This study examined regular education teachers’ perceptions of inclusion in elementary and secondary schools in Spain and how these perceptions may differ depending on teaching experience, skills, and the availability of resources and supports. Stratified random sampling procedures were used to draw a representative sample of 336 general education teachers (68 kindergarten, 133 elementary, and 135 secondary teachers) from the province of Alicante. The results indicated the acceptance of the principles of inclusion, although teacher skills, time, material resources, and personal supports for inclusion were deemed insufficient. Kindergarten and elementary teachers showed more positive perceptions of inclusion than secondary education teachers, and so did teachers with more personal supports and material resources than those with less supports and resources. The results are discussed in terms of its implications for practice in order to promote more inclusive classrooms in Spain.

Introducción: A pesar de los esfuerzos para mejorar la calidad de la educación, la incorporación de la perspectiva de género (PG) en la formación inicial docente sigue estando ausente de los planes de estudio e ideario de las facultades de educación. Esta falta de atención al principio de igualdad representa una auténtica barrera para el logro de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (Naciones Unidas, 2015) y para el desarrollo de una educación sensible al género. El propósito de este estudio fue explorar el grado de implementación del enfoque de género en la formación inicial de docentes desde la perspectiva del alumnado. Método: Con este fin (1) se diseñó y validó la escala de Evaluación Sensible a la Formación en Igualdad de Género (ESFIG) y (2) se administró a 601 docentes en formación de grado y máster (72% mujeres y 28% varones), edad media 24.31 años, de una universidad pública española. Resultados: Los resultados indicaron que (1) la ESFIG es un instrumento válido y adecuado para medir el grado de incorporación de la PG en la formación docente y (2) que los participantes perciben (a) la sensibilidad del centro a la implementación de la política de género de neutral e indiferente y (b) la preparación en género muy importante y necesaria para su formación; sin embargo, muestran una baja y poco realista percepción de la conciencia de desigualdades asociadas al género en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las respuestas de los participantes en función de la titulación y el género. Discusión: Los resultados sustentan la utilidad de la ESFIG para su uso como un indicador del grado de incorporación de la PG en la docencia universitaria, así como un instrumento apto para identificar áreas de necesidad, orientar y evaluar el impacto de posibles acciones e intervenciones.

The aim of this study was to explore caregivers’ views about the risks of the Internet for people with intellectual disabilities and their preparation and ability to use prevention strategies to address them. The participants (20 family members and 24 staff members) belonged to a non-profit association working with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and were asked to respond to a questionnaire about Internet safety and risks. Findings show some concerns from caregivers with regard to the use of the Internet by people with intellectual disabilities and suggest that this group is more vulnerable to online risks. Participants use different kinds of strategies to prevent the risks but they have not received any formal training. They think that this training should come from the Administration and other organisations. Some differences were found between family and staff members’ responses. Training programmes for all the groups involved in this process (i.e. people with intellectual disabilities, staff and family members) should be designed, implemented and assessed to promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the digital arena.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an information and communications technology (ICT)-based individualised music education programme on primary students’ musical competence. A 2 × 3 aptitude treatment interaction factorial design was used to assess the impact of the programme as a function of students’ musical aptitude (MA) (low–average–high) and type of intervention (experimental vs. control). Participants were a convenient sample of 90 fifth- and sixth-grade students drawn from one public primary school in Albacete, Spain. Results indicated that average and high musically able participants developed a significantly higher competence in audition, vocal expression, instrumental expression, musical language, movement and dance, as well as in arts and culture in the ICT-based than in the non-ICT-based programme, while those with low MA appeared to benefit more from the non-ICT-based programme suggesting that students responded differently to the two types of interventions. Results are discussed in terms of implications to better adapt music teaching for student diversity.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education [grant number TME2011-00254] and by the Spanish Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, Department of Education and Science (Order of 26 February, Diario Oficial de Castilla-La Mancha, 6 March)

The purpose of this study was to explore the status of gender mainstreaming implementation in university teaching in Greek higher education institutions by examining the education students receive regarding gender equality. The Sensitive Assessment of Training for Gender Equality index was used to collect data from 1,194 students from nine Greek public universities over four degrees (Teacher Education, Physical Education, Greek Philology, and Science). The students were purposely selected through an online survey. Participants were between 20 and 53 years old, mostly female (79%) and Greek (98.20%). Findings revealed that formal preparation for gender mainstreaming implementation in university teaching is practically nonexistent. While respondents rated positively the need for incorporating a gender perspective into curricula, recognizing its importance in reducing sexism, developing gender competencies and practicing a gender-sensitive pedagogy, their views differed in the emphasis that should be given to gender training. Science students were less demanding than school teaching, physical education and Greek philology students, as well as male than female students. Additionally, the participants rated institutions’ and educators’ commitment to gender equality as neutral and did not recognize existing gender inequalities. This suggests that gender mainstreaming is poorly considered in Greek higher education at institutional, curricular, and relational level.

This study explores the beliefs and attitudes that university students enrolled in teacher education programmes in Spain, England and the US (Texas) hold about individuals who differ. A beliefs and attitudes toward difference scale (BATD) was constructed using nine dimensions of diversity; culture, language, socioeconomic status/social class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political ideology, disability and special talent. A two‐way factorial analysis of variance indicated significant main effects due to the respondent groups on culture, religion and sexual orientation; significant main effects of worldview of difference on political ideology; and no interaction between the two factors on each of the nine domains of difference. An exploratory factor analysis was also performed in order to explore the viability of the theoretical model. The data suggest that attitudes towards people who differ include etic, emic and individual properties. These are discussed in terms of the uses of cross‐cultural data and further research opportunities.