VALUES IN ACTION. A QUALY-QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH ON IN-SERVICE SUPPORT TEACHERS TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Abstract

Values guide behaviour (Schwartz, 2021). They guide the educational action of teachers, also towards the design of inclusive teaching practices (Perrin et. al, 2021). In this regard, the present study aims to detect the value priorities of support teachers and investigate their opinions on the concept of "values" and "values education". The research involved a sample of 842 participants (M=289/F=553) serving at higher education institutions in Campania. To meet the objectives of the study, qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Specifically, to investigate the teachers' opinions, a qualitative analysis of data collected with semi-structured interviews using the NVivo program was carried out. Instead, to detect the value priorities of the participants, the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-RR) was administered (Schwartz, 2012) and the SPSS statistical software was used for the quantitative analysis. The results show that the value priorities of the participants are directed towards the values of Self-transcendence (=4,84), with a significant incidence towards the value of Benevolence (=4,92). The opinions of the sample converge in the importance of this value dimension for the construction of fair and inclusive societies as well as integrating values education in the curriculum, with the involvement of families.