Branka Čagran

Attitudes of Slovene teachers towards the inclusion of pupils with different types of special needs in primary school

Numerous studies show that a successful implementation of inclusion of children with special needs (SN) largely depends on the teachers’ positive attitude towards it. The empirical research that is presented in the main part of the article analyses attitudes of a representative sample of Slovene teachers (n = 1360) regarding four domains of impact (impact of inclusion on pupils with SN, on peers, on teachers and on the classroom environment). In this, we controlled the role of the following two relevant characteristics of the sample: the category of SN (physical impairments, mild intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties and behavioural/emotional disorders) and the category of professional expertise of teachers in working with pupils with SN. We applied the Impact of Inclusion Questionnaire. The results show that teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion are determined by the type of SN the integrated pupils have. In the case of pupils with physical impairments, teachers expressed the highest level of consent and the lowest in the case of pupils with behavioural and emotional disorders. Our study shows that besides the type of SN, teachers’ professional expertise in working with pupils with SN is another important factor that determines the level of agreement with inclusion. It turned out that the teachers who had taken part in different forms of education and training had a more positive attitude towards all domains of impact.

Classroom climate in regular primary school settings with children with special needs

This study investigates the classroom climate in two settings of the 6th‐grade class (a setting of children with special needs and a setting without children with special needs), focusing on aspects of satisfaction and cohesiveness on one side and friction, competitiveness and difficulties on the other. The study results indicate the existence of both positive and negative consequences of the integration of hearing‐impaired pupils. Heterogeneity achieved by the presence of children with special needs included positive benefits for all pupils in the mainstream classroom and helped to prevent friction and a competitive atmosphere, and provided opportunities for accepting exceptionalities, and developing social skills, ethical values and empathic abilities among school peers. On the other hand was concern related to difficulties of cognition, the only dimension on which comparative settings statistically and significantly differed concerning the classroom climate with integrated pupils.

Social skills of Slovenian primary school students with learning disabilities

Social skills of students with special needs play a very important role in their successful integration into inclusive learning environments. The aim of present empirical research was to establish whether students with learning disabilities (LD) attending grades 7–9 of regular primary school in Slovenia experience difficulties in social skills compared to their peers without LD. The following measuring instruments were used: the Questionnaire about Interpersonal Difficulties for Adolescents, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents and the Self-Concept Scale. The basic research findings indicated statistically significant structural differences between the students with LD and their peers. The two groups differ in terms of difficulties in social interaction. Students with LD experience more difficulties. Statistically significant differences between the groups also appeared in tension and inhibition in social contact and social anxiety, as well as in the area of self-concept: students with LD are more anxious and reserved in social contacts.

Education of Older People for Combating Their Loneliness

Abstract The article discusses education of older people for combating their loneliness, the reasons for it, and its consequences. The current theoretical findings were the reason for the empirical study of the research problem by the authors. In the empirical part, some aspects of the life of older people regarding their residences were compared: among older people living with their relatives, alone, with a partner, or in a retirement home, with special regard to the reasons/causes for residence, and the feeling of loneliness and contacts with relatives. The obtained empirical results showed that older people living alone or in a retirement home are in a worse position compared to those living with relatives or with a partner. The most at risk are older people living alone.

Teachers’ sense of efficacy in their work with pupils with learning, emotional and behavioural difficulties

ABSTRACT This study investigates primary school teachers’ sense of efficacy in their work with pupils with learning, emotional, and behavioural difficulties (LEBD), both in mainstream inclusive classrooms and in special classrooms for pupils in residential treatment institutions. Using an online questionnaire survey, data were collected on teachers’ self-efficacy, efficacy beliefs on their ability to teach LEBD pupils, and perceived ability to apply knowledge from different socio-pedagogical areas. Mainstream classroom teachers perceived higher efficacy in collaborating with parents of LEBD pupils, in most aspects of their ability to handle pupils’ learning and behavioural problems, and in most aspects of their ability to use knowledge from different socio-pedagogical areas. Conversely, special classroom teachers perceived higher efficacy in aspects related to their pupils’ engagement and comprehension of learning material, and in their classroom management ability, particularly in managing pupils’ disruptive behaviour.

Pre-school foreign language teaching and learning – a network innovation project in Slovenia

ABSTRACT The paper describes some findings about teaching foreign languages (FL) in a pre-school setting obtained from the Network Innovation Project (NIP). The aims of the NIP were to research and practise the most effective teaching approaches and organizational models in teaching and learning of FL in pre-schools. The objectives were to determine how pre-school children experience FL learning in spontaneous and planned activities. The project also considered the professional growth of pre-school FL educators, and the parents’ viewpoints about FL learning in preschools. The research utilized continuous monitoring of work with pre-school children, academic discussions, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews with children. The results demonstrate that the children were highly motivated by their FL learning. Most of the parents were satisfied with the FL performance in pre-schools. FL educators pointed out the importance of monthly meetings, academic discussions, and constructive feedback about their live presentation of the FL activities.

Language Learning and Roma Pupils – the Case of Slovenia / Učenje jezika i romski učenici – primjer Slovenije

Abstract The paper comprises a theoretical discussion and an empirical investigation of how Roma pupils position, perceive and assess Slovene as a language, and how successfully they learn Slovene as the official language and the language of the environment, as well as foreign languages (German and English) compared to non-Roma students. In the first part of the paper, theoretical considerations on the current (foreign) language learning tendencies, on the official status of both Slovene and Romani in Slovenia, and on the influential didactic (foreign) language-learning concept are presented and substantiated by an extensive quantitative empirical study, which includes a third of all Roma pupils in Slovenia. The study yielded both the expected results and highly interesting additional findings, which will require a thorough analysis by experts and education providers alike, and consequently may lead to certain fundamental changes in (foreign) language learning concepts. Key words: children in Slovenia; empirical study; (foreign) language learning; Roma pupils --- Sažetak Ovaj rad prikazuje teorijsku raspravu i empirijsko istraživanje o tome kako romski ucenici rangiraju, shvacaju i procjenjuju slovenski kao jezik, kako uspjesno mogu nauciti slovenski kao službeni jezik i jezik okoline, te kako uspjesno mogu nauciti i strane jezike (njemacki i engleski) u usporedbi s ucenicima koji nisu Romi. U prvome dijelu rada prikazana su teorijska razmisljanja o aktualnim tendencijama u ucenju stranoga jezika, o službenome položaju slovenskoga i romskoga jezika u Sloveniji, te o utjecajnom didaktickom pojmu ucenja (stranoga) jezika. Ta razmisljanja potkrijepljena su opsežnim kvantitativnim empirijskim istraživanjem koje je obuhvatilo jednu trecinu svih romskih ucenika u Sloveniji. Istraživanje je dovelo do ocekivanih rezultata i vrlo zanimljivih dodatnih rezultata koji zahtijevaju detaljnu analizu strucnjaka i svih ukljucenih u obrazovne aktivnosti, a u konacnici mogu dovesti do određenih temeljnih promjena u pojmovima o ucenju (stranoga) jezika. Kljucne rijeci: djeca u Sloveniji, empirijsko istraživanje, ucenje (stranoga) jezika, romski ucenici