Teaching Practice for Inclusive Education in the University Classroom: the Experience of Special Education and the Challenge of Student Dropout in First Year

Abstract

Inclusive Education at university level in Argentina is legally recognized (University Education Law N°24.521); however, in this context, traditionally elitist and opposite to equalitarian tendencies (Chiroleu, A.,2009), this inclusion is only a declaration of principles which is far from a concrete practice. The present work accounts for an experience of the teaching team of the first-year, first-semester subject Special Education, of the Special Education Teaching Program at the National University of San Luis, which deals with the tension mentioned before. In this sense we attempt to focus on one of the problematic issues in the university in the first years, student dropout, considering the incorporation of a series of innovations, support and planning centered in holding a massive heterogeneous student group formed by workers, mothers, students who take the course for the second time and students who have just finished high school under different forms. Our work is based on socio-constructivism, inclusiveeducation and teaching for comprehension, from which diversified strategies are proposed in order to meet needs and levels of development which our students have.