The social representation about handicapped students in inclusive education: the view of children

Authors

  • Karina Mendonça Vasconcellos UnB- Universidade da Brasília
  • Maria de Fátima Souza Santos UFPE - Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
  • Angela Maria Oliveira Almeida UnB - Universidade de Brasília

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5212/PraxEduc.v.6i2.0009

Abstract

Historically excluded, handicapped people have been socially included through new standards guided by egalitarian principles. The Social Representation Theory, which studies how the common sense builds “theories” about relevant objects, was used to answer how this situation affects children socially and psychologically in inclusive schools. We use a multimethodological approach with free associations, drawings and focus groups to study the social representations of 39 third and fourth-grade students about their handicapped colleagues, all the children being from a state school in Recife, Pernambuco. The data were submitted to content analysis and analysis using the EVOC software, and the results indicate that handicapped children are seen as people limited by a temporary or permanent shortage or disability; they learn differently from others and disrupt classes; they require constant care and protection; they are allowed to join the group, but not to be part of it. The group seems to be outlining the contours of otherness, which shows a representation under construction.

 

Keywords: Social Inclusion. Social Representation. Handicapped People.

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Author Biographies

  • Karina Mendonça Vasconcellos, UnB- Universidade da Brasília
    Psicóloga formada pela UFPE,  mestrado pelo Programa de Pós-graduação em Psicologia da UFPE, doutoranda do Programa de pós-graduação em Psciologia Social do Trabalho e das Organizações da UNB.
  • Maria de Fátima Souza Santos, UFPE - Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
    Graduada em Psicologia pela Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (1977) e doutorado em Psicologia – Université de Toulouse Le Mirail (1986). Atualmente é professora associada da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco no Departamento de Psicologia. Pesquisadora do CNPq
  • Angela Maria Oliveira Almeida, UnB - Universidade de Brasília

    Graduada em Psicologia pela Universidade de São Paulo (1977), mestrado em Psicologia da Educação, pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (1985), Mestrado em Psychologie du Devéloppement - Université Catholique de Louvain (1989) e doutorado em Psychologie - Université Catholique de Louvain (1992). Atualmente é Professora Associada da Universidade de Brasília. Pesquisadora do CNPq.

Published

2011-12-07

Issue

Section

Artigos

How to Cite

The social representation about handicapped students in inclusive education: the view of children. Práxis Educativa, [S. l.], v. 6, n. 2, p. 277–287, 2011. DOI: 10.5212/PraxEduc.v.6i2.0009. Disponível em: https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/article/view/2441. Acesso em: 17 may. 2026.