TEACHERS' EXPERIENCE WITH INTEGRATED EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN MAINSTREAM PRIMARY SCHOOLS

In primary schools in the Olomouc Region almost a half of teachers are experienced in teaching students with impairment. The Olomouc Region is one of the best secured in the field of integration in the Czech Republic and provides continuing education of teachers at Palacky University and other institutions. This article provides an insight into the current state of integrated education in practice. Methods: Quantitative research was used for the investigation. Data collection was carried out through a questionnaire survey in mainstream schools of the selected region. Among others, the questionnaire included questions about the conditions for integrating students with visual impairment and about the difficulties teachers experienced with integrated students. The questionnaire survey involved a total of 268 teachers. Results: A half of teachers did not incline either to the pro-integration or the pro-segregation tendency. Although almost 50 % of teachers are experienced in integrating a student with impairment, a majority of respondents did not hold a complete pro-integration position. 53% of teachers require the presence of a qualified assistant in the classroom to help them with the process of working with integrated students. The survey results indicated an unsatisfactory attitude of the teachers to integration in mainstream schools. Although since 1990s the development of the integration model in the Czech Republic has come a long way, there are still many areas that require the assistance of experts from both theory and practice in the classrooms of mainstream schools.