Effect of student-related factors on their attitudes towards peers with disabilities in physical education: evidence from elementary schools in China

ABSTRACT

This study aims to examine the general and sport-specific attitudes of elementary school students towards including students with disabilities in physical education and identifying student-related variables that determine such attitudes. A total of 872 students ranged from eight to 13 years old (461 boys and 411 girls) from six elementary schools in Shanghai participated in the study. The Children’s Attitudes towards Integrated Physical Education – Revised Scale (CAIPE-R) was utilized to measure students’ general and sport-specific attitudes. The Chinese students showed unfavourable general and sport-specific attitudes towards PE inclusion. Several student-related variables, such as being female and having a student with disabilities in PE classes, were positively associated with the general attitude of students, whereas being competitive was negatively related to the general attitude. These variables explained 13.2% of attitude variance. Being female, having a student with disabilities in regular classes, and having a student with disabilities in PE classes were positively related to the sport-specific attitude of students and explained 4.7% of attitude variance. The study has important implication for PE teaching, such as providing inclusive cooperative PE settings and opportunities of positive interaction for students with and without disabilities.     

South African Teachers’ Attitudes toward the Inclusion of Learners with Different Abilities in Mainstream Classrooms

This research sought to examine South African teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with different abilities in their hypothetical mainstream classrooms. Participants were 93 South African teachers who responded to the Teachers’ Attitudes and Expectations Scale, a measure developed for this study, regarding four vignettes depicting learners with different types of impairments. Overall, teachers reported that inclusion would benefit learners’ social development (mean scores from 2.57 to 3.35) more than their intellectual development (mean scores from 2.14 to 2.83). It also was found that teachers overwhelmingly were more confident about including learners with Down syndrome into their hypothetical mainstream classes when compared with the inclusion of learners with other disabilities, F(3, 90) = 9.59, p < 0.01. The results suggest that providing teachers with sufficient resources within the classroom and training that includes hands-on experience with children with disabilities could positively influence their attitudes toward the inclusion of learners with disabilities in their classrooms.     

Preservice teachers' attitudes toward inclusion: Early childhood education and elementary education programs

Abstract

Teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion of children with disabilities play a central role in the successful inclusion of these children into general education classrooms. This study examined possible predictors of preservice teachers’ attitudes toward (1) persons with disabilities, and (2) inclusion of children with disabilities into general education classrooms. Participants were students majoring in early childhood education and elementary education. Preservice teachers’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities and inclusion were explained significantly by their personal relationships with persons who have disabilities and the number of courses related to special education/teaching strategies taken. However, preservice teachers’ experiences working with persons who have disabilities was not a significant predictor. Further, the relations between preservice teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion and personal experience variables were mediated by their attitudes toward persons with disabilities. This study provides evidence that more effective, practical experiences and course content related to children with disabilities, inclusion, and teaching strategies need to be provided in teacher education programs to support successful efforts with inclusion. This study also suggests that teacher education programs should strive to improve students’ attitudes toward inclusion, as well as toward persons with disabilities.     

Exploring the views and beliefs of parents of typically developing children about inclusion and inclusive education

Background: The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDs) in regular classrooms has been identified as a high priority in many policy documents published by both European and international organisations. Its implementation, however, is influenced by a number of factors, some of which are directly related to the participation and attitudes of different stakeholders, including parents of typically developing children. Parents, as a social group, can act in favour of inclusion or they can support more segregated educational environments.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore, in a Greek context, the views and beliefs of parents of typically developing children about different aspects of the education of children with disabilities, with a particular focus on inclusion and inclusive education.

Method: Interviews were held with 40 Greek parents representing 40 typically developing school-aged children who were educated in six different primary education schools, from the broader area of central Greece. All of the children, at the time of the study, were educated in mainstream classes, in which an in-classroom support system was applied. Open-ended interview questions focused on parents’ views and beliefs about the implementation of inclusive educational programmes. Data were analysed according to the principles of an inductive data-driven approach.

Findings: The research findings indicate that most of the participant parents did not feel informed about specific school policy practices relevant to inclusive education; they were not aware of the notion of ‘inclusion’ or approached inclusion from an integrationist point of view. Within this context, they hold positive to neutral attitudes towards inclusion, on the basis that a child with SENDs can cope with the school requirements.

Conclusions: This small-scale, exploratory research study suggests the importance of informing and involving parents of typically developing children in efforts to promote more inclusive practices.     

