Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

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Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences

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Browsing Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences by Author "Diasamidze, Anano"

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    Early childhood educators’ Readiness for an Inclusive Educational Environment
    (Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, 2024-06-28) Makaradze, Nana; Professor, Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Exact Science and Education, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University; Gurgenidze, Marine; Associate Professor, Department of Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Exact Science and Education, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University; Makaradze, Natia; Manager, Batumi Kindergarten No. 35, Association of Batumi Kindergartens; Diasamidze, Anano; Student, Undergraduate Educational Program of Psychology, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University
    Early childhood teacher-educators have an important role in promoting the development and full integration of children with special educational needs in pre-school educational institutions. According to the professional characteristics defined by the Early Childhood Educator Professional standard (2017), teacher-educator must know "the existing legislation in the field of inclusive education and the principles of inclusive education". Additionally, they must be familiar with "various types of deviations that prevent a child's learning and independent functioning; that contribute to the learning and development of a child with special needs. ’’The mentioned document, in the part regarding the educational environment and process, defines the approaches teacher-educators should implement in order to ensure the following: protection of health and safety of the child, creation of a benevolent and inclusive environment, cooperation of different parties as they relate to the child, and the effectiveness of the educational process. The development of the competencies of early childhood teacher-educators and the implementation of relevant policies are crucial for ensuring the full development and integration of children with special needs. Even though inclusive education is gaining more and more importance in modern society, problems still arise regarding the adaptation of the environment and resources in preschool educational institutions, complete inclusion of children with special needs in the educational process, and the creation of individual plans and individualization. Most of the above mentioned problems are directly linked to the level of early childhood teacher-educator competencies in the inclusive education field. The purpose of the research is to study the readiness of teacher-educators for an inclusive educational environment and to reveal the existing challenges. In particular, the study zeroes in on the competencies teacher-educators should have to ensure quality inclusive education at the level of early and preschool education, as well as the ones they already possess. Additionally, the research aims to uncover the challenges and needs the preschool education system faces in this direction and the means to improve the current situation. Research Methodology: within the framework of a quantitative research, a questionnaire survey of educators and special teachers was conducted, while qualitative research focused on observing the kindergarten environment, educational process and resources. The focus groups for the latter included groups of early childhood educators, special teachers, kindergarten managers and methodologists. Main Findings: the physical environment and learning resources in preschool educational institutions are not fully adapted to the needs of children with special needs. The scarcity of specialized training materials, technical means and human resources was revealed. Full integration of students with special needs in the process of upbringing and education remains a challenge. Oftentimes, educational processes are not sufficiently adapted to the unique needs and abilities of each child; The need for continuous professional development of early childhood educators in the direction of inclusive education was stressed.