Preschool teachers' views on developing awareness for individuals with special needs

This study was conducted in order to describe the opinions of preschool teachers about developing awareness towards individuals with special needs. In this research, designed as basic qualitative research, data was obtained through semi-structured interviews. The researcher journals were also used. The participants are the kindergarten and preschool teachers who provided inclusive education in the 2018-2019 academic year in Tepebaşı and Odunpazarı districts of Eskişehir. Data collection was carried out with 18 preschool teachers, three of whom were included in pilot stage, The data analysis employed three main themes created using the interview and research questions. These themes were categorized manually and using NVIVO12 program. The themes included teachers' awareness, thoughts and classroom experiences about developing awareness for individuals with special needs. As a result of the research, teachers almost agree on issues where awareness is important. In general, in the theme of awareness, teachers talked about the concepts of individuals with special needs and respect for individual differences. Looking at the theme of thought, most of the teachers stated that inclusive education is beneficial for individuals with normal development in respect of differences. In the classroom experience theme, teachers used many problem-solving methods during their classroom interactions and supported children with special needs. However, they said that they felt inadequate and experienced emotional fatigue. It has been observed that teachers do not generally plan awareness raising activities for individuals with special needs, except certain days and weeks.