Analysis of instruments on inclusive education and attention to diversity

Abstract

This paper seeks to collect, describe and comment on tools used to attend to diversity and in inclusive education. A descriptive study is presented that covers a series of tools that have been developed to be filled in by teachers, students and their families. A criterion of the selection of tools was that they should be designed to collect information about attention to diversity and inclusive education in a variety of scenarios and school levels. Content analysis, using documentary research techniques, has also been carried out. The findings reveal that tools aimed at teachers go into the various types of measures used, attitude towards diversity, opinions regarding inclusive education and teacher training. Tools designed to collect the views of students, on the other hand, inquire more into the teaching practices going on in the classrooms, while those directed towards their families deal more with levels of satisfaction with regard to their children’s teaching-learning experiences. In this sense, the conclusions indicate that the student group is questioned more by educational practices and classroom climates tan by attitudes towards inclusion, as is the case of teachers. At the same time, it is proposed to deepen the study of the values emanating from families, and to reflect on whether these are facilitating or limiting aspects of inclusion. Lastly, the paper looks at the need to open up new lines of research that will enable creators of future tools to advance in the development of more inclusive practices and in building knowledge.