Access to the National Curriculum for All: Opportunities and Challenges in the Processes of Diversification of Teaching in Chilean Differential Schools

Abstract

Starting in 1990, in Chile, a parallel curriculum was established for students attending different schools according to the "type of disability" presented. Recently, the Ministry of Education has promoted a reform (Decree No. 83/2015) that promotes the access of all students to the national curriculum through diverse forms of teaching. In order to explore the perceptions of special education teachers and school principals at the verge of this curricular change, a qualitative study was carried out through semi-structured interviews with nine teachers. The results suggest that the implementation of the national curriculum and the diversification of teaching will be a challenge and an opportunity for professional teacher training. The study identifies barriers such as the initial formation of special education teachers, uncertainty regarding the organizational change of schools and the limited time to design and implement learning processes based on a diversified teaching model.