INCLUSIVE COMPETENCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS: ENSURING AN INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The article examines the inclusive competence of primary school teachers based on the professional teacher standard, defined as a complex of three categories of personal and professional characteristics: the ability to create conditions for the functioning of an inclusive educational environment; the ability to provide pedagogical support for individuals with special educational needs; and the ability to ensure favorable conditions in the educational environment that consider each individual’s needs, abilities, and interests. Emphasis is placed on the abilities required for the development of an inclusive educational environment, including the use of inclusive learning tools (inclusive policies, practices, and culture) and the application of universal design principles and reasonable accommodations to ensure accessibility. Necessary conditions for forming an inclusive educational environment are identified: resource provision for inclusive education needs (legal, programmatic-methodological, informational, material-technical, and staffing); overcoming social barriers in the consciousness of educators and society; and fostering team collaboration among all participants in the educational process. The importance of leveraging social-psychological resources is highlighted—nurturing supportive relationships within the systems of «teacher-student with special needs,» «student with special needs-other students,» and among members of the psycho-pedagogical support team, including parents, to ensure an inclusive environment.