Four profiles of inclusive supportive teachers: Perceptions of their status and role in implementing inclusion of students with special needs in general classrooms

The research examines the perceptions of inclusive support teachers (IST) in Israel regarding their status and the role they play in implementing inclusion of children with disabilities. Four perceptions were found to lie on a continuum from not finding their proper “place” to playing a central role in implementing inclusion in collaboration with the entire faculty and a sense of shared responsibility for the education of all students in the school. The findings show that the latter perception may attest to authentic inclusion already existing on the ground and the possibility that proper leadership could lead to its implementation.