Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education: a critical review of published questionnaires

Profiles of attitudes toward inclusive education among Chinese in-service teachers: their relationships with demographic factors and organizational commitment

Introduction

The increased diversity of students (e.g., students with special educational needs) has presented teachers with unprecedented challenges. Teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education play a crucial role in teachers' organizational well-being. However, existing studies mostly explored attitudes toward inclusive education based on a variable-centered approach. This study used a person-centered approach to identify teachers' attitude profile membership and explored the relationships of attitude profiles with demographic factors (i.e., gender, years of teaching experience, subject taught, and in-service training) and organizational commitment.

Methods

Nine hundred and seventy-two in-service teachers from forty-nine inclusive education schools in Beijing responded to the Revised Multidimensional Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale and the Organizational Commitment Inventory. Latent profile analyses, multinomial logistic regression, and univariate analysis of variance were used to analyze data.

Results and discussion

The results revealed four attitude profiles: involuntary participation, behavior avoidance, neutral, and proactive involvement. Years of teaching experience and in-service training were significant predictors of teachers' latent profile membership. Teachers belonging to the involuntary participation profile showed the highest levels of maladaptive commitments to inclusive education schools. Teachers belonging to the proactive involvement and the behavior avoidance profiles showed higher levels of adaptive commitments. However, teachers belonging to the neutral profile had the lowest levels of adaptive commitments. The theoretical contributions, practical implications, and limitations are discussed.

Parental Attitudes toward Gifted Students and Gifted Education: Attitude Profiles and Predictors

In this study, an investigation was conducted into the types of attitudes that parents may have of gifted students and gifted education, and the predictors of these attitudes. Using data collected from 331 parents of students enrolled in a Christian faith-based school system in one of the eight states/territories of Australia, multiple analyses, including exploratory factor analysis and latent profile analysis, were performed. The results revealed three subgroups of parents, each representing distinct attitude profiles (i.e., "strong", "moderate" and "weak" supporters of gifted students and gifted education). Furthermore, we found nine variables to be potential predictors of parent attitudes, including perceptions of the giftedness of one's child, and the anticipated socio-emotional and academic impacts of giftedness and gifted education. Some of the important contributions of the study to the research literature included the distinction made by parents between attitudes toward gifted education adaptations and attitudes toward special gifted education settings, and the comparatively large number of parents who are moderately (rather than strongly or weakly) supportive of gifted students and gifted education.

Does Professional Development Effectively Support the Implementation of Inclusive Education? A Meta-Analysis

Inclusive education is a reform aimed at educating all students in general classrooms, independent of diversity features such as special educational needs, giftedness, or migration. Its successful implementation requires teachers with professional knowledge about inclusive education, skills to address the diverse needs in the classroom, and positive beliefs toward inclusive education. Teachers are provided with professional development opportunities, but are these effective in improving their learning process and positively impacting students’ behavior? We conducted a meta-analysis to address this question. The screening of 12,050 search results revealed 342 eligible studies with more than 155,000 participants and 1123 effects from four outcome categories: teachers’ knowledge, skills, and beliefs and students’ behavior. We observed positive, though varying, effects on all four outcome categories: large effects on teachers' knowledge regarding inclusive education (g = 0.93), moderate effects on teachers’ skills (g = 0.49), small effects on teachers’ beliefs (g = 0.23), and small-to-moderate effects on student behavior (g = 0.37). We also examined factors that might explain the differences in the strength of training effects. The data suggest that long-term training with high practical relevance and active learning opportunities facilitates transfer to schools.

The influence of teaching variables in the educational processes of students with rare diseases

Introduction

Teachers have a key role in their students' educational inclusion processes. Numerous variables influence their professional work and determine how they approach teaching.

Methods

In this study, 574 teachers teaching non-university educational stages in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha were queried about their knowledge and perceptions regarding students with rare diseases, examining the extent to which there were personal variables that could have an impact on that.

Results

The results indicate the need to expand training to increase levels of knowledge in the educational arena about rare diseases, especially about how they are conceptually described and their categorization and prevalence. All of the teaching variables evaluated were statistically significant, with p < 0.001 in most of the elements evaluated according to each of the following variables: sex, age, job position, teaching experience, and higher qualifications. This shows that there are teaching variables that influence the inclusion of students with rare diseases. Being aware of them should be a priority in order to increase teacher empowerment for the delivery of inclusive educational processes.

Discussion

All students exhibit distinctive characteristics and teachers play an essential role in offering them quality individualized education. The full inclusion of all students is something educational systems have yet to achieve, and this study aimed to contribute to that goal, in this case for schoolchildren with rare diseases.

Teacher attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in Jeddah elementary schools

This study aims to investigate teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in general school settings in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from a sample of teachers in Jeddah. A stratified random technique was utilized to choose the target sample, however, 187 teachers completely responded on the study questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess teachers' demographic profile. Also, Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to examine the association between teachers' demographic characteristics and their perceptions of SEN. Results revealed that teachers are more likely to believe that they lack the academic qualifications and training required for the inclusion of students with disabilities. They reported being trained only to teach students with learning difficulties rather than intellectual disabilities. The reported barriers to inclusion are lack of appropriate educational materials, limited time to devote sufficient attention to students with SEN, limited knowledge regarding SEN, and classrooms that are not designed for students with disabilities. The study findings therefore indicate the need for not only training teachers to teach students with disabilities but also, more importantly, ways to implement these strategies more effectively in typical school settings.

