Social representations around inclusive education. A grounded theory approach to the Deaf community

This study aims to analyse the social representations that exist around the Deaf community and inclusive education in a school located in the municipality of Ibague, Colombia. To achieve this, a constructivist model was used, taking a qualitative approach and applying grounded theory to discover the situation in the environment selected. The process of data collection and subsequent analysis revealed three representations: two indicated commitment and support for Deaf students, while the third, in contrast, showed that a group of students at the school ignores this community. Based on these findings, three macro conclusions can be reached: first, social representations can decisively shape the educational environment; second, these representations can evolve, given the right conditions; and third, a group can face completely opposite representations, even in the same environment.