Shaping an inclusive environment in an EFL classroom

master's thesis

• Author: Anamaria Titijevski
• Mentor: Stela Letica Krevelj (mentor)
• Mentor: Ana Blažević Simić (komentor)
• Committee member: Renata Geld (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Stela Letica Krevelj (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ana Blažević Simić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Pedagogy); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2022-07-11, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Pedagogy; Specific Pedagogy
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies; Teaching Methods in the Humanistic Sciences

Abstract

Every child should have an equal opportunity for success. Inclusive education is therefore the main
goal of the contemporary education system. When we aim for inclusion, we aim for a change in
the education system. This means that the child is not supposed to be made to fit in; the change is
supposed to happen to the system. Previous research that dealt with inclusion in Croatia focused
on attitudes and beliefs of teachers, however, there had not been enough research done on how the
inclusive practice looks like in EFL classrooms. Based on that, the aim of this research was to
examine inclusive practice in Croatian EFL classrooms. To collect the data an online questionnaire
was used. Ninety-eight Croatian EFL teachers participated in this research study. Sixty-eight did
not attend a course about inclusion or about students with disabilities during their higher education,
and twenty-six did not attend any professional development programmes related to these topics.
Teachers felt most prepared to teach students with specific learning difficulties. They believed that
it was the hardest to provide inclusive EFL teaching to students with autism. The results showed
that not enough experts from the field of educational rehabilitation were employed in Croatian
schools. Although most teachers consulted with someone about students with disabilities, 54.1%
claimed that the information they received was not enough. Since 40 teachers were not sure
whether their practice was inclusive, the importance of professional development programmes
which help teachers expand their knowledge and gain competencies to work with children with
disabilities is undeniable. The three most frequently mentioned factors that presented problems
with the inclusion of students with disabilities in an EFL classroom were time, giving attention to
students and parents.

• Keywords: Croatian EFL teachers; inclusion in an EFL classroom; students with disabilities
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:811659
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: TEFL; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Study programme: Title: Pedagogy (double major); Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra pedagogije (magistar/magistra pedagogije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-07-13 09:25:42