiation method in the educational training process. It can be said that differentiation in education is carried out through teaching materials used in courses, as well as through teaching methods and techniques. Interview data to understand what resources and materials teachers use in the course are shown in the Table 5.

When looking at the table, it is seen that all participants use the smart board and blackboard as teaching material in their lessons. Although only two of the teachers stated that they used the tests as teaching materials, it was observed in the observations that “the other three teachers performed the multiple-choice questions in their lessons tooˮ – Researcher's Diary, 11.12.2019. Although only two of the teachers stated that they used the textbook as material in the interviews, it was observed that “all of the teachers used the textbook in their lessons” (Researcher’s Diary, 13.11.2019). It is seen in the Table that only one of the participants stated that they use the internet as a teaching material. “Arif used the internet to show students the visuals of the Marmara earthquake” – Arif, Observation, 07.10.2019, observation data also confirms this data.

Over the years, researchs has shown that the basic material used in the educational training process has changed from textbook to smart board. Data obtained from teachers also supports this information. Despite this, it is revealed that teachers do not use smart boards outside of certain existing teaching platforms.

Measurement and evaluation methods used by Social Studies teachers in inclusive education

In inclusive teaching applications, it is necessary to use process-based and differentiated measurement and evaluation tools for students with different characteristics according to specific development and learning levels. The assessment tools that teachers use in social studies classes are shown in the Table 6.

Looking at the Table, it can be seen that most teachers use a special exam for SEN students. While no special assessment is applied for other disadvantaged students, it is seen that two of the teachers have stated that they have carried out their assessment taking into account the status of refugee students. Here, the method of passing is also included in the interview data, where the participants have an impact on the measurement and evaluation practices. Because the lack of class repetition pushes teachers to complete the passing grade by raising the students' grade. Although one of the participants does not find multiple choice questions sufficient, he notes that he prefers this assessment practice in order to prepare for national exams. Project assignments, which are one of the methods used in process evaluation, the table shows that there is only one participant in the assessment. Serpil's thoughts on the measurement and evaluation tools she uses within the framework of inclusive education for refugee students are as follows:

“When evaluating the student, I evaluate them considering that they are refugees. These students, have difficulty expressing themselves, and I rate them accordingly. I am not necessarily holding the same shroud as the other and giving the same grade, more. I do a test exam, they mark something, when they get a sufficient grade from the exam, I add some and make it to the passing grade. No failings, in any case they pass their classes” – Serpil, Interview 1.

“The teacher gave the students a test exam before the actual exam. This exam included multiple choice questions. She told other students to put their bags on the table. ‘You don't have to put it in,’ she told to the refugee students and encouraged them to help each other” – Serpil, Observation, 24.10.2019.

It is seen that Serpil stated that she made her evaluations by considering the disadvantages of being a foreign national while evaluating the refugee students. It has been observed that the teacher followed a different practice for refugee students while taking the test exam. She states that the absence of classroom repetition in this practice is effective and follows this path to pass students. Serpil's thoughts on the measurement and evaluation tools used in inclusive education for SEN students are as follows:

“We evaluate Arda according to the SEN exam. For him, I am thinking of easing the questions even more. In the exam, I give him their regular written papers, and then I take it back. This way, other students did not understand that the questions were different” – Serpil, Interview 1.

Serpil states that SEN students use a special exam in measurement evaluation. And she individualizes the questions in such a way that they are more appropriate to the level of that student. In order to avoid exclusion in the classroom, she secretly changes the exam sheet to avoid making his friends feel that he is taking a different exam.

Discussion, Conclusion and Suggestions

Conclusions and Discussion of Social Studies Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusive Education

Understanding teachers' perceptions of inclusive education, realizing the goals of ensuring the welfare of children is important because of its contribution to social peace by serving to provide equality of opportunity.

Social Studies teachers have a positive perception of inclusive education. The role of teachers, who are practitioners, is great in the implementation of the right of all children to access and participate in education, which is guaranteed by laws and contracts. When the literature is examined, it emphasizes the importance of the teacher in the education process and draws attention to teacher approaches (Savolainen et al. 2012).

While teachers find inclusive education generally useful, they do not find it viable in the education process. They attribute this to the fact that the presence of classes is excessive and that lessons cannot be taught in accordance with the individual difference of each student, where they must act according to the majority. This approach does not fit with the practice of differentiating the educational process of inclusive education therefore, it negatively affects the process of individuals to find a place in society with their differences.

