Fourth generation of inclusive practices in preschool education: A case study

Authors

  • Sara Iglesias María Autonomous University of Madrid image/svg+xml Author
  • Asunción González-del-Yerro Valdés Autonomous University of Madrid image/svg+xml Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20721926

Keywords:

Early Childhood Education, Self-determination, Social skills, Personalized instruction, Inclusive education

Abstract

Fourth-generation inclusive educational practices propose teaching a single standard curriculum in a personalized manner in a heterogeneous classroom while supporting the development of self-regulation. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of implementing a didactic unit that shared the characteristics of these inclusive practices on the motivation, satisfaction, engagement in learning activities, social skills, and self-regulation of students in a preschool classroom. A mixed-methods research methodology was employed. Information gathering procedures included participant observation accompanied by a teacher's diary, informal interviews with teachers and students, document analysis, and selected items from the self-regulation and social skills subscales of the Child Behavior Rating Scale. Analysis of the collected data revealed a strong increase in motivation, satisfaction, and engagement in learning, as well as a statistically significant improvement in self-regulation and social competence when the multilevel didactic unit was implemented. The study thus demonstrates the advantages of implementing didactic units that embody the characteristics of fourth-generation inclusive practices.

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Author Biographies

  • Sara Iglesias María, Autonomous University of Madrid

    Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Escuni in Madrid. Master's Degree in Diversity in Bilingual Early Childhood and Primary Education Centres from the UAM. She developed her Master's thesis on Multilevel Curriculum and Self-Regulation in a heterogeneous Early Childhood Education classroom. Interested in studies on new teaching methods implemented in early childhood education cycles, she has furthered her training with specialised courses in Bullying Management in Education, Waldorf Pedagogy, the Montessori Method and Teaching Environmental Discovery in Early Childhood and Primary Education. She has worked as an English teacher in extracurricular activities at a public school in Alcorcón, Madrid, and at Park Academy Childcare in Dublin, Ireland, among others.

  • Asunción González-del-Yerro Valdés, Autonomous University of Madrid

    Es doctora en Psicología, profesora permanente (CD) en la UAM y especialista en el desarrollo de la comunicación prelingüística, en las dificultades en la adquisición del lenguaje, y en el método Montessori. Sus líneas de investigación principales son las dificultades en la adquisición del lenguaje, la evaluación y mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas con discapacidad y el plan de apoyo positivo a la conducta. En sus primeros años de vida profesional fue profesora de apoyo, de Educación Especial, logopeda, orientadora, coordinadora de la Sala de Intervención y Apoyo Pedagógico de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Campus Acatlán), así como diseñadora de juegos y recursos didácticos para favorecer el desarrollo del lenguaje.

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Published

2026-07-06

How to Cite

Iglesias María, S., & González-del-Yerro Valdés, A. (2026). Fourth generation of inclusive practices in preschool education: A case study. Revista De Inclusión Educativa Y Diversidad (RIED), 4(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20721926

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