Inclusive Education in the Digital Era: Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives on Technology Integration and Inclusive Practices

Abstract

As innovative technologies continue to permeate educational settings as useful tools to enhance the learning experience, understanding the perceptions of teachers is crucial. Assistive technologies show promise in supporting diverse learners, and special educational needs (SEN) teachers are pertinent in ensuring the meaningful, directional use of such technologies. Existing research emphasises the importance of users feeling comfortable with the innovative technologies in order to effectively utilise them. Therefore, it is important to understand potential barriers to technology integration through the lens of trainee SEN teachers. With new technologies emerging as valuable tools for inclusive learning, we aim to explore the relationship between technological competence and attitudes toward inclusive education. To gain deeper insights, we investigate the perspectives of Italian students enrolled in the specialisation course for support activities, recognising the pivotal role of educators and future educator’s voices. Utilising a quantitative, questionnaire-based, correlational design, the present study examines the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK, Mishra & Koehler, 2006) of SEN teachers in relation to their Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education (SACIE-R, Forlin et al., 2011). Grounded in a critical disability studies framework, the research aims to understand the socio-cultural, ethical and pedagogical implications of incorporating technologies into educational settings through the lens of SEN educators. Our findings contribute to understanding teachers’ readiness to embrace innovative technologies in relation to their inclusive practice, offering valuable implications for teacher training programs, curriculum development, and the design of assistive technologies tailored to meet the diverse needs of students.