Training Needs of Secondary School Teachers in Educating Students with Disabilities

This paper presents some of the results from a research sponsored by the Fundacion ONCE and conducted by lecturers and researchers of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid regarding the training needs of secondary education teachers in relation to students with disabilities in Spain. The research was carried out using surveys and in-depth interviews. The teachers who have been part of this research demand more technical training, tools to meet the challenge to educate a diverse group of students in the same classroom. However, the research has also hinted that the teachers training demands are based on their need to address unexpected situations without the necessary training. Furthermore, the research has reflected that the training received by teachers has an influence on their attitudes towards the education of students with disabilities in diverse groups. Therefore, training provides the necessary knowledge to carry out teaching with confidence and also facilitates the involvement of the teachers in inclusive educational processes..