Preservice and early career teachers' attitudes toward inclusion, instructional accommodations, and fairness: Three profiles

Department

Education

Document Type

Article

Publication Source

Teacher Educator

Publication Date

2010-04-01

Volume

45

Issue

2

First Page

75

Last Page

95

Abstract

This investigation examined the attitudes of beginning general education teachers (preservice and early career) with respect to teaching in inclusion classrooms. Sixty graduate students, taking a survey at the conclusion of a special education course, completed Q-sorts constructed to evaluate responses regarding attitude toward (a) inclusion, (b) instructional accommodations, and (c) fairness, along two dimensions: positive/negative and anxious/confident. A three-factor solution resulted in profiles of three groups of teachers: keen, but anxious, beginners (mostly preservice teachers with positive attitudes, but who worried about being effective inclusion teachers); positive doers (more experienced teachers whose struggles with the challenges of inclusion had not deterred their positive attitudes); and resisters (mostly experienced teachers whose concerns about fairness signified their resistance to inclusion). Teacher educators may find these profiles useful in preparing teachers to teach in inclusion classrooms. © Taylor & Francis Group.

DOI

10.1080/08878731003623677

https://doi.org/10.1080/08878731003623677

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS