Teacher training and educational inclusion: a comparative study in Italy and Spain

Inclusive education is included in the policies of many European countries, including Italy and Spain. This study aims to understand and compare the education systems of both countries in relation to inclusive education. It also aims to analyse the school organisation for the care of students with special educational needs and the initial training of teachers in inclusive education in higher education. To this end, the phases of the Comparative Education method are followed. Documentary analysis is used for data collection. A number of hierarchically organised categories are examined. The results indicate significant differences in the attention given to students with special educational needs in both countries, with the mode of schooling standing out as a comparative indicator. It is also observed that the concept of special educational needs is not the same, which may imply different attention for students and, therefore, a more inclusive educational intervention in one country than in the other. The importance of initial and ongoing teacher training for this type of student is highlighted, prioritising inclusive content in university curricula. This research suggests the elimination of the traditional dual model of separation between the curricular teacher and the specialised support teacher, as it seems to be inadequate to represent an inclusive educational reality.