The professional performance of support teachers and their contribution to the development of inclusive education

One of the pillars on which inclusive education is based demands, among other conditions, the questioning of the role of the supporting teaching staff. Within this framework, it is necessary to know the functions performed by support professionals in the schools and their proposals related to inclusive education. The study presented shows this double objective. On the one hand, to identify the "real" tasks and functions that have been carried out by support teachers in schools and, on the other hand, to describe the functions and/or tasks that these professionals consider they should perform in order to facilitate more effective support from an inclusive perspective. The study is based on a mixed methodology through questionnaires and discussion groups. The questionnaires were completed by 119 teachers from public and private schools in the Community of Madrid, 37 of whom also participated in discussion groups. Among the most relevant conclusions, it should be noted that support teachers demand support in the classroom and more time working together with teachers.