Teachers' Perceptions of Inclusive School Practice in Serbian Primary Schools: From Theory to Classroom

This paper aims to measure teachers' perceptions of the degree to which the school they work in is inclusive and potential differences between occupations (lower-grade vs. higher-grade teachers) and school locations (big city vs. small city) for three primary schools from Serbia.

A survey was conducted among 143 teachers from three primary schools-two in Belgrade and one in Aleksandrovac. The instrument used was the Serbian translation of the Index for Inclusion. The study focused on the third dimension of the Index (Dimension C): Evolving Inclusive Practices. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, chi-square tests and the Mann-Whitney U test.

Teachers agreed with the items listed, and, in general, they were satisfied with the teaching planning and organization. Statistically significant differences linked to occupation (lower vs. higher-grade teachers) were associated with student participation in extracurricular activities. As for the 'I need more information' response, results showed that higher-grade teachers, in comparison with lower-grade teachers, were more likely to select that answer when the distribution of school resources was in question. Additional significant difference detected relates to school location-teachers from Aleksandrovac (smaller city) frequently indicated a need for more information on the role of teaching assistants.

Findings suggest a tendency towards satisfaction with the organization of teaching and learning. That could lead to the conclusion that inclusive practices in primary schools from the sample are present. Regarding resource allocation, teachers need more information, which may lead to a lack of insight into potential cooperation with the local community and resources available. It is noticeable that lower-grade teachers demonstrate more consistent engagement with inclusive strategies compared to their higher-grade counterparts. Observed differences could indicate the need for more support and training focused on inclusive pedagogy for teachers, making inclusive education a consistent practice.