THE PERCEPTIONS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION TEACHERS ABOUT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE GREEK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education of typically developing and non-typically developing students are a key factor for effective school psychological support, smooth attendance of all students and seamless operation of the classroom. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the views of primary education teachers in schools of Northern Greece regarding the factors that shape their attitudes and influence their participation in promoting the joint education of disabled and non-disabled students. The research sample consisted of 48 primary school teachers in the area. The Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion Scale (TATIS) questionnaire was adapted and administered. The results of the study show that teachers who have been involved in inclusive education processes in the past and evaluate their participation as positive for themselves and their students, develop and establish more positive attitudes regarding the usefulness of inclusive education programmes compared to teachers who either have no positive experiences from participating in the education of students with disabilities in the general classroom or have never taught non-typically developing students. In conclusion, the organised and methodologically envisaged development of inclusive education increases the efficiency of teachers and promotes a positive learning climate in the classroom. Article visualizations

Preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy toward teaching in an inclusive classroom

Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only.This mixed methods study examined the influence a single introductory special education course had on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching in an inclusive classroom. The study also examined which factors were associated with the influence on preservice teachers’ sense of self-efficacy toward teaching in an inclusive classroom. The study included 100 participants in the first phase (quantitative) and 8 participants in the second phase (qualitative). The quantitative phase of the study used descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and multiple regression. The qualitative phase of the study used open and axial coding. The results indicated that an introductory special education course had a significant, positive influence on preservice teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs toward teaching in an inclusive classroom. Quantitative and qualitative evidence showed that the only significant predictor variable was level of confidence in teaching students with disabilities. In addition, participants reported they were more efficacious towards teaching in an inclusive classroom, but they needed field experiences to practice what they had learned. Findings also revealed that there were continued feelings of unpreparedness managing behaviors.Department of Special EducationThesis (D. Ed.

Collaborative Experiences of Teacher Candidates in a Dual, Mild/Moderate and General Education Program

Before they enter the classroom, teacher candidates must acquire the knowledge, dispositions, and instructional strategies necessary to succeed in educating students with a variety of learning abilities before they enter the classroom. The educational roles and responsibilities required of teacher candidates have changed from a general education classroom without students with disabilities to an inclusive setting for all learners. Now students with disabilities spend more time in the general education classroom to be educated at least 80% of their time with their same-aged peers. Therefore, this qualitative study, through the use of one-on-one interviews, sought to expand the existing research by identifying and analyzing the experiences of nine teacher candidates who were enrolled in a teacher preparation program for dual certification in general and mild/moderate disabilities. Candidates responded to interview questions about their preparation programs regarding coursework, practicum, and student teaching/internship requirements. While virtually all teacher candidates described their experiences as positive, candidates were prepared to collaborate (work together toward a common goal) with university faculty, special and general education mentors, principals, other educators in the schools. The pairing of teacher candidates with their peers, practicum mentors, and mentors during student teaching/internships, has been shown to provide a more supportive and collaborative environment than the traditional model of teachers who typically worked in silos or autonomously. In these instances, it appeared that not all mentors promoted collaboration, were familiar with co-teaching models or were not able to spend a sufficient amount of time to implement these models, and co-teaching models were lