Inclusive Professional Profile and Diversity: Implicit Theories of Beginning Teachers

Abstract

The article presents the results of a research carried out with beginning primary school teachers in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. The content of their professional teaching thought was explored to discover the dominant character of their inclusive profile (inhibitor, facilitator and intermediate) as implicit theories on diversity. For this purpose, a qualitative methodological approach was chosen, which consisted of the application of a dilemma questionnaire on the processes of educational inclusion with a sample of 259 participants. The results allowed us to identify the recurrent implicit theories about diversity associated with some of the profiles mentioned here, leaving evidence that there is a predominant positive inclination towards the facilitating profile, and a lower proclivity towards the inhibiting profile. It is a trend, which validates the professional knowledge of the educator about the notion of diversity favoring the Universal Design for Learning (DUA). It generates empirical evidence to give confidence to the instrument used as an identifier of profiles whose use in the plans and study programs of initial teacher training and accompaniment in the initiation to teaching, becomes a necessary condition for teacher training schools or faculties of university education.