Learning in special schools: pedagogical perceptions of the learning journeys of students with intellectual disabilities

riflessioni pedagogiche sui percorsi degli studenti con disabilità intellettiva

Abstract

This article analyzes the pedagogical perceptions developed by the researcher regarding the learning of students with intellectual disabilities in a special education school, based on the observation of a didactic-pedagogical experiment grounded in historical-cultural theory, developmental teaching, and the active methodology of Game-Based Learning. This is a qualitative research study, interpretive and participatory in nature, conducted at a special education school within the Basic Education system, operated by the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional (APAE), in the municipality of Irati, Paraná. Eleven students with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities, enrolled in a multigrade elementary school class, participated in the study. The analytical corpus consisted of field notes, individual monitoring forms, systematized observations, and audiovisual recordings produced over the course of 32 sessions. The analysis revealed that learning manifests itself in a heterogeneous, nonlinear, and multimodal manner, expressed through different paces, forms of participation, modes of communication, and developmental trajectories. The results indicate that gestures, notes, productive hesitations, increased participation, and diversified responses constitute important indicators of learning, which are often overlooked by assessment models focused solely on standardized performance. They also highlight the role of pedagogical mediation in creating conditions for participation and development, as well as the need to revise teachers’ expectations regarding learning. We conclude that special education schools can be powerful spaces for learning when instruction is organized in an intentional, flexible manner and is committed to recognizing students’ unique characteristics.