EXPLORING THE DIFFICULTIES AND CHALLENGES FACED BY REGULAR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN MACAO WHEN DEALING WITH INCLUSIVE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

ABSTRACT

IN MACAU, INCLUSIVE STUDENTS REFER TO STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS WHO  CAN RECEIVE EDUCATION ALONGSIDE THEIR PEERS IN REGULAR CLASSES WITH MINIMAL SPECIAL  EDUCATION SUPPORT. WITH THE ADVANCEMENT OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICIES, AN INCREASING  NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ARE PLACED IN REGULAR CLASSROOMS.  HOWEVER, WHETHER PARENTS ARE WILLING TO TRANSITION THEIR CHILDREN FROM REGULAR STUDENTS  TO INCLUSIVE STUDENTS PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE PRACTICE OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION. THIS STUDY  AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EXPERIENCES AND FEELINGS OF PARENTS AT A CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL IN  MACAU DURING THE PROCESS OF THEIR CHILDREN TRANSITIONING FROM REGULAR TO INCLUSIVE  STUDENTS. THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS INCLUDE: WHAT IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNEY OF PARENTS  DURING THE TRANSITION OF THEIR CHILDREN FROM REGULAR TO INCLUSIVE STUDENTS? WHAT FACTORS  FACILITATE OR HINDER PARENTAL DECISION-MAKING? WHAT ARE PARENTS’ FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS  AFTER THEIR CHILDREN BECAME INCLUSIVE STUDENTS? THE RESEARCHER EMPLOYED A QUALITATIVE  RESEARCH METHOD USING SEMI-STRUCTURED ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS WITH SIX PARENTS (ALL  MOTHERS) AND ANALYZED THE INTERVIEW DATA USING GROUNDED THEORY. THE FINDINGS REVEAL  THAT PARENTS' PSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNEY INVOLVES A DYNAMIC SHIFT FROM RECOGNIZING THEIR  CHILDREN'S DIFFICULTIES, EXPERIENCING DOUBT AND RESISTANCE, TO ACCEPTING ASSESSMENT AND  IDENTITY CONFIRMATION. THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS IS INFLUENCED BY MULTIPLE FACTORS,  INCLUDING FAMILY SUPPORT, SUPPORT FROM TEACHERS OR PROFESSIONALS, THE ‘INCLUSIVE STUDENT’  LABEL, AND PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION. THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT  PARENTS GENERALLY FOUND THAT THEIR CHILDREN'S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IMPROVED AFTER  BECOMING INCLUSIVE STUDENTS, AND THAT THE FAMILY ATMOSPHERE BECAME MORE HARMONIOUS  THAN BEFORE. HOWEVER, THEY ALSO HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S SOCIAL SKILLS AND  FUTURE TRANSITION TO SECONDARY SCHOOL AFTER BECOMING INCLUSIVE STUDENTS. THEY HOPE THAT  SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES CAN PROVIDE MORE PUBLICITY, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT  TO BETTER IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION, SUCH AS ENHANCING TEACHER PROFESSIONAL  TRAINING, OFFERING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND IMPROVING PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF  INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND INCLUSIVE STUDENTS. OVERALL, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE  TRANSITION PROCESS, PARENTS DEMONSTRATE THEIR OWN ADAPTATION AND GROWTH THROUGHOUT  THIS JOURNEY.  在澳門融合生是指只需要小量的特殊教育支持就能在普通班與同班同學一 起接受教育的有特殊教育需要的學生。隨著融合教育政策的推進，越來越多有特 殊教育需要的學生被安置於普通班中。然而，家長是否願意讓子女由普通生轉為 融合生，是融合教育實踐中的關鍵環節。本研究旨在探討澳門某天主教小學家長 在子女由普通生轉為融合生過程中的經歷與感受。研究問題包括：將子女從普通 生轉為融合生的過程中，家長的心理歷程是怎樣的？有哪些因素會促進或阻礙家 長的決策？將子女從普通生轉為融合生之後，家長的感受和想法是怎樣的？研究 者採用半結構化一對一訪談的質性研究方法對六位家長（均為母親）進行深入訪 談，並採用扎根理論進行訪談數據分析。研究發現家長的心理歷程經歷了從覺察 子女的困難、懷疑與抗拒，到接受評估與身份確認的動態轉變。決策過程受多重 因素影響，包括家庭支持、教師或專業人員的支持、“融合生”標籤、融合教育 的公共資訊等。研究也發現，家長在子女成為融合生後普遍認為子女的成績有所 進步，家庭氣氛比以往更加和諧，但同時對子女的社交能力和未來升中學的問題 有擔憂。她們普遍希望學校及教育當局能提供更多宣傳、資源和支持，以更好地 實施融合教育，例如提升教師專業培訓、加強輔助教學資源、提升公眾對融合教 育和融合生的正確認識。整體而言，儘管轉變過程充滿挑戰，但家長在這個過程 中呈現了自身的適應與成長。