Study of Defensive and Coping Behaviour of Teachers of Inclusive Professional Education

Abstract

The specificity of defensive and coping behavior of teachers in inclusive education is discussed. In the theoretical analysis, particular attention is paid to the requirements of inclusive practice to the personality and work of the teacher. A review of studies on the problem of the correlation of constructs “psychological defence,” “coping,” “defensive coping behaviour” is made. The empirical study confirmed the hypothesis of the existence of differences in the structure of defensive and coping behaviour of teachers of vocational education with varying degrees of inclusion in inclusive practice. It is found that differences relate primarily to the nature of the relationship of components of defensive and coping behaviour. Non-inclusive college teachers demonstrate more continuous and coherent structure, while teachers who are actively involved in inclusive professional education demonstrate the independent functioning of individual psychological protection. Comparative analysis showed significantly higher values according to the mechanisms of “distraction,” “search of social support” and “escape from a stressful situation” of teachers not included in the field of inclusive education. It is concluded that teachers working with the disabled, use unconscious mechanisms of defence, while teachers who do not work with them use conscious strategies of escape from the problem situation. The results of the study are characterized by novelty, since to date the empirical research on the activities of the teacher in inclusive education is insufficient and there are no studies of the specificity of defensive and coping behaviour.