Perceção dos professores face à utilização das tecnologias de apoio

Abstract

Over the years, the area of education has undergone numerous changes, including in the perception and impact of Assistive Technologies (AT) in the school context. The world has changed, society has technically evolved, and the school follows this entire process and evolution. The main objectives of this study were to explore the perception of primary teacher and special education teachers about the use of AT in the school context, as well as verifying the existence of any academic background or knowledge for their use. An attempt was also made to list the main difficulties experienced by teachers in the use of AT, to characterize the extent to which AT favor the inclusion of children and, finally, to list the advantages identified in the use of AT. To this end, a self-constructed questionnaire was applied to a sample of 71 teachers and, additionally, 7 interviews were conducted, followed by a categorical analysis of its content. The results suggest that teachers feel motivated to use AT. However, they believe they are out of date with their current paradigm. It was also noted that most participants do not have specific academic background in AT, which causes discomfort when handling it. Despite difficulties in its use, we found out that the participants consider AT as enhancing inclusion, integration, and socialization. These ideas culminate in greater participation in classroom activities, as well as contribute to the student's educational success. Finally, it appears that many participants believe that AT have a positive impact on student learning and quality of life. As such, it became important to reflect in this study on the impact of technologies on education, as it involves implications in pedagogical practices, methodologies, as well as in school dynamics.