Abstract:

Teachers working in inclusive classrooms face tremendous difficulties, which as they feel, lead to frustration and despair. The difficulties are even greater for science and technology (S&T) teachers due to lack of practical information and recommended teaching strategies in the inclusive science classroom. A preliminary survey of S&T teachers, found expressions of lack of training and tools for teaching students with learning disabilities (LD), feelings of low competence, and lack of support from the relevant authorities. An in-service training program was devised, aiming to tackle these difficulties, and to improve teaching methods in S&T inclusive classrooms of junior high school. The program aimed at improving the teacher's professionalism through improving knowledge and understanding of the issues involved in implementing inclusion of LD students; developing a holistic perception of LD students; as well as acquiring efficient methods and didactics in S&T inclusive classrooms teaching. The project was evaluated by a research procedure aimed to assess the program's effect on improving teachers' attitudes and teaching methods.
THE PROGRAM
The program consisted of three consecutive workshops and interactive computer communication for continuous guidance, and interchange of feedback in the intervals between them.
The first workshop was aimed to improve teachers' understanding of LD, and to introduce methods of adjustment, suitability of materials, teaching aids for developing scientific text reading skills and explicit instruction. This was followed by a period of approximately one month, in which what was learned in the workshop was applied in the classroom. At this period the computer site was used for exchanging feedbacks between teachers and tutors, and among teachers. The second workshop was dedicated to adjustments of scientific inquiry tasks suite for performance in small heterogeneous groups and providing aids to organize information, and was followed by the same procedure of computer use. The third workshop was dedicated to specific adjustments required for outdoor activities, along with summing up, pinpointing difficulties, and reflection on the whole program. Again, this was followed by the same procedure of computer use, as described above.
THE RESEARCH
The participants were 60 S&T teachers of junior high schools. A set of combined quantitative and qualitative measures was used to measure changes in attitudes and actual teaching methods. That included pre-post questionnaires (which was filled by 27 participants), analysis of teachers discourse in the workshops, analysis of teachers' feedback, and of teaching materials prepared by the teachers. The following variables as perceived by teachers were measured: Teachers' attitudes and approach, applicability and efficiency of the teaching methods, cooperation with relevant authorities, and amount of application of adjusted methods.
RESULTS
In all the above variables the measures showed a significant positive change.
CONCLUSION
a. The results indicate that at least according to self-judgment of teachers and supervisors the program was effective.
b. The success of the program shows indirectly that use of computer can be a powerful means in implementing a program that involves continuous guidance and a flow of information among its participants.

Keywords:

formative evaluation, change processes, in-service training, feedback, inclusive.