Buynyak M. Formation of psychological readiness of teachers for inclusive education of children with special educational needs

Dissertation research devoted to the problem of the formation of the psychological readiness of teachers to inclusive education of children with special educational needs. The state of the problem in the general and special psychological and pedagogical literature is analysed. The content of the concept "psychological readiness of the teacher to inclusive education of children with special educational needs" is defined. The structure of psychological readiness of teachers of general secondary educational institutions to inclusive education of children with special educational needs is substantiated and the content of its components is described: motivational, cognitive, operational and personal. The expediency and content of the methodology of experimental research of teachers' psychological readiness to inclusive education of children with special educational needs are developed and substantiated. The criteria, indicators and levels of psychological readiness of teachers of general secondary educational institutions to inclusive education of children with special educational needs are determined. As a result of the ascertainment experiment, the state of psychological readiness of teachers of general secondary educational institutions to inclusive education of children with special educational needs was revealed. It is established that the least developed is the motivational component of teachers' psychological readiness to inclusive education of children with special educational needs. The influence of teachers' psychological readiness on the social and psychological climate in the inclusive class and the social status of pupils with special educational needs in it were investigated. It was found that pupils with special educational needs have considerable difficulties in adapting to the conditions of general secondary education: the vast majority of them have low social status in the class, do not feel a part of it and negatively evaluate the relations in it. The assumption was made that the situation may improve in the case of psychological training of teachers of general education for inclusive education of children with special educational needs, changes in their social attitudes towards them. The training program of forming the psychological readiness of teachers of general secondary educational institutions to inclusive education of children with special educational needs was developed, substantiated and described. The training program "Psychological readiness of the teacher to inclusive education of children with special educational needs as a precondition for its effectiveness" aims at solving the following tasks: formation of positive motivation of teachers for professional activity in new unusual conditions; formation of positive perceptual attitudes towards children with special educational needs; development of the personal qualities of educators that are significant for work in the conditions of inclusion (empathy, tolerance, ability to self-analysis, etc.); formation of positive "I-concept" of teachers; deepening the knowledge of teachers about the content and specificity of inclusive education, psychological features of children with special educational needs; development of skills that will facilitate adaptation and a conscious choice of behaviours while working in conditions of inclusion. The experimental implementation of the training program has led to an increase in the indicators of the development of all structural components of the psychological readiness of teachers of secondary educational institutions to inclusive education of children with special educational needs, which has proved its expediency and effectiveness. On the basis of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of diagnostics of the groups of inclusive classes before and after conducting a formative experiment with educators, there was confirmed the assumption about the dependence of the social and psychological climate of the collective in the inclusive class and the social status of pupils with special educational needs on the level of psychological readiness of teachers to inclusive education of children with special educational needs