Inclusion - a general pedagogical concept

The monograph “Inclusion: A General Pedagogical Concept” aims to contribute to the substantiation of the concept of inclusion as an issue relating to general pedagogy, not merely as a field researched by individual pedagogical subdisciplines, particularly special and rehabilitation pedagogy. It examines the historical development and importance of the concept of inclusion, linking it to the question of the general goals of education in the twenty-first century. The main aim is to raise research questions that are relevant both to the Slovenian society – where the research was conducted – and, owing to their general nature, to a wider area. The central part of the monograph focuses on the presentation of the results of four studies. The first two studies explore the role of special schools as facilitators of an inclusion-oriented community and the school system at large. They reveal how the segregated educational institution is opening up to a wider community to spread inclusive ideas into the community and the mainstream school system. The third study discusses the role school counsellors as facilitators of inclusive culture can play in various educational institutions, and what kind of university education is most suitable for them. The findings point to the complexity and multifacetedness of this issue, since education should be aimed at developing the students’ positive attitude and their capacity for theoretical analysis and effective action. The last study examines how teachers in vocational schools deal with ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous populations. The results highlights the importance of developing schools as learning communities. All the presented studies deal with underresearched topics and marginal groups of people with the aim of showing that marginality of this area is deceptive.