For a qualitative leap in inclusion: illusions and delusions from teacher's perspective

Five years after the introduction of the Special Education DL 3/2008 in Portugal there is a sense that not much has changed incontinuous training and a proper evaluation about the effect of inclusive practices is need. Considering teachers as the centralpillar of the inclusion in schools, the present paper seeks to examine their beliefs about inclusive education and practices, using aquantitative methodology with a sample of 150 regular and special education teachers. Results allow us to verify someinconsistencies between their beliefs about the benefits of inclusion and the difficulties in the implementation of IndividualEducation Programs or in the collaboration with other specialists. Inferential studies highlight the differential role of specializedtraining and teaching experience.