INCLUSIVE EDUCATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: social representations of Biological Sciences preservice

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this study was to compare the Social Representations (SR) of preservice students about inclusive education for people with disabilities. The investigation is based on the theoretical framework of Social Representations Theory and employs a mixed-methods approach. The participants were preservice students of the first year and last year of the Biological Sciences degree course at a public university in the south of Bahia. As for data collection, we used a Free Word Association questionnaire. In terms of data analysis methodology, we used the Average Order of Evocations formula and similarity analysis applying the IRaMuTeQ software. The results indicate that the SR of the first year preservice are related to the idea of Inclusion, Respect, Law, Methodology, Accessibility and Training. As for the SRs of last year preservice students, they are based on the idea of Law, Disability, Inclusion, Training, Accessibility and Methodology. In addition, the analysis showed that both associate inclusive education with a right that must be respected.

Keywords:
Teacher education; Common sense; School inclusion