Investigating the attitudes of head teachers of Cypriot primary schools towards inclusion

This paper reports the results of a study that has been carried out for the first time in Cyprus, with the aim of exploring the views of head teachers on inclusion. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and a focus group meeting; 185 head teachers participated in this study. The findings indicated that overall, head teachers held positive attitudes towards inclusion of children with disabilities. The relationship among the head teachers' background factors, such as sex, administration experience, contacts with people with disabilities, possession of postgraduate titles in special education and attitudes towards inclusion were reported. This study has brought out that head teachers held overall positive attitudes towards inclusion. The findings are meaningful to the understanding of the effects of inclusion and entail various implications to facilitate it.     

The Attitudes of Different Partners Involved in Higher Education towards Students with Disabilities

In this article we analyse the inclusion of students with disabilities in the field of university attendance, emphasising the importance of attitudes of teachers as well as the rest of the university community as a whole for inclusion to be successful. The effect of variables of gender, education and training and contact with students with disabilities on these attitudes is also detailed. A scale was applied to assess attitudes towards disabilities to 2671 participants, including students with and without disabilities, teachers and administrative and services staff from the Faculty of Education in a University in Southern Spain. The results show that in general, the university community has positive attitudes towards students with disabilities, with differences according to the group, with university teachers having the most favourable attitudes. The results are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.     

Assessment and interpretation of teachers’ attitudes towards students with disabilities / Evaluación e interpretación de la actitud del profesorado hacia alumnos con discapacidad

Abstract

The process of including students with disabilities is necessarily influenced by teachers’ attitudes towards them and towards their inclusion in education. After detecting the need to study the attitudes present in preschool and primary and secondary school teachers, this study was proposed as it was decided that an analysis of such attitudes could help to develop a better understanding of the current needs of the education system. This study analysed data on attitudes from a total of 175 teachers (29.10% male) working in state schools (50.30%) and semi-private schools in different autonomous communities of the Spanish state. An adapted version of the teacher questionnaire on attitudes towards students with special educational needs arising from disability was used. After analysing the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, further purification of these properties resulted in an assessment instrument comprising 22 items. It is worth highlighting the appraisal that teachers carry out of their training, the existence of resources, as well as their own level of involvement.     

Factors related to pre-service teachers' attitudes towards inclusion: a case for Zambia

Inclusive education has become a global trend in the provision of services for students with disabilities. In Zambia and other developing nations, international initiatives from UNESCO and other nongovernmental organisations have contributed to the consensus that all children have a right to a free and appropriate education and that all students with disabilities should be educated in inclusive settings. This study examined Zambian university students' attitudes towards including students with disabilities in general education classrooms. While attitudes towards inclusion have been studied widely in some countries, little research in this area has been conducted in Zambia. Questionnaires were distributed to 497 Zambian university students. Four hundred and eighty-four questionnaires were included in the analysis, resulting in a response rate of 97%. Results of the study indicated that, overall, Zambian university students hold positive attitudes towards inclusion. Several factors were found to be related to the students' attitudes towards inclusion.     

Teachers of learners with ASD in mainstream schools and classrooms in Spain: attitudes towards inclusive education

This study analyses the attitudes of teachers in Spain towards the inclusion of learners with autism spectrum disorder in mainstream education settings and their relationship with the perceived benefits of inclusion. The ex post facto prospective design included 180 teachers from 14 schools. Data were collected using a questionnaire on teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education and a second questionnaire on the benefits of inclusion developed for the specific purposes of this study. The results show teachers' positive attitudes towards inclusion as well as the benefits perceived. This study demonstrates the fundamental role of teachers' previous experience. Implications for inclusive cultures and practices in schools are discussed.     

Comparing children's attitudes towards disability

This study, carried out by Bernadette Cairns, principal officer for Additional Support Needs and Early Education in the Highland Council Additional Support Needs Team, and Kirstie McClatchey, a research assistant in the Highland Council Psychological Service, explores children's attitudes towards disability, making a comparison between a school with a high number of pupils with additional support and complex needs where the philosophy was one of inclusion, and a school with few children with additional support needs. An opportunity sample of children (N = 82) in Scotland was obtained, and interview data were collected from pupils regarding video clips they had viewed of children with varying disabilities. Results found that children from the more inclusive school had a greater number of prior experiences of children with disabilities, made different suggestions for helping children with disabilities and had more positive attitudes towards having a pupil with disabilities in their own class. To conclude, these findings suggest that inclusion in schools may lead to a positive effect on children's acceptance and understanding of disabilities.     

Inclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities in physical education: A systematic review and meta-analysis of teachers’ attitudes

Research shows that teachers' attitudes toward physical education are associated with positive pupil outcomes. However, there is limited robust synthesis of evidence regarding teachers' attitudes toward working with vulnerable learners in physical education, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This mixed methods systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the research evidence on teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of children SEND children in physical education. Results indicated that teachers have largely favorable attitudes toward the inclusion of children with SEND in physical education, and that experience working with children with SEND was positively associated with such favorable attitudes. Further quantitative and qualitative synthesis also revealed that several different factors affect teachers’ attitudes – namely, knowledge and preparation, years of teaching experience, direct experience working with SEND children, type and degree of SEND, and collaboration and teaching support.     