Although the participants define inclusive education as education for everyone, they do not find it appropriate to carry out this education together with disadvantaged groups in regular classrooms. Qiong Xu, Cooper and Sin (2018) found that the challenges posed by the attempt to further promote the learning in regular classrooms complicates the teaching process. Also Florian (2003)’s study supports this as; although the concept is part of a broad human rights agenda, many educators have serious reservations about supporting the widespread placement of pupils with SEN in mainstream schools.

Conclusions and Discussion on the Practice of Social Studies Teachers in Inclusive Education

It is understood that teachers perform educational training practices by accepting the average grade as a level. Studies have shown that educational practices aimed at the secondary level are not effective enough (McBride 2004; Mutlu & „ztürk 2017). Taking advantage of the differentiation approach in creating an inclusive learning, teaching environment is necessary for the development of students at different levels.

Teachers support for participation in the course is provided that refugee students speak Turkish. It has been observed that students who cannot use Turkish effectively are ignored by all teachers. In this case it is not in line with the inclusive education approach and educational approaches for an equal society.

In addition, although it is seen that some of the teachers are supportive in terms of getting to know the students and ensuring their participation in the lesson, it is understood that the level of the special needs of the SEN students is determinative in the attitudes of the teachers as supportive or vice versa. Accordingly, teachers were found to help students with mild learning difficulties in lessons, while ignoring students with high levels of mental disabilities in the classroom. One of the factors affecting teachers 'attitudes is the type and degree of students' special needs (Kniveton, 2004). Integrating students with severe disabilities can also increase the stress of the teacher's obligations. This is because teachers have not been trained to approach SEN students and are concerned about receiving support from the school administration (Ghereand York-Barr 2007). This result is similar to the results of the study.

Ainscow (2005) noted that after the creation of an inclusive educational environment, important tasks fall on teachers who interact with students in classrooms and will be together in the teaching process. When the methods and techniques used by social studies teachers were examined, it was found that none of the teachers differentiated in the methods, techniques, and activities they used in their lessons, taking into account the characteristics of their disadvantaged students such as readiness, precognition, interest, learning styles.

It is understood that the methods and techniques that teachers use in their lessons, although not within the framework of inclusive education, are question and answer technique, and smart board activities. Despite this, the site, and applications that teachers follow through the smart board differ from each other. It has been observed that teachers conduct their lessons through presentation, dictate what is processed in the course as a summary in the student's notebook, use the question and answer technique, and perform most of their lessons using traditional methods. This shows that teachers do not rearrange their lessons according to disadvantaged students, and do not apply activities aimed at them, but perform their lessons using traditional methods. However, educational environments organized according to inclusive education should be in a structure that reveals and supports students' interests, abilities, skills. It is necessary to use methods and techniques to increase the desires and motivations of students in educational environments suitable for Inclusive Education (Dağlığoğlu, Doğan & Basit 2017).

Activities on the smart board have been seen to be used by all teachers in some of their classes. It has been observed that the use of smart boards is passive for students and it carried out on lecture videos. It is understood that teachers who express that they have done activities through a smart board mean that multiplechoice questions on a smart board should be done to students. It has been observed that one of the teachers uses group activities in his lessons. It was understood that this teacher could not do group activities because there was not enough time to train the curriculum. In this context, it was understood that the participants carried out their education and training processes with traditional methods and this approach did not appeal to students with differences.

In courses designed according to an inclusive education approach, it is important to use different teaching materials, to appeal to students with different characteristics and to diversify and differentiate the educational learning process in line with student diversity. When the materials used by the teachers in inclusive education were examined, it was seen that all of the teachers used the smart board and the white board as teaching materials in their lessons. It has been observed that all teachers use multiple choice questions as essays or as teaching material through applications on a smart board. Also all teachers use the textbook in their courses. Considering the teaching materials used by teachers, it was observed that differentiated teaching materials were not used for students of different learning levels in the classroom, covering all students in accordance with the nature of inclusive education, teachers did not tend to design any materials, they performed their courses using the traditional method.

