Resources for Inclusive Education in Austria: An Insight Into the Perception of Teachers

Abstract

Even though the progress in creating inclusive learning environments varies across different countries, the implementation of inclusive education systems can clearly be considered a European shared policy goal. However, there is still a lack of both a clear definition of inclusive education and indicators on the provision of necessary resources in order to implement a high-quality inclusive school system. In the presented study, we aimed to shed light on how teachers who work at different schools in Austria perceive the resources provided to them in order to realize high-quality inclusive education. Furthermore, the study searched for factors, which influence teachers' subjective perception of resources, like years of work experience or the number of students in a classroom. To assess teachers' perception of resources, a revised version of the Perception of Resources Questionnaire (PRQ) developed by Goldan and Schwab (2018) was used focussing on three dimensions: human resources, material resources and spatial resources. The results generally indicate that teachers feel ambivalent or have a somewhat positive perception of available resources. In line with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) principles of inclusive education ‘each according to his needs’, we argue that it is not possible to clarify what ‘adequate resources’ might be. The creation of an inclusive learning environment requires considerable effort, and the degree of pedagogical support should be decisive for the allocation of resources. This can only be evaluated if the main learning barriers for each student are identified.

Citation

Gitschthaler, M., Kast, J., Corazza, R. and Schwab, S. (2021), "Resources for Inclusive Education in Austria: An Insight Into the Perception of Teachers", Goldan, J., Lambrecht, J. and Loreman, T. (Ed.) Resourcing Inclusive Education (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 15), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 67-88. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-363620210000015007