Well-being of University Students with Special Needs as Viewed by University Teachers in Slovakia

Authors

  • Mariana Sirotová Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic
  • Veronika Michvocíková Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic
  • Jitka Lorenzova Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 160 00 Praha, Czech Republic

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2025.2.815.829

Keywords:

inclusion, specific needs, university teachers, well-being, university education

Abstract

Aim. The main objective of the study is to identify the students with the specifics needs as a part of university educational process from the perspective of surveyed university teachers working at Slovak universities.

Method. The study was conducted via the questionnaire method. The questionnaire was used to collect data in the quantitative research. It contained close-ended questions and was distributed to the respondents through an online platform. The respondents of the study were 96 university teachers working at Slovak universities. The analysis of the collected data was carried out using the statistical software SPSS 20. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate data analyses were used in the SPSS 20 to analyse the collected data.

Results. The submitted text is of a theoretical-empirical character. The theoretical part defines a university teacher and describes the specific needs of students. The empirical part contains the results of our empirical research. The results of the empirical research show that the students with the specifics needs are a part of university educational process. This group of the students must have wellbeing supported. University teachers provide special needs students with suitable specific conditions for the implementation of the educational process, which support the well-being of the mentioned group.

Conclusions. The students with the specifics needs are a part of university educational process. According to this, promoting the well-being of students with specific needs should be an essential part of the current higher education process. If a university teacher wants to provide special needs students with specific conditions for the educational process, he/she must be informed in advance of the fact that a student has been given the status of a student with specific needs.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Mariana Sirotová, Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic

    Associate professor at the the University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Slovak Republic), Department of Education, Dean of Faculty of Arts at the the University of ss. Cyril and Methodius, Trnava (Slovak Republic).

    In 1995 Mariana Sirotová graduated from the Comenius University in Bratislava. In 2005 she finished doctoral studies at the Comenius University in Bratislava. Since 2015, she is an associate professor at the Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. Mariana Sirotová was from 2004 to 2022 Head Department at the Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. She was from 2011 to 2022 vice-dean of university development at the Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. She was form 1997 to 2011 vice-rector for development of University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. Since 2022 she is Dean Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. She focuses on research of pedeutologicals aspects of teacher in her scientific field of research. She researches influence of teacher on educational process quality and his/her influunce on development of values and value orientation of children and youth.

  • Veronika Michvocíková, Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 917 01 Trnava, Slovak Republic

    Assistant professor at the University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava (Slovak Republic), Head Department at the Department of Education

    In 2015 Veronika Michvocíková graduated from the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. In 2018 she finished her doctoral studies at University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. Since 2018, she is an assistant professor and since 2022 she is the Head Department at the Department of Education, Faculty of Arts, University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. She focuses on exploration of educational process and its importance in the life of educated persons. In her scientific field of research, she is interested in research of actual societal problems. She also examines young people – university students opinions of actual societal problems.

  • Jitka Lorenzova, Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 160 00 Praha, Czech Republic

    Associate professor at the Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic

    Her professional interests include the transformation of scientific and social paradigms in the postmodern period, issues of professional and disciplinary identity of social pedagogy, inclusion in chemical education, multicultural and ethical education, and teaching styles of university teachers. It also explores candidates' motivations for choosing higher education, the formation of career trajectories and professional self-concepts of social studies educators, and the development of digital competencies of secondary school teachers. It carries out publication and grant activities in these areas. She teaches the courses Introduction to Pedagogy, Social Pedagogy and Risk Behaviour, Social and Special Issues of Inclusive Education at the University of Technology. She brings into teaching suggestions and experience from cooperation with professional platforms of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, with educational associations, the non-profit sector and from work with clients in the field of systemic therapy and counselling. As part of the university's connection with practice, it also participates in the professional training and further education of teachers, social educators and social service workers.

References

Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: lessons from international experiences. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587

Florian, L., & Spratt, J. (2013). Enacting inclusion: A framework for interrogating inclusive practice. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 28(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2013.778111

González-Castellano, N., Colmenero-Ruiz, M. J., & Cordón-Pozo, E. (2021). Factors that influence the university’s inclusive educational processes: Perceptions of university professors. Heliyon, 7(4), Article e06853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06853

Hendl, J., & Remr, J. (2017). Metody vyzkumu a evaluace [Methods of reseach and evaluation]. Portál.

Huppert, F. A. (2009). Psychological well-being: Evidence regarding its causes and consequences†. Appl Psychol Health Well Being, 1(2), 137–164. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01008.x

Kravčáková, G., Lukáčová, J. & Búgelová, T. (2011). Práca a kariéra vysokoškolského učiteľa [The work and the careers of the university teacher]. University of P.J. Šafárik.

Lombardi A.R., Murray C. Measuring university faculty attitudes toward disability: Willingness to accommodate and adopt Universal Design principles. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 34(1), 43–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/JVR-2010-0533

Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2014). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective differentiated instruction (5th ed). Pearson.

Ministerstvo školstva, výskumu, vývoja a mládeže Slovenskej republiky. (2002, February). Coll on higher education and on the change and supplement to some acts (Act No. 131/2002). https://www.slov-lex.sk/ezbierky/pravne-predpisy/SK/ZZ/2002/131/vyhlasene_znenie.html.

Shaeffer, S. (2019). Inclusive education: A prerequisite for equity and social justice. Asia Pacific Education Review, 20, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09598-w

Sirotová, M. (2014). Vysokoškolský učiteľ v edukačnom procese. [University teacher in the educational process]. University of ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava.

Solís García, P., Real Castelao, S., & Barreiro-Collazo, A. (2024). Trends and Challenges in the Mental Health of University Students with Disabilities: A Systematic Review. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 14(2), Article 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14020111

Stentiford, L., & Koutsouris, G. (2022). Critically considering the ‘inclusive curriculum’ in higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 43(8), 1250-1272. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2022.2122937

Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave (2025, March 20). Poradensko-právne centrum pre študentov zo sociálne znevýhodneného prostredia a študentov so špecifickými potrebami [The Counseling and Legal Center for Students from Socially Disadvantaged Backgrounds and Students with Special Needs]. https://www.ucm.sk/en/university/faculties-workplaces/support-centres/counseling-legal-center-students-from-socially-disadvantaged-backgrounds-students-special-needs.html

Valle-Flórez, R. E., de Caso Fuertes, A. M., Baelo, R., & García-Martín, S. (2021). Faculty of education professors’ perception about the inclusion of university students with disabilities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), Article 11667. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111667

Downloads

Published

2025-06-27

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2025): Journal of Education Culture and Society

Section

LOCAL CULTURES AND SOCIETIES

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mariana Sirotová, Veronika Michvocíková, Jitka Lorenzova

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

CC-BY

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. All authors agree for publishing their email adresses, affiliations and short bio statements with their articles during the submission process.

How to Cite

Sirotová, M. ., Michvocíková, V., & Lorenzova, J. (2025). Well-being of University Students with Special Needs as Viewed by University Teachers in Slovakia. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 16(1), 815-829. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2025.2.815.829