Regular and special class teachers' perceptions of normal and exceptional children and their attitudes toward mainstreaming

Abstract

This study compared regular and special teachers' descriptions of a hypothetical educable mentally handicapped (EMH) child, a hypothetical learning disabled (LD) child, and a hypothetical normal child and investigated teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming. A sample of 61 teachers of EMH, LD, and regular classroom children from a suburban school district in northeast Kansas were asked to complete the Leary Interpersonal Check List on hypothetical EMH, LD, and normal 10-year-old males. The teachers also answered 15 multiple choice questions on mainstreaming. Findings indicated that the three teacher groups were in agreement in viewing the child types differently. In addition, the three teacher groups differed in their attitudes toward mainstreaming. The EMH and LD teachers were more accepting of mainstreaming retarded and LD children than were the regular classroom teachers, and all teacher groups supported mainstreaming the LD child more than the retarded child. The results have implications for the mainstreaming movement and suggest that further investigation into teacher variables is needed to promote successful mainstreaming for the handicapped.