Professional training of future teachers for professional activities in the context of inclusion

Abstract

The article examines the role of the formation of humanistic orientation and empathy in the process of preparation for professional activity in the conditions of inclusion in higher education students of pedagogical specialties. The relevance of the study stems from the fact that in the process of a teacher's professional activity, his or her humanistic orientation becomes an essential aspect of working with children with special educational needs. After all, one of the most important tasks facing Ukrainian society as a society that wants to rebuild the country and realize its development potential to the fullest extent possible is the real inclusion of people with disabilities in this society.

Preparation for teaching involves the development of a future teacher's humanistic orientation, empathy, tolerance, and focus on teaching children with special educational needs. The humanistic orientation arises on the basis of personal interest and sustainable motivation for pedagogical activity, is determined by professional needs, awareness of the social significance of the teacher's activity, as well as the presence of qualities inherent in a specialist in the educational sphere. The performance of professional duties of a teacher in an inclusive environment is largely related to the development of empathy, which is emphasized in the process of professional training through training programs.

In order to study the level of empathy as a necessary quality of a teacher to work with students with special educational needs in inclusive settings, a study was conducted using the A. Mehrabian and N. Epotein Empathy Tendency Test. The survey was conducted among higher education students of pedagogical specialties at the Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University in 2023-2024. The effectiveness of the training program “Humanistic Values and Empathy” was proved using statistical methods for mathematical generalization of the results of the experimental study.