CONFERENCEhttps://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2025.19 | 272-290 | PDF
Understanding the Professional Development Learning Needs of Preschool Teachers for Inclusive Education
Inga Grigaļuna¹, Dita Nīmante¹
¹University of Latvia, Latvia
Abstract
This study explores the professional development learning needs of preschool teachers in the context of inclusive education in Latvia. Despite the global and national emphasis on inclusive education over the past two decades, its implementation remains uneven and highly dependent on the professional competence of educators. Recognizing that teachers’ professional learning needs are central to effective inclusive education, this research aims to identify the specific learning needs of preschool teachers and examine how these needs vary based on teachers’ length of service, level of education, preschool affiliation, and preschool type (municipal or private). The study employs a quantitative research design using a structured questionnaire administered to 99 preschool teachers across nine institutions in three Latvian municipalities. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The findings indicate that the most critical learning needs include implementing differentiated teaching and learning processes, acquiring diverse teaching methods, understanding inclusive education, and managing behavioral difficulties. Significant differences were observed in learning needs based on institutional type and individual teacher characteristics, highlighting the necessity of a tailored, context-sensitive approach to professional development. The study underscores the importance of individualized and school-tailored strategies in teacher training for inclusive education. It also reveals gaps in teacher readiness to include certain groups of children – such as gifted children or those with sensory and physical impairments – pointing to areas requiring greater policy and training focus. These results contribute to the development of more effective, evidence-based professional development models that align with the realities of inclusive preschool education in Latvia.
The study was conducted under the State Research Programme’s “Education” project No. VPP-IZM-Izglītība-2023/4-0001.
Keywords: inclusive education, professional development, preschool teachers, learning needs, Latvia
In: Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2025. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Cilvēks, tehnoloģijas un izglītības kvalitāte, 2025. Rakstu krājums. Ed. L. Daniela. Riga: University of Latvia, 2025. 698 p.
ISBN 978-9934-36-461-7
https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2025