Représentations sociales des enseignants et pratiques pédagogiques en contexte d'inclusion des étudiants en situation de handicap non visible au collégial
Over the past 15 years, the number of CEGEP students with neurological disorders or mental health problems has increased dramatically. The law requires educational institutions to implement services in order for students diagnosed with a disability to pursue their studies with accommodations that are lawfully appointed to them. This relatively new situation has teachers contending with challenges for which they are not necessarily prepared. In fact, specific training in education is not required to teach college. Moreover, the services currently offered are essentially student-oriented and do not take into account the needs of teachers. However, several studies show that the process of inclusion of students with disabilities cannot be achieved without the participation of teachers (Lombardi, Murray & Dallas, 2013). This study was conducted in eight colleges across Quebec. First, teachers were surveyed on their degree of agreement with pedagogical strategies inspired by the Universal Design for Instruction framework (Scott, McGuire & Shaw, 2003). Second, teachers were recruited from the survey respondents to participate in an interview about their teaching experience in the context of the inclusion of students with non-visible disabilities such as mental health disorders, language disorders, etc. The analyses of these interviews revealed the social representations constructed by these teachers about their work with students who have diversified profiles and whose characteristics can sometimes be atypical. The results of the statistical analyses indicate that pedagogical training, age and years of experience are factors that influence openness to a pedagogical approach marked by flexibility and openness to diversity. The analysis of social representations was carried out within the framework of the Central Core Theory (Abric, 2003). Based on a theoretical sample of nineteen interviews, it other factors also emerged. Thus, teachers who have positive perceptions of both students with disabilities and their own abilities to face the challenges of inclusion are more open to the survey proposals than their colleagues. The same is true of teachers who have values of openness, universalism and benevolence. Finally, teachers who display positive values and perceptions are also those most likely to use strategies that promote inclusion.
Accommodements Postsecondary inclusion Student disability Social representation Universal design for instruction Universal design for learning College teacher Accommodations