Supporting Disability Education through a Combination of Special Schools and Disability-Inclusive Schools in the Pacific Islands

This article reports on a multi-method study of the ways in which special and mainstream schools support the educational needs of children with disabilities in Fiji. The aims of the study were: (1) to identify capacity and functions of special schools to support inclusive mainstream schools for children with disabilities; and (2) to explore the capacity of mainstream disability-inclusive schools in meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Results from the special education survey indicated that type of disability, geographic location and controlling authority were associated with transition to mainstream education. Findings from the action research study suggest that supportive school leadership and positive attitudes towards disability and inclusion contribute to greater mobilisation of supporting resources. However, limitations in facilities and resources currently pose barriers which prevent inclusion for all students with disabilities. Together, these findings indicate that special and inclusive mainstream schools jointly support disability-inclusive education in Fiji.     

Look who's coming to school: the Emirati student voice in an intervention‐based study on inclusion of learners with intellectual disabilities in Emirati mainstream government schools

Although there are many factors that can affect the success of the inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream schools, the attitude of typically developing peers towards peers with disabilities is one of the critical factors leading to success. This study examines the effects of a planned intervention on the attitudes of the typically developing peers related to their perceptions about students with intellectual disabilities during a half‐day workshop which took place in each of the target schools and their opinions about including these students in mainstream schools in the United Arab Emirates. The intervention involved both a presentation about the abilities of persons with intellectual disabilities and an opportunity for personal interaction with these students. Following the intervention, the subjects were interviewed and their responses analysed. The results showed that after the intervention, most typically developing students had gained a basic knowledge of intellectual disability which affected their expectations for the abilities of same‐age learners with intellectual disabilities and their acceptance of their inclusion in the mainstream school. Analysis of the responses of the typically developing peers also indicated that the intervention had a positive effect which can lead to a change in attitudes towards possible inclusion of such students in their schools. For future practice and further research, recommendations are made to assist decision makers in this field.     

Attitudes of Teachers Towards Inclusive Education in Finland

ABSTRACT

Positive teacher attitudes are essential for success when children with special educational needs (SEN) are placed into mainstream classrooms. The present study surveyed teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion by using a large national sample and Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusion Scale (TAIS). A total of 1,764 Finnish basic-school teachers participated in the e-mail survey. They included 824 classroom teachers, 575 subject teachers and 365 special-education teachers. The classroom teachers scored below and the subject teachers significantly below, the neutral midpoint of the scale. The special-education teachers’ mean scores were above the midpoint. About 20% of teachers were strong opponents of inclusion, and 8% were strong advocates. The attitudes towards inclusion had only weak associations with variables other than the teacher category. Teachers’ work orientation and self-efficacy had low associations with their attitudes towards inclusion. The results illustrate the attitudinal climate of teachers towards inclusion and indicate the existing potential for policy change.     

Gendered experiences of inclusive education for children with disabilities in West and East Africa

Background. Education is a fundamental human right, yet many children with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries remain deprived of educational opportunities. The movement towards quality inclusive education (IE) aims to support all children at school. Although gender and disability are key factors influencing IE, limited research explores their combined influence. Purpose. This study explored the gendered experiences of IE for children with disabilities in West and East Africa. Methods. A qualitative interpretive secondary analysis was conducted on studies from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Togo, Niger, Zambia, and Malawi. Interviews with children, community members, and policy stakeholders were thematically analysed to explore intersections among gender, disability, and education. Findings. Boys and girls with disabilities experienced similar cases of social exclusion at school. However, girls with disabilities were further hindered by societal biases against their educational potential and by sexual abuse. While boys with disabilities were stereotyped as more capable, their experiences of emotional and physical violence were often overlooked. Implications. To achieve quality IE for all, strategies should aim to foster inclusive and safe school environments for all children, empower girls with disabilities to pursue education, and challenge gendered societal attitudes that hinder educational opportunities.     

MAKING CONNECTIONS: FROM THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM TO THE EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTING

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge of early childhood teacher candidates within the state of Texas about the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. The “Inventory of Opinions About Persons with Disabilities” (IOPD) was utilized to collect self‐report data from preservice educators in their last semester of practical experience (i.e., student teaching or final intern semester) in 10 Texas universities. The return rate of the inventories was 70.85%, with data from 172 useable inventories reported in this study.

The research questions indicated early childhood teacher candidates held positive self‐perceptions (mean = 2.0388) about their beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge related to inclusion and students with disabilities. However, the participants reported less positive attitudes about training (mean = .09884).