Good practices in the organization of inclusive support in schools
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Abstract
Inclusive support systems are a fundamental pillar within schools, capable of bringing about significant and far-reaching changes to educational policies, institutional cultures and pedagogical practices. The overarching aim of this study is to analyse best practices in the organisation of educational support systems that facilitate the inclusion of all students in mainstream primary education settings, drawing on the perspectives of the educational community. This research adopts an inductive qualitative approach. A total of 329 professionals involved in the organisation of educational support systems across 25 primary schools participated in the study. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach with the support of ATLAS.ti 25 software. Findings indicate that the effective organisation of inclusive support systems requires strategic planning that explicitly defines inclusion within the school framework, grounded in a comprehensive assessment of existing barriers. The study underscores the importance of joint planning between mainstream and support teachers, guided by collaboratively defined improvement objectives. Furthermore, professionals identify co-teaching, flexible groupings, and active methodologies as essential practices for enhancing the organisation and effectiveness of educational support systems in the schools examined.
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