ERIC Number: EJ1240623
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jan
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1471-3802
EISSN: N/A
Teacher Attitudes towards the Inclusion of Students with Support Needs
Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, v20 n1 p64-73 Jan 2020
Teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusive education are a prerequisite for its successful implementation. This study surveyed the attitudes of Finnish classroom, subject, resource room and special education class teachers (N = 4567) towards inclusive education. The results indicated very low support for the concept. Its acceptance was strongly associated with the specific teacher categories and the concern that inclusive placements would cause extra work for teachers. Teachers who were confident in their support networks and had sufficient access to educational resources, such as an in-classroom teaching assistant, were more positive towards inclusion than other teachers. Attitudinal variables, including self-efficacy and child-centredness, and demographic variables, including age and gender, were also associated with attitudes towards inclusion. It is argued that vicious circle exists between resources and teacher attitudes. The negative climate towards inclusion prevents the legislation that would guarantee adequate resources for mainstream teachers who have students with support needs in their classrooms. The lack of legal guarantees, in turn, prevents negative teacher attitudes towards inclusive education from changing. Although the overall progress in inclusive education is tied to the development of cultural values, the promise of more inclusion in schools goes hand-in-hand with the availability of adequate resources.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Resource Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Inclusion, Special Needs Students, Special Education, Self Efficacy, Student Centered Learning, Age, Sex, Barriers, Educational Resources
Wiley-Blackwell. 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770; Tel: 781-388-8598; Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2429/WileyCDA
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A