The measurement of teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education: An empirical study in East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

The three inclusive schools in West Sumatra Province, which were formed in 2002, is proof that Indonesia has implemented an inclusive education system. Until now, the benchmark for the success of implementation in East Java has not been measured. The method that can be done is to measure teacher attitudes toward inclusive education. In this study, the ITAIE scale was used to measure their attitudes towards inclusive education. The current study investigated 1477 teachers in the inclusive school in East Java, including kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels. This study found that the attitude of East Java teachers towards inclusive education was positive (61.1%). The factors that influence the positive attitude of teachers toward inclusive education are the level of the school where the teacher works. Teachers who work at the kindergarten level are more favorable than teachers who work at other school levels. In addition, the experience of teaching in inclusive schools also plays an important role. The longer they teach, the more positive their attitude towards inclusive education. Also, teachers who have participated in training programs in inclusive education have a more positive attitude than teachers who have not yet attended the training.