Croatian Teachers’ Perceptions of Available Support and Barriers to Preschool Inclusion of SEN Children

In line with inclusive legislation, quality in inclusive early childhood education and care institutions refers to the available support and resources in order to provide a suitable environment for diverse children. The aims of this study are to determine (1) differences in teachers’ perceptions of the level of available and necessary support for preschool inclusion, and (2) the correlation between the perceptions of support and teachers’ sociodemographic data, attitude towards inclusive education and perceived competencies for inclusive teaching. A representative sample of 476 Croatian preschool teachers employed in 28 early childhood education and care institutions in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County participated in the research. The Supports Scale for Preschool Inclusion was used to establish teachers’ perceptions of the necessary factors and available support for successful inclusion. Teachers indicated a lower level of available support for successful inclusion than required, while their perceptions of available support depended on their higher level of positive attitudes and perceived competencies for inclusive teaching. The perception of a higher level of perceived competencies for inclusive teaching and a more positive attitude resulted in a higher level of perceived available support, which supports previous findings underscoring teachers’ professional development for inclusive teaching as a baseline for ensuring high-quality inclusive early childhood education and care that supports the development of all children.