Inclusão escolar

Understanding that teacher education is a central point in discussions about inclusion, this research aimed to identify whether basic education teachers had experiences related to inclusion during their initial or continuing education and to reflect on the role of the university in this process. The case study is a deepening of the Final Coursework developed at the Federal University of Pampa, whose data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed based on Content Analysis. It counted on the participation of 23 teachers from the public school network of the city of Dom Pedrito, located in the Campanha Region of Rio Grande do Sul. The results showed that more than half of the professionals had no contact with inclusive principles during initial training and less than a third took a specific curricular component on inclusion during their undergraduate studies. A large part of the teachers had their first formative contact with Inclusive Education in continuing education, through components in specializations and/or training offered by the educational institutions they work for. Despite this, the majority recognize that the training received to work with students with disabilities, global developmental disorders, and high abilities is still insufficient. The results show that universities need to assume a more active role in relation to training for diversity. To this end, they must promote discussion spaces through the expansion of teaching and extension projects, insert in their course pedagogical projects curricular components and content that address Inclusive Education beyond the disciplines provided for by law, and expand the offer of continuing education based on the interests of teachers.