All of the teachers did express differentiation in the assessment process, although this differentiation doesn’t include student's interests, abilities and needs determined according to the measurement tools. Measurement and evaluation applications that are stated to be differentiated are applied only to SEN students. In assessing refugee students, it was understood that some of the teachers were valued by taking into account the status of these students. Although the right to education is expressed in the Temporary Protection Regulation 6883 and the law on foreigners and international protection, there is no statement on the evaluation of students' achievements. This, in turn, supports the conclusion that there is uncertainty in the measurement and evaluation of refugee students to coincide with the results of this study. At the moment, one of the teachers thinks that due to the difficulties caused by the migration of refugee students, they should be subjected to differentiated assessment, while the other thinks that the administration's sanctions and the basis of passing the class require a difference in the assessment procedure. According to the Ministry of Education's Pre-School Education and Primary Education Institutions regulation (2020): “It is essential that students in primary schools do not repeat the class”. In the same way, “Students who receive education through full-time integration and students who continue their education in special education classes are not allowed to repeat the class due to their failures”. In line with the regulations and teachers' approaches, it is understood that the pass-stay procedure is effective in evaluating the success status of refugee students and SEN students. As a matter of fact, it is understood that the lack of class repetition drives teachers to complete the passing grade by raising the students' grade. The aim of measurement and evaluation applications in inclusive education is to ensure learning. Results-oriented assessment practices that teachers make to determine passing and staying are not suitable for an inclusive educational understanding. It is believed that the element that directs teachers to result-oriented evaluation is the culture and practices of measurement and evaluation.

Teachers use multiple choice and written exams as a measurement and evaluation method. However these results-oriented assessment tools do not appeal to students with individual differences, they are not suitable for assessment approaches in inclusive education. It is understood that teachers preferred this measurement and evaluation practice in order to prepare for the national exams, although they did not find multiple choice exams sufficient. Stecher (2002) alsostates that national exams consist of measuring students' memorization abilities, as they consist of multiple-choice questions aimed at measuring basic skills. It has been observed that all teachers practice a different exam for SEN students. According to the Ministry of Education (2020), “For students who continue their education through integration, the Individualized Education Program is prepared by the Individualized Education Program Development Unit, and the achievements of these students are evaluated according to the goals contained in this program”. But this exam, administered by teachers, does not coincide with the differentiated assessment approach, as it involves applying the same exam to all SEN students with different individual needs.

Finally, in the situation of inclusive education in Turkey, Social Studies teachers have a positive perception of inclusive education, although it was understood that teachers’ could not adequately reflect their approach into education and training processes. In addition, it is understood that the participants focuses on the inclusiveness of refugees and SEN students from disadvantaged groups, and other disadvantaged groups are invisible in the education process.

According to the results of the research, it was understood that the teachers did not consider themselves sufficient in approaching the disadvantaged students. In order to reduce the anxiety and stress of students in disadvantaged groups in the school and classroom environment, it can be suggested that teachers should be equipped with how to approach these students and be supported by in-service trainings to be given by the Ministry of National Education.

As a result of the research, it was understood that teachers had problems about how to approach students with individual differences. For this reason, in order to ensure that social studies teacher candidates see diversity as richness, it is recommended to ensure that they take inclusive education in the Social Studies Teaching undergraduate curriculum, as well as culturally sensitive education and multicultural education, which will raise awareness about differences.

As a result of the research, it was understood that the teachers carried out their educational practices by accepting the class average as a level. It can be suggested that teachers should implement appropriate education and training practices for students at different levels and disadvantaged students with individual differences, with differentiated education practices. For this purpose, teachers; For students whose Turkish is not sufficient, they can introduce the words in the subject, speak in a plain language, and express their learning objectives clearly and unequivocally before moving on to the relevant subject. In addition, they can benefit from visual and auditory materials for students with special needs, they can benefit from methods such as role playing, animation and creative drama, they can support students' learning and cohesion from each other through group work, and they can perform individual work practices by preparing worksheets at different levels. Cultural promotion activities can be organized so that students from different cultures can express themselves and promote their cultures, and a culturally sensitive approach can be supported with entertaining cultural motifs such as painting, music, food and dance.

As a result of the research, it was understood that the teachers did not differentiate in the assessment and evaluation process. Teachers can be encouraged by the Ministry of National Education to adopt process-oriented assessment approaches suitable for learning-oriented assessment instead of result-oriented assessment and evaluation tools. To this end; It may be suggested that the Ministry of National Education and the school administration take measures to ensure that more than one process-oriented evaluation method such as presentation, poster, self-evaluation, peer evaluation, discussion, portfolio, and exhibition organization is used simultaneously.

