Barreras para la flexibilización curricular en básica secundaria del Colegio eucarístico de la milagrosa: una propuesta de mejoramiento inclusivo.

Abstract

This research analyzes the pedagogical, institutional, administrative, and attitudinal barriers to learning and participation that limit the implementation of curricular flexibility as a strategy for strengthening inclusive education in secondary school at Colegio Eucaristico de la Milagrosa, a private Catholic institution located in Medellín, Colombia. The study is grounded in the hermeneutic-interpretive paradigm and adopts an action research methodology with a qualitative approach that prioritizes understanding the meanings and experiences of educational actors. Participants included nine students with Special Educational Needs, five teachers, and three school administrators, who took part in semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a survey complemented by documentary analysis. The results, organized into four categories —inclusive education, curricular flexibility, barriers to learning and participation, and institutional support— reveal that curricular flexibility exists as a pedagogical practice but is developed in a fragmented manner without systematic formalization; that differentiated assessment represents the main pending challenge; that insufficient teacher training is the most pervasive barrier; and that students experience inclusion primarily as an emotional and relational experience. Based on these findings, an institutional improvement plan is proposed, structured around four components: teacher training, systematization of Individual Reasonable Adjustment Plans (PIAR), differentiated assessment, and an inclusive institutional culture.