The duty to promote an inclusive educational system: a phenomenological study on the assessment procedures of pupils with special educational needs in Madrid (Spain)

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to analyse the role of the assessment of students with special educational needs from the perspective of professionals in Madrid (Spain), who work in multi-professional teams (psychologists, social workers, support teachers and others) and are responsible for its realisation, which, in principle, should be a support to move toward inclusive education. An interpretative phenomenological study was carried out, which gathered the opinions of 177 professionals of these multi-professional teams through 21 focus groups. The transcriptions were subjected to the thematic analysis method. The results show that the model and practices implemented in this region, regarding the usual assessment of these students, are generally seen as a barrier that needs to be addressed, since they facilitate the development of discriminating practices and decisions that reinforce and maintain an educational system of ‘multiple ways’, which is opposed to the right to inclusive education. These results are discussed, as well as the role that the assessment model should play in order to comply with this right. The study shows that the analysed evaluation is working as a barrier.

KEYWORDS:

• Inclusive assessment
• inclusive education
• special educational needs
• voices of the professionals

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants of this study. Without their trust and support, this study would not have been possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Autonomous Communities in Spain are quite similar to German landër, regarding their level of autonomous policy decisions in areas like education or health.

2 The duties of these professionals are similar to those of Educational Psychologists in the UK or Counsellors in the USA i.e.

3 See Table 1.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Spanish Ministry of Economy Industry and Competitiveness (Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad. Gobierno de España) [grant number EDU 2017-86739-R.].

Notes on contributors

Cecilia Simón

Cecilia Simón Rueda is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. She is a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Education research team at her University (UAM) and a member of the Expert Advisory Group of Catalyst for Inclusive Education (International Inclusion). Her research interests include equity and inclusive education (cultures, policies, practices); school, family and community partnerships and inclusion in higher education. She has participated in many national and international projects on these issues

Raquel Palomo

Raquel Palomo Rodríguez holds a Master in Educational Psychology and Secondary Education and Baccalaureate Teacher Training from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. She is currently developing her PhD thesis project in the framework of the doctoral programme in psychology at the UAM, focussed on the analysis of different functions and tasks developed by the educational guidance to contribute to more inclusive education. She is also an educational counsellor in a school in the Community of Madrid and a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Education (EQUIDEI) research group from UAM.

Gerardo Echeita

Gerardo Echeita Sarrionandia Since 2002, he is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology in the Faculty of Psychology of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM). He has been hired as an expert in the field of special needs education and inclusive education for different international projects, with UNESCO, OCDE and the European Agency for Special Needs Education and Inclusive Education.