Student Teachers' Attitudes Towards the Inclusion of Children with Special Needs

TLDR

Teachers’ attitudes are key to successful inclusion of children with special needs. This study examined how the type of special‑needs category and student‑teacher training level influence attitudes toward inclusion. Ninety‑three student teachers completed the Impact of Inclusion Questionnaire to assess their attitudes. Student teachers expressed more negative attitudes toward children with emotional and behavioural problems than toward those with intellectual disabilities, and training background or prior experience had little effect on attitudes.

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that teachers' attitudes are crucial to the success of inclusion programs for children with special needs. In the present study, the impact of special needs category (intellectual disabilities versus emotional and behavioural problems) and student teachers' training (being trained to work with either younger or older children) on their attitudes towards inclusion were explored. Ninety three student teachers completed a new measure of attitudes towards inclusion: the Impact of Inclusion Questionnaire (IIQ). Results showed that student teachers were more negative about the impact of children with emotional and behavioural problems on other children, teachers, and the school environment than they were about children with intellectual disabilities. There was little support for the effects of training background or student teachers' previous experience of special needs on their attitudes. Implications for inclusion programs and future research are briefly discussed.