Attitudes of special and regular education teachers towards school integration

ABSTRACT

This study examines the attitudes of regular and special education teachers towards school integration of students with special educational needs. Furthermore, the study aims at revealing possible differences in teachers’ attitudes when different disabilities are involved and when issues such as the best time for integration and the area of most benefit for the integrated students are raised. A total of 377 teachers in Greece were surveyed. The results showed that, although both regular and special education teachers held neutral attitudes towards school integration, the regular education teachers were more positive towards integration than their special education colleagues. Moreover, younger and less experienced teachers were more positive towards school integration, while no differences were found between male and female teachers’ attitudes. In regard to the best time for initiating school integration, teachers’ views differed only in a few choices, with the regular education teachers being more positive towards integration earlier than the special education teachers. In regard to the area of the most benefit for the students in the case of integration, again, the two groups of teachers differed in few areas, with the special education teachers perceiving only the social benefit of integration.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes
• integration
• teachers
• elementary