Construction of the Identity of Professionals Involved in Educational Inclusion

Abstract

Educational inclusion remains a persistent challenge, and educators and professionals entrusted with this responsibility constitute foundational pillars in the pursuit of adequate attention to diversity. It is imperative to ascertain whether a specialization process can elucidate the voices that contribute to the formation of the professional identity of those engaged in training for Inclusive Education for Special Educational Needs (SEN), both from their internal and external personal positions. This study adopts a qualitative approach with an existential phenomenological hermeneutic design. The self-confrontation method and life histories were employed for data collection at the commencement and culmination of the training, and data were analyzed utilizing the personal position repertoire method of the dialogical self theory. The findings reveal that, upon embarking on their inclusion training, their identity is shaped by internal voices that align them with vocation, responsibility, resilience, and humanism, as well as external voices from students or family members with SEN. Upon completing the specialization, a voice emerges, emanating from their current mentors and their experiences within the program, instilling in them a heightened sense of capability in approaching cases involving students with SEN, bolstered by a stronger sense of conviction and expertise.