Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-27
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Marie-Pier Duchaine, Professor, Department of Education, Université TÉLUQ
They want to support all their students. However, several secondary school teachers doubt the feasibility of school inclusion for those who have adaptation difficulties. Our study, conducted with 458 teachers from the Quebec region, highlights this tension between ideals and the realities on the ground.
Quebec secondary schools are welcoming an increasing number of students experiencing adaptation difficulties. More broadly, students identified as having a disability or adaptation or learning difficulties today representnearly one in three studentsin regular classes.
These young people may face a range of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges: difficulty regulating their emotions, impulsivity, conflicts with peers, opposition to instructions, difficulty staying engaged in school tasks or organizing their work. For these students, academic success largely depends on the teachers’ ability to adopt inclusive practices.
However, theTeachers’ attitudes play a key role in the quality of these practices. A teacher who doubts the feasibility of school inclusion or who feels uncomfortable with difficult behaviors is likely to continue using less appropriate approaches,thus limiting the chances of successconcerned students.
Produced by theSynergia Joint Research Unit, our study aimed to better understand how secondary school teachers position themselves regarding the school inclusion of students with adaptation difficulties. It is part of abroader investigationaiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the continuing professional development needs of the school staff of three school service centers in the Quebec region.
To examine attitudes towards the school inclusion of these students, we measured using ascale adapted to the Quebec contextÂ: what teachers believe (cognitive dimension), what they feel (affective dimension), and what they are willing to do (behavioral dimension).
Mixed beliefs, shared emotions
In terms of beliefs, some teachers express reservations. Several believe that some students having adaptation difficulties should rather be enrolled in specialized classes.
These teachers do not question the principle of school inclusion, but its practical feasibility in certain situations. How can teaching be adapted when groups are large, access to professionals is limited, and time for planning is restricted?
On the emotional level, the picture is nuanced. An encouraging fact: most teachers do not feel upset about having to adapt their teaching nor annoyed when a student has difficulty keeping up with the program.
On the other hand, several report a feeling of helplessness when they do not understand their students’ behaviors. For example, when a student suddenly refuses to participate, frequently interrupts the class, or reacts very intensely to an instruction. This lack of understanding can lead to a vicious cycle. The teacher, feeling overwhelmed, adopts less effective strategies, which is likely to worsen difficult behaviors and reinforce their feeling of helplessness.
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Despite everything, a will to act
This is where the paradox appears. Despite the presence of doubts or discomfort among some, teachers predominantly express a great openness to adapting their strategies to support students experiencing adaptation difficulties.
They say they are ready to encourage their participation in class and school activities, and to adapt their teaching to meet their needs.
This gap between what teachers think, feel, and are willing to do testifies to their professionalism. Despite the obstacles, they maintain their commitment to the success of all students.
But this will to act, if it is not supported, risks eroding over time.
Revealing variations
The study also reveals certain differences according to the profiles of the teachers.
Less experienced teachers have more favorable attitudes towards school inclusion than their more seasoned colleagues. Several hypotheses can explain this result.
Recent initial training programs give more importance to inclusive practices. It is also possible that thenew teachers had not yet been faced with the full complexity of the challenges related to school inclusion. Conversely, this result could also reflect a certain professional weariness among those who have long been faced with these challenges without always receiving the necessary support.
The type of training also seems to influence attitudes. Teachers holding a specialized graduate diploma (DESS) report more favorable feelings than those with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
One possible explanation is that these programs, strongly oriented towards professional practice, offer a good balance between theoretical knowledge and concrete intervention strategies.Training focused on concrete intervention strategiescan help teachers better understand challenging behaviors and strengthen their sense of competence.
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How to better support teachers?
These results allow us to identify several courses of action.
Among the priority issues, the feeling of powerlessness in the face of challenging behaviors clearly stands out. Training on functional analysis, an approach that helps understand why a student behaves in a certain way, could help address this.
Teachers often know several intervention strategies, but they sometimes need help applying them to the concrete situations they encounter in the classroom.
Support would also benefit from being adapted according to experience. For new teachers, structured mentoring could help maintain their positive attitudes. For more experienced teachers, measures that recognize their expertise while supporting them in facing new challenges could help prevent professional burnout.
Beyond training, teachers also need spaces to share their challenges and strategies. Communities of practice help break isolation and normalize the difficulties experienced.
A commitment to support
School inclusion does not rely solely on resources or policies. It depends on the attitudes of those who implement it on a daily basis.
Our results show that secondary school teachers are committed, despite their doubts. Their willingness exists, but it is often the necessary conditions that are lacking to transform this willingness into sustainable practices.
Supporting this commitment is essential for the school inclusion of students with adaptation difficulties to become a sustainable reality in schools.
Marie-Pier Duchaine is a research associate at the Synergia Joint Research Unit.
Line Massé is a member of the UMR Synergia.
Nancy Gaudreau is director of the Synergia Joint Research Unit, Université Laval
–ref. School inclusion: committed teachers, but faced with the limitations of the field –https://theconversation.com/inclusive-education-committed-teachers-but-facing-the-limits-of-the-field-274187