The conditions that hinder primary school teachers in their efforts to support students with diverse learning needs

Abstract

It is important for every society that teachers be equipped to adapt education to the diverse needs of students. Today, elementary schools in Iceland operate from the policy of inclusive schools where it is stated that students have the right to education that meets their diverse needs, irrespective of special needs and learning ability. The Icelandic law states that municipalities should provide special services in schools, on the one hand with support to students and their families and, on the other hand, support elementary school operations and their staff. The national curriculum for elementary schools entails a democratic approach to school operations, where the educational philosophy calls for skilled and adaptable teaching practices that can meet the needs and circumstances of all students, thus increasing the likelihood of achievement. Students with learning difficulties and diverse needs have been defined at a greater risk of dropping out of school. Additionally, research shows that individuals who drop out of school often experience worse health and personal circumstances later in life.

This article analyses the results from a survey sent to elementary school teachers in the school year 2018-2019. The aim of the survey was to reveal which positive or negative aspects impact the possibility for teachers to attend to the needs of students with learning difficulties and diverse requirements, who have, among other things, been assessed with ADHD, autism (ASD), general and specific learning difficulties, emotional and social challenges, and Tourette syndrome. Altogether 1,444 surveys were sent to professional elementary school staff, all over the country, with a 45% response rate. In this article, we refer exclusively to the responses from the teachers (N=478) who participated in the research, or 74% of the total number of respondents.

The results show that only about half of the teachers felt they were able to meet the educational needs of their students. The teachers who felt they were not adequately meeting the needs of their students reported the main reasons as lack of time for preparing lessons, too many students with behavioural and learning challenges in the class and insufficient teaching material suitable for the diverse needs of the students. Seven out of ten teachers also reported they had not received enough training in their teaching studies to prepare them for meeting diverse needs in the classroom. The results suggest a need for considerable improvements in the teachers’ professional environment, such as more targeted preparation in their education to provide them with necessary skills to meet the needs of a diverse group of students in conjunction with the policy for inclusive schools.

Based on the knowledge gained in the field of research in Iceland in recent years, it is clear that an adequate number of professionals within schools, together with systematic cooperation relating to children in trouble and their families, are prerequisites for the school to better perform its role. From the overall results of this research, it can be concluded, on the one hand, that more emphasis is needed in the teacher education program to meet the diverse needs of children; on the other hand, that the inclusive school policy actually calls for an increased number of professionals within the schools, such as developmental therapists, occupational therapists, social workers and psychologists, to name but a few. By increasing the number of professionals alongside teachers, the overall workload teachers face could be reduced, thus making them better equipped to meet the diverse needs of students. The results of the study are expected to lead to a greater understanding of the status of teachers in elementary schools. Thus, they will constitute an important input to the discussion on changes that need to be made to the schools’ work environment in order to better comply with the provisions of the Elementary School Act than is currently the case as regards the existence of a school for everyone.