Inclusive Socialization? The Relationships between Parents' and Their Child's Attitudes toward Students with Disabilities

Promoting social and school inclusion of children with disabilities has been associated with their health-related quality of life. This study aimed to analyze the connection between parents and children's attitudes toward disabilities as one factor contributing to the inclusion and well-being of individuals with disabilities. Three types of disabilities-i.e., attitudes toward a child with a sensory disability (hearing), a child with an intellectual disability (Down syndrome), and a child with problems with aggressiveness and angry outbursts (behavioral problems)-were examined. A sample of 598 White Italian elementary school students (303 boys and 295 girls) aged 6 to 11 years 33tudes toward students with disabilities, rather than each parent's attitude, contributed to a better understanding of the child's attitudes toward students with disabilities. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Validation of the multidimensional attitudes toward preschool inclusive education scale in the bilingual context of Québec

BACKGROUND

The Multidimensional Attitudes Toward Preschool Inclusive Education Scale (MATPIES; Lohmann et al., 2016) seeks to assess preschool educators' attitudes toward inclusive education. It has been used in wide range of settings and with varied populations, but there has been a lack of systematicity in translation, adaptation, and validation procedures associated with it. For instance, its use in French or in a French-English bilingual context such as Québec (Canada) has yet to be validated.

AIMS

The present study documented the translation and validation process for the MATPIES in bilingual early childhood education settings.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

The MATPIES was completed by 211 French- and English-speaking early childhood educators and administrators in the province of Québec, Canada.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the original factor structure for the MATPIES was not replicated within the bilingual Québec sample.Exploratory analyses suggested a four-factor structure encompassing 15 items, which had good internal consistency (α = 0.87).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The factor structure of the MATPIES may vary across populations. This study underscores the importance of evaluating instruments in contexts that differ from those in which they were originally constructed to ensure the validity of results.

Perceptions of the Educational Community on the Inclusion and Presence of Students with SEN in Mainstream Schools: A Mixed Study

Achieving inclusive education is a primary challenge for the educational community. Inclusion refers to equal access to education—to the presence, participation and learning of all students. Offering an inclusive education requires all students to share time and space together in the mainstream classroom, that the educational community manifests a positive attitude towards diversity, and that educational centers plan to welcome diversity in their classrooms. The general objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of students with SEN enrolled in SOCs in mainstream schools based on their presence, the attitudes of the educational community and the planning processes developed. This was a descriptive study with a dominant status mixed design (QUAN-Qual). The population investigated in this research included the total number of SOCs of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spain) (n = 108). The sample obtained comprised 3.891 people belonging to 88 SOCs from 68 educational centers, which implies a confidence interval of 99% (Z = 2.576) and a margin of error of less than 5%. The data collection instruments used included seven questionnaires, adapted for the purposes of the study, for the quantitative phase, and semi-structured interviews, focus groups and discussion groups for the qualitative phase. The study results indicated that the attitudes of the educational community were the main determinant of inclusion. There is a need to reflect on and undertake actions to eliminate existing barriers to the operation of SOCs, since the involvement of students with SEN in the academic and social life of educational centers, and in mainstream classrooms, is not guaranteed.

Educator Attitudes Towards the Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Mainstream Education: a Systematic Review

Educator attitudes towards inclusive education impact its success. Attitudes differ depending on the SEN cohort, and so the current systematic review is the first to focus solely on students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Seven databases searched yielded 13 relevant articles. The majority reported positive educator attitudes towards ASD inclusion but with considerable variety in the measures used. There were mixed findings regarding the impact of training and experience on attitudes but, where measured, higher self-efficacy was related to positive attitudes. In summary, educator ASD inclusion attitudes are generally positive but we highlight the need to move towards more homogeneous attitudinal measures. Further research is needed to aggregate data on attitudes towards SEN cohorts other than those with ASD.

Brand Personality of Korean Dance and Sustainable Behavioral Intention of Global Consumers in Four Countries: Focusing on the Technological Acceptance Model

Brand personality is a useful tool that forms a favorable brand image and that ultimately builds powerful brand equity. However, there has been insufficient empirical research on the brand personality of Korean dance. In the context of using culture and the arts to support national competitiveness, we examine traditional Korean dance in terms of a potential brand personality that can influence the perceptions of global consumers. We look at how this brand can affect consumer perceptions of how easy it is to learn Korean dances as well as their perceptions of the physical benefits of these dances. The respondents included global consumers who had listened to or watched Korean dance music and videos on TV and the Internet, searched for and watched Korean dance videos on YouTube, and searched for Korean dance information on social media at least once. A survey was conducted over the course of four months, from October 2020 to January 2021, in four countries: South Korea, the USA, the UK, and South Africa. Valid data were obtained from 649 individuals. We conducted an empirical study by applying and integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) to the brand personality of Korean dance. A structural equation model was used to analyze the responses. The brand personality of Korean dance enhanced its perceived ease of use and its perceived usefulness among global consumers, which led to positive attitudes toward the dances. Furthermore, it led to a sustainable behavioral intention, that is, interest in learning traditional Korean dances. Since no studies have integrated Korean dance into a single brand personality to use it as a cultural asset, this study makes considerable contributions to the literature.

Influence of Social Support on Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is at the heart of educational policy world-wide. Teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education, which are often associated with the success of the policy, have been studied extensively. Various factors related to teachers, students with special educational needs (SEN) and different specific contexts have been identified. In the current study, we explored the influence of social support on teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In a pilot study implying teachers, we replicated, in the French context, previous results showing a correlational link between social support and attitudes toward inclusion. Specifically, we showed that the more social support they perceived with regard to their attempts to include students with SEN, the more positive the teachers' attitudes toward inclusive education. In an experiment involving 314 teachers we then explored the causal link between these variables. Results showed that highlighting the support teachers receive improves their attitudes in comparison with highlighting a lack of support or a control condition in which support is not mentioned. These studies show the importance of supporting inclusive education in the schools. This support can be provided in different ways (emotional, informational, instrumental, etc.) and by different actors (colleagues, supervisors).