Teachers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: the role of personal, professional and coping variables in inclusive practices

In July 2018, Portugal implemented an educational framework focused on inclusion, prompting schools and teachers to rethink their education and student engagement approaches. Over time, schools adapted by transforming their perspectives on education, learning and student well-being. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 introduced significant personal, contextual and global challenges. School closures and enforced confinement necessitated new educational practices, intensifying inclusion challenges. This study examines how personal variables and teachers’ experiences during the second lockdown affected the perception of the adoption of inclusive practices. Data was collected online using self-report questionnaires, with 137 teachers from Portuguese public and private schools participating voluntarily and anonymously. The study employed descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses, alongside univariate analyses of variance, to assess how confinement impacted teachers’ perceptions of inclusive practices. The findings indicate that factors such as teaching experience, gender and experiences during the second lockdown significantly influenced the perception of the adoption of inclusive practices. These results underscore the importance of considering proximal contexts during crises to enhance the adoption of inclusive practices.