Attitudes of teachers with experience in exclusive education towards inclusion

Abstract

This study investigated the attitudes of teachers towards the inclusion of children with special educational needs into the mainstream after they had taught in an inclusive education system for a year. Twenty nine teachers completed a questionnaire that assessed their perceived competence and attitudes towards inclusive education and investigated the perceived problems and concerns that the teachers felt they may have encountered. The data was compared to a previous study in which the attitudes of teachers who have not yet had the opportunity to practise inclusive education were measured.

The research results indicated that teachers in the present study felt competent regarding their knowledge of and ability to teach in inclusive education. Their attitudes were significantly (p<G.05) positive towards inclusive education. There was no significant statistical difference between teachers’ attitudes in the present and previous study. However, teachers expressed concerns that inclusive education can only work_provided that the number of children per class remains below 15, that teachers receive ongoing professional development, that teacher-aides are available in every class and that a support team is present at all times.