Analysis of Barriers and Innovative Practices in the Inclusion of Students with Extensive and Generalized Educational Support Needs: Perceptions of Education Professionals

The educational response of students with extensive and generalized support needs in regular centers poses a challenge for making inclusive education effective. Thus, the general objective of this study is to analyse the perceptions of education professionals working in the participating mainstream schools in the Region of Murcia regarding the barriers they identify to the inclusion of pupils with extensive and generalised educational support needs, as well as the organisational, pedagogical and collaborative responses they consider appropriate for addressing these barriers. A qualitative descriptive design was adopted, using a deductive–inductive content analysis approach. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 35 professionals (teachers, counsellors and headteachers) from six regular primary schools in the Region of Murcia (Spain) using the ATLAS.ti 24 program for data coding. The results reveal four dimensions of barriers to inclusion: educational resources, classroom organization, professional development and social participation. Moreover, the consolidation of multidisciplinary teams, the application of universal design for learning (UDL), collaborative professional learning and the flexibilization of teaching practices in the classroom were identified by professionals as practices with the potential to strengthen inclusion. The results indicate that inclusion requires continuous organizational and pedagogical transformation and that professionals can become key agents of innovation capable of transforming obstacles into opportunities for systemic improvement.