Collaboration and teaching work in Special Education

a possible praxis?

Abstract

This article investigates the challenges faced by classroom teachers and support professionals and/or those in Specialized Educational Services (SES) in the context of school inclusion, analyzing their implications for implementing inclusive pedagogical practices and ensuring the retention of students in special education (SES) in regular schools. The qualitative research was conducted in two stages: an online questionnaire with 441 respondents (231 classroom teachers and 210 support/SES professionals) and focus groups with 22 participants. The transcriptions of the discussions were analyzed, resulting in three central categories: (1) institutional challenges, diagnoses, and teacher isolation; (2) teacher training and obstacles to inclusion; and (3) planning and collaboration. The results highlight recurrent difficulties such as a lack of institutional support, emotional overload, and excessive reliance on medical diagnoses to provide pedagogical support. This exclusionary logic hinders the search for educational solutions and limits access for students from socioeconomically vulnerable families.