TEACHER’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE INCLUSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN REGULAR SCHOOLS

Abstract

The inclusion of children with disabilities in general schools depends on teachers and pupils. The aim of this study is to evaluate the teachers’ role in the inclusion of children with disabilities in general schools. Taking their role into consideration, we will be able to understand factors that influence the positive or negative attitude towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in general classrooms. 146 teachers participated in this study. The instrument used (created by Jeffrey Bailey) for data collection consisted on a self-reporting questionnaire divided into two sections. In the first section, demographic information from teachers is required. In the second section, teachers’ attitude towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in general schools is measured. According to the results: Teacher’s gender [t (144) = 0,503, P = 0,616] did not affect their attitudes towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools. Training on inclusive education [r = 0.75, n = 146 and p = 0.001] positively affected the attitudes of the teachers. It was concluded that development of trainings for teachers should be focused on because it creates professionals with knowledge of specific techniques.