Education Sciences (Special Education)

• To become aware and sensitized to fundamental concepts, principles and models of Special Education and (future) active teachers on issues of teaching practice in this field.
• To deepen their understanding of the content and logic of current trends, theories and research related to Special Education.
• To be fully informed about the scope and content of the forms of special educational needs of the child that constitute the subject of Special Education and its interdisciplinary character in the context of diagnosis, interpretation and treatment in modern schools.
• To understand the philosophy, the necessity and the strategies for the implementation of inclusive education in ordinary schools and to analyse the possible difficulties of its implementation in today's context.
• To acquire the necessary scientific background and the necessary skills to design and conduct micro-scale research in the field of Special Education.
• To become familiar with a series of psychotechnical tools used mainly by the multidisciplinary team of each province to identify children with special educational needs and to understand the necessity of a collective effort on the part of specialists in this direction.
• To function in the modern school as educational officers of reference in the school unit they will serve, assuming an active role in teaching practice and a role of advisor-guide to their colleagues in the effort to solve similar problems that children with special educational needs (will) face in the daily school culture.
• To function in the modern school as educational officers of reference in the school unit they will serve, assuming an active role in teaching practice and a role of advisor-guide to their colleagues in the effort to solve similar problems that children with special educational needs (will) face in the daily school culture.

Upon completion of the programme students are expected to be able:

• To delve into the basic literature of special/inclusive education.
• To identify key concepts, principles and models of special/inclusive education and to transfer this knowledge in the school context.
• To examine critically research outcomes relative to special/inclusive education and think of their implications for schools and the educational system in general.
• To pinpoint problems at the school and/or the system level and plan and carry out research to address those problems.
• To critically analyse educational problems -considering their sociological, phychological and philosophical dimensions- and develop a rational course of action which will provide optimal solutions.
• To undertake leadership roles relative to the special/inclusive education area with the purpose of either improving practice or introducing new processes/ procedures.
• To contribute to the modernisation of practice in the special/inclusive education area, e.g. quality teaching, mainstreamed classes.
• To apply skills acquired during their study to tackle everyday problems, e.g. student/ programme me/system assessment, planning and decision making, communication with internal and external audiences, communication with parents and the family, supervision and counseling, teacher in-service training and development.
• To take advantage of the organization’s human capital to introduce improvements and new practices and procedures.
• To act as a catalyst of change and innovation and promote and sustain improvement in education.
• To draw up plans for teaching courses, to organize and apply by case the appropriate educational material and to assess their application either individually or in groups, children with disabilities or any other problems and disorders.

Graduates of the programme have the following options:

• Pursue an administrative position at the school level (e.g., Principal, Assistant Principal) and/or Ministry of Education and Culture (e.g., Superintendent).
• To work as a trainer at the Pedagogical Institute.
• To occupy an academic position in an institution of higher education.