Examination of Teachers' Perceptions of Professional Competence about Inclusive Education in Turkey in Terms of Various Variables

Professional competences of teachers related to inclusive education can affect the student-teacher relationship. One of the most important factors in the effective continuation of inclusive education practices is the professional competences of teachers working with inclusive students. Teachers' perceptions of professional competence are generally shaped within specific domains, with perceptions of teacher competence standing out among these areas. Teacher competence perceptions have been recognized as an essential component in teacher education. it was aimed to reveal the professional competence perceptions of teachers with inclusion students towards inclusive education in terms of various variables. In this study, the relational screening model, one of the descriptive screening models, was used as the research model. 258 teachers with mainstreaming students participated in the study. The data were collected with the scale of professional competence development for inclusive education developed by Karaca and Sarı (2018), which consists of 38 items in 7 different dimensions. Data analysis was carried out using the statistical package programme. Independent groups t-test was used to determine the differences based on variables such as inclusion education and gender status; one-way analysis of variance was used for age group and graduated department variables. In cases where differences were observed, Tukey and Games-Howell tests were applied to determine and control the differences between averages. The results of this study highlight the need for continuous and targeted professional development to enhance teachers' competencies in inclusive education. The results of the study showed that teachers' perceptions of professional competence related to inclusive education differed in terms of variables such as gender, inclusive education status, age and graduation field. Seminars, workshops and in-service training programmes should be organised to increase teachers' knowledge and skills about inclusive education. Inclusion education programmes should be designed for teachers of various age groups and teachers graduated from different departments.