In this study, the subject of inclusive education in the Social Studies course was studied with the dimension of Social Studies teachers. In the future researches on inclusive education: Studies can be conducted with the participation of administrators, guidance and research centers, families of students. The issue of the relationship of disadvantaged students with their peers can be studied. In order to improve the education and training process in line with inclusive education, applied research such as action research can be carried out.

NOTES

1. SALAMANCA DECLARATİON, 1994.

2. UNESCO, 2017, p 3.

3. EUROPEAN CONVENTİON ON HUMAN RİGHTS, 2010.

4. According to the relevant laws in Turkey, refugee status is granted to individuals from Europe. Individuals of similar status, especially Syrians, are under Temporary Protection Status in Turkey, but in this research, students of this status are referred to as refugees, in accordance with international literature. This study was produced from a part of the researcher's PhD thesis published in Anadolu University.

REFERANCES

AİMUA, E.P. & PAUL, J. 2021. Covid-19 and the Educational Sector: Challenges and the Need for Inclusive Education in Nigeria. Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 15 – 23.

AİNSCOW, M. 2005. Developing inclusive education systems: what are the levers for change? Journal of educational change, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 109 – 124.

BEGGS, S. 2017. Common Core Teaching Strategics in the Inclusive Classroom. California: Chapman University Press.

Bogdan, R. & Biklen S.K. 2007. Qualitative research for education: an introduction to theory and methods. Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

BOOTH, T. & AİNSCOW, M. 2006. Index for inclusion: Developing learning, participation in Schools. Bristol: CSIE.

CRESWELL, J.W. 2013. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

DAĞLIOĞLU, H.E.; TURUPCU D. A. & BASİT, O. 2017. Kapsayıcı Okul „ncesi Eğitim Ortamlarında „ğretmenler ocukların Bireysel Yeteneklerini Belirlemek ve Geliştirmek İŒin Neler Yapıyor?. Gazi …niversitesi Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 883 – 910.

FORLİN, C., 2010. Teacher Education for Inclusion: Changing Paradigms and Innovative Approaches. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

GHERE, G. & YORK-BARR J. 2007. Paraprofessional Turnover and Retention in Inclusive Programs: Hidden Costs and Promising Practices. Remedial and Special Education [online], vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 21 – 32. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325070280 010301.

GHEYSSENS, E.; CONSUEGRA, E.; ENGELS, N. & STRUYVEN, K. 2021. Creating inclusive classrooms in primary and secondary schools: From noticing to differentiated practices. Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 100, no. 2, p. 103210.

GLESNE, C. 1999. Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction. New York: Longman Publications.

HASAN, M.; HALDER, U.K. & DEBNATH, D. 2018. Inclusive education and Education for all. International Journal of Research and Analytical, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 605 – 608.

KNİVETON, BROMLEY H. 2004. The Influences and Motivations on Which Students Base Their Choice of Career. Research in Education, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 47 – 59.

MCBRİDE, B. 2004. Data-driven instructional methods: 'One Strategy Fits All' doesn't work in real classrooms. The Journal (Technological Horizons In Education), Vol. 31, no. 11, pp. 38 – 54.

MOUSTAKAS, C. 1994. Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

MUTLU, N.; „ZT…RK, M. & AKTEKİN, S. 2019. Farklılaştırılmış „ğretim „z-Yeterlik „lŒeği Geliştirilmesi. Trakya …niversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, no. 21, pp. 185 – 202.

MUTLU, N. & „ZT…RK, M. 2017. Sosyal Bilgiler ve Tarih Derslerinde Farklılaştırılmış „ğretime Yönelik „ğretmen Algıları ve Uygulamaları. Trakya …niversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 379 – 402.

„ZOKCU, O. 2018. The Relationship between Teacher Attitude and SelfEfficacy for Inclusive Practices in Turkey. Journal of Educationand Training Studies, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 6 – 12.

SAVOLAİNEN, H.; ENGELBRECHT, P.; NEL, M. & MALİNEN, O.P. 2012.Understanding teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive education: Implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 51 – 68.

STECHER, B. M. 2002. Consequences of Large-scale, High-Stakes Testing on School and Classroom Practice. In: L.S. Hamilton, M.S. Brian & P.K. Stephen (Eds). Making Sense of Test Based Accountability in Education. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.

TOMLİNSON, C.A. 2014. The dierentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. 2nd Edition, Alexandria: ASCD.

XU, S.Q.; COOPER, P. & SİN, K. 2018. “The “Learning in Regular Classrooms” Initiative for Inclusive Education in China.” International Journal of Inclusive Education, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 54 – 73.