Exploring preservice teachers' attitudes towards inclusion

Abstract

This study responds to a call for research into existing teacher-education programmes and their impact on teacher candidates' attitudes. An inclusive education course that examined the difference between ‘soft inclusion’ (inclusion which addresses the issue of place rather than substance of learning) and genuine inclusion was used to explore pre-existing teacher candidate beliefs and assumptions. Using the Opinions Relative to Mainstreaming-Adapted, four classes of students from two different teacher-preparation programmes within the Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, Canada, were surveyed pre- and post-course. A statistically significant change in the scores was found for all of the classes. A significant difference was also found between the changes in scores of the two programme groups. Results indicate that the course was successful at shifting preservice students towards inclusion and gave the students a foundation that will hopefully translate into practice.

Keywords:

• inclusion
• attitudes
• preservice
• teachers
• Ontario

Notes on contributors

Isabel Killoran is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education. Her area of focus is inclusive education and teacher preparation.

Dagmara Woronko is a doctoral student in the Faculty of Education and contract faculty at York University.

Hayley Zaretsky is a MEd student at the Faculty of Education and a teacher with the York Region District School Board.