Special (Educational) Needs in Inclusive ELT Classrooms: Teachers’ Role and Training

Rupnik, Manca (author), Burazer, Lara (mentor)

Literature, specifically ELT research, provides ample theoretical information on how best to include special educational needs (henceforth SEN) students into mainstream classrooms. Still, it seems English language teachers struggle to translate this theory into practice and often feel unequipped for the situation. The theoretical part of this thesis addresses the difficulties of SEN categorisation and assumptions related to these students. Presented are also the legal background of Slovenia’s SEN education (i.e. the placement procedure, guidelines for teaching students from each SEN category, teacher competencies and obligations, and an overview of available teacher training courses). The purpose of this thesis is to identify the discrepancy between the theory of inclusion and its real-life implementation. Thus, questionnaires and interviews were conducted with Slovenia’s English language teachers (primary education and general English). This lends some insight into how teachers perceive their roles, relevant knowledge acquired, the general state of national SEN education, and potential system-level improvements.

• Language: English
• Keywords: SEN education, teacher responsibilities, teacher training, SEN in ELT, inclusion.
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2025
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-170507
• COBISS.SI-ID: 242800387
• Publication date in RUL: 08.07.2025

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Posebne (vzgojno-izobraževalne) potrebe pri inkluzivnem pouku angleščine: Vloga in usposabljanje učiteljev

Abstract

Strokovna literatura, predvsem študije učenja angleščine, ponuja obsežno količino informacij o najboljših načinih vključevanja otrok in mladostnikov s posebnimi (vzgojno-izobraževalnimi) potrebami v redne šole. Kljub temu pa se zdi, da se učitelji angleščine ne počutijo dovolj pripravljeni na takšne situacije in s težavo premostijo vrzeli med teorijo in prakso. Teoretični del naloge obravnava težave s kategorizacijo posebnih potreb in domneve, povezane z njimi. Predstavljena je tudi zakonska podlaga izobraževanja otrok s PP (tj. postopek usmerjanja, smernice za poučevanje, kompetence in obveznosti učiteljev, ter pregled programov za usposabljanje učiteljev za to delo). Namen naloge je odkriti omenjene vrzeli med teorijo inkluzije in njeno praktično izvedbo. Zato so slovenski učitelji angleščine (razredni in predmetni pouk) odgovarjali na vprašalnike in intervjuje. To je omogočilo vpogled v njihovo doumevanje lastne vloge, pridobljeno relevantno znanje, splošno stanje nacionalnega izobraževanja otrok s PP, in morebitne izboljšave na sistemski ravni.

• Keywords: izobraževanje oseb s posebnimi (vzgojno-izobraževalnimi) potrebami, obveznosti učiteljev, usposabljanje učiteljev, posebne potrebe pri poučevanju angleščine, inkluzija.