Educação inclusiva

: das orientações normativas às práticas em mudança

Abstract

The investment on a more inclusive education is now a priority in different countries, which is reflected in the political options, in the practices of schools and professionals and in research in education. In Portugal, the importance of inclusion is reaffirmed, which is visible through, for example, the publication of Decree-Law No. 54/2018 of 06 July. These political options are necessarily reflected in the practices of schools and professionals, introducing relevant challenges to thought and action in education. Some works have been highlighting the changes that have occurred in several countries in order to configure more inclusive models of education as well as the challenges that arise from this. This work seeks to contribute to this line of research by exploring inclusive conceptions and practices as well as the changes resulting from the implementation of Decree-Law No. 54/2018, on inclusive education in Portuguese schools. A qualitative study, a case study, was carried out in two groups of schools in the north of the country. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 17 participants (parents, teachers, EMAEI coordinators, special education teachers, psychologists and the direction of each school). We point out the presence of conceptions and perspectives aligned with the principles of inclusion that favour the understanding of the proposed legislation and the reflection about inclusive education practices. The results of this study demonstrate that changes have actually occurred regarding the eligibility of students, the support provided, the first aspect, and certainly the most talked about, was the need for educational resources and timely training on the subject. Hence relevant implications from the organizational and pedagogical point of view that we enunciated at the conclusion of this work.

Date of Award	22 Jul 2020
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Marisa Carvalho (Supervisor)