Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms: The Link Between Teachers’ Attitudes- Practices and Student Outcomes

Abstract

This study examined relationships between teachers’ perceptions of inclusion and their teaching practices, and their impact on student outcomes among 180 students in 15 grade 3 and 5 inclusive classrooms. Standardized student self-reports and assessments alongside direct classroom observations and teacher self-reports provided potential data triangulation. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses suggested that classroom-level shared variance in several student outcome variables for both reading attainment and social-emotional domains were predicted by teachers’ practices and attitudes towards inclusion after controlling for baselines and grade levels. The results suggest inclusive teacher attitudes and practices may influence trajectories of student attainment and well-being.