A welcoming and pedagogical monitoring protocol for teachers who work with autistic high school students, in the context of Science Education
Inclusive Education; Autistic Student; Protocol.
In Inclusive Education, everyone has the right to learn, regardless of disabilities or disorders. Schools must accommodate all students. To achieve this, schools and teachers must be prepared to meet the needs of every student. Based on the right to Education for all, we conducted a study focused on the educational process of autistic students. Using the voices of the students themselves and the perceptions of teachers from generalist resource rooms and inclusive common classes, we planned, constructed, and evaluated a Protocol to guide teachers in the reception and pedagogical support of autistic students in high school, within the context of Science Education. This was the main objective of this work. The methodology used was qualitative, focusing on the statements of autistic students, teachers, and the dialogical interaction between participants and the researcher, allowing reflections on feelings, attitudes, and impressions to be analyzed. In the first two phases, the data collection method was semi-structured interviews, whose responses were subsequently transcribed for analysis. The third phase involved the construction of the Protocol, and the fourth phase culminated in the evaluation of this material through a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Dialogical Thematic Analysis, establishing themes and subthemes emerging from the discourses. In-depth reading of the participants' statements enabled the elaboration and analysis of meaning maps constructed in each phase of the research. Two inclusive common class teachers participated in the first phase of this research. In the second phase, four specialist teachers in Natural/Exact Sciences, four Natural Sciences teachers from inclusive common classes, and six autistic high school students participated. The third phase involved the planning and development of the Protocol. In the fourth phase, the evaluation of the Protocol included the participation of five inclusive common class teachers and seven specialist teachers working in generalist resource rooms in Basic Education. The results showed that the Protocol effectively guided both inclusive common class teachers and generalist resource room teachers in the reception and pedagogical support of autistic students in high school within the context of Science Education. We concluded that the material developed was relevant in guiding teachers working with these students by presenting information, suggesting action paths, and providing training and reflection to the professionals, supported by an inclusive educational process justified by the voices of the autistic students.