Examination of pre-school teachers' qualifications on inclusive pratices

This research aims to support the thesis that the competency levels of teachers participating in the inclusive education practices of preschool education. Therefore, by taking the research into consideration, the teachers will increase their competency levels in their inclusive education practices. Thus, it is considered to be important to identify the competency level of the teachers who are practicing inclusive education, based on their age, gender, work experience, and education level. The population of this research covers preschool teachers whose children participate in inclusive education in Turkey. The data has been conducted in the central districts of Sakarya province in the 2021-2022 academic year, by conducting a questionnaire study which consisted of 18 questions, with preschool teachers who works in schools that are supervised by the Ministry of National Education. 250 surveys, that were considered to be valid, have been evaluated. The previously adapted survey(Bayar, 2015) has been used in this study. The survey consists of 3 subsections. In the first, second, and third sections, it is aimed to measure teaching competency, competency of cooperation, and class management competency respectively. In this questionnaire, which consists of 18 questions, the 6-point Likert rating scale has been used. The score that can be obtained from the scale is between 18 and 108. The result of the study reveals that, that the majority of preschoolers require in-service training regarding inclusive education. They also need to be informed about local legislation and policies. It was also appointed that they do not have enough experience and confidence. Once in-service training has been implemented and the respected legislation has been informed, the confidence level of the teachers is considered to increase. Accordingly, it is expected that the quality of the inclusive training practices offered by teachers will be improved.