Teachers’ perception of the institutional cultures, politics and inclusive practices. Case-study the University of Cuenca-Ecuador

Abstract

The right to education is a fundamental human right, and according to UNESCO (2015) is inclusive and quality education based on equity, flexibility and adaptability, all with the aim of leaving no one behind. In Ecuador, inclusive education is a recent process and underwent a series of changes influenced by policies and regulations that addressed diversity and guaranteed the right to higher education for all students. This article presents the results of an investigation designed to assess the belief of the teachers at the University of Cuenca (Ecuador) about inclusive cultures, policies and practices, using the Index for Inclusion as instrument. The evaluated dimensions of the index are the creation of cultures, the elaboration of policies, and the development of inclusive practices. All examined dimensions show a regular level of performance, however a distinction exists between the creation of inclusive cultures to a degree that closely resembles the development of inclusive practices, while the dimension of inclusive policymaking received the lowest feeling. The findings allow to differentiate the position of teachers on the analyzed aspects of inclusive education and highlight the bottlenecks to be addressed in the future, especially teacher training in inclusive education.