This master's thesis explores the role of primary school teachers in fostering the acceptance of children with special needs through picture books. In the theoretical part, we first define children with special needs, discuss the terminology used to refer to them, and present the categories into which they are classified. We then examine the role of schools in promoting the acceptance of children with special needs, as well as the role of teachers, which is directly related to the inclusion of these children in the classroom. Finally, we define picture books and, based on previous research, highlight their positive impact, particularly in raising awareness among other pupils about children with special needs.
In the empirical part, we employed a qualitative research method to investigate primary school teachers’ perspectives on children with special needs and their role in raising awareness and fostering their acceptance. In this context, we also explored whether teachers use picture books as a tool for this purpose and how they perceive their role in the process. The aim of the study was to identify the role of primary school teachers and to examine the usefulness of picture books as a means of raising awareness. The findings revealed that teachers have considerable experience working with children with special needs, as they typically teach at least one pupil from this group each school year. Consequently, they see it as their responsibility to ensure that these pupils feel safe, accepted, and understood both in the classroom and within the school environment as a whole. The interview data further showed that teachers generally prefer discussions and conversations when raising awareness about children with special needs, although they regard picture books as an appropriate and valuable resource. The main reason for the less frequent use of picture books appears to be time constraints, as teachers often lack sufficient time to incorporate additional picture books into their lessons. Finally, a set of recommendations was developed to support teachers in raising awareness about children with special needs.
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