The competencies of primary school teachers in integration practies

The aim of this study is, to determine the integration education competenciesof primary school teachers who have mainstreaming students in their classes, tointerpret these competencies and to give suggestions when necessary.For this purpose, in order to find out their views, a semi-structured interviewmethod was conducted in 2005-2006 Spring term with 12 primary school teachersworking in 10 primary schools located in a central town of a Western BlackseaRegion province and who have mainstreaming students in their classes. ?TheInstrument of Self- Evaluation of Integration Education Competencies? was used inorder to reveal the views of primary school teachers having mainstreaming studentsin their classes about their integration education competencies.At the end of the study, the following results were found;It was revealed that, in integration practices primary school teachers, getassistance only from counseling teachers as a support service in their schools andthey do not interact adequately with experts out of school.It was found that primary school teachers realize the students? demands forspecial needs within the education-instruction period, therefore they are able to makepreparations for these students in the middle of the term. Also, it was revealed thatteachers determine whether students demand special needs or not and preparestudents for the classroom by using traditional methods.It was concluded that primary school teachers do limited studies in order todetermine the special needs of exceptional students and their level of functioning.It was found out that primary school teachers do not do a systematic study interms of determining the aims and that they determine unwritten aims according totheir own methods.It was revealed that primary school teachers do not do any planning inmethods and activities in order to facilitate student interaction. Also, the views ofprimary school teachers about the benefits of the interviews done for the purpose ofgetting assistance about determining methods and activities for the education ofexceptional students were not found to be clear enough.When primary school teachers see the regative behaviours of the exceptionalstudents, they do not use the techniques appropriate for these students and theirbehaviors. Also, it was determined that primary school teachers do not use any kindof recording instrument except from observation books and evaluation forms.Primary school teachers evaluate the participation of exceptional students intoactivities done with regular students as integration. It was concluded that accordingto primary school teachers, the responsibilities given in the classroom to theexceptional students are adequate for the mainstreaming.Primary school teachers inform regular students about their exceptionalfriends when they are absent in the clasroom.In this study, it was found that some of the primary school teachers do notwant to let regular students know that some students demand special needs and someteachers expect from regular students to realize their exceptional friends.Primary school teachers evaluate exceptional students by asking the samequestions asked to regular students, by making oral exams and by using gradedscales and observation forms.Primary school teachers, even they ask the same questions to all students,evaluate a small step of exceptional students as a sign of success.Key Words: Integration/mainstreaming, exceptional students, primary schoolteacher.