Functional, emotional and behavioral diversity: systematization of a continuous teacher training experience

Abstract

This article systematizes the experience developed in the integrated research and extension project titled “Teacher Training and Support” of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Childhood and Adolescence Studies, in response to the need to strengthen attention to diversity in the classroom. Based on a diagnostic assessment applied to Costa Rican teachers, a lack of training on functional diversity was identified, leading to the design of a theoretical-practical course in which 26 teachers participated. The methodology followed a mixed-methods approach, using open and closed-ended instruments applied before and after the training process. The results show that the main impact was a paradigmatic transformation towards the concept of functional diversity, which fostered greater conceptual clarity, a willingness to make classroom adjustments, and a strengthened bond with families. Furthermore, the psychosocial tension experienced by the teachers is revealed: their mixed emotions (commitment, empathy, frustration, and concern) manifest a profound ethical dilemma between the desire to provide quality care and the perception of a lack of systemic support. At the end of the course, the training proposal was positively evaluated. The findings underscore that effective training must catalyze deep conceptual reflection, articulating theory, experience, and peer support, and validate teacher well-being as an indispensable condition for sustainable educational inclusion.