Teachers and inclusive education: A study of attitudes and guidelines for teacher training

Abstract

Inclusion is one of the main challenges facing education systems today. Although most Spanish-speaking countries have implemented inclusive policies in recent years, much research indicates that teachers’ attitudes are crucial in facilitating full inclusion in schools. This study explores the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education. A total of 357 pre-service and in-service primary school teachers from Spanish-speaking countries participated in the study. The questionnaire by López et al. (2010) was used. Participants showed mostly favourable attitudes towards inclusion, with five different profile types being identified: inclusive, committed, ambivalent, reticent and excluding. The intermediate profiles – committed, ambivalent and reticent – showed significant differences in beliefs and practices. Specific training approaches are provided for each profile, together with general guidance. It is recommended that didactic strategies are deepened and collaborative dialogue fostered for the inclusive and committed profiles. The ambivalent profile needs practical resources to align theory and practice, while the reticent and exclusionary profiles require a careful approach to facilitate acceptance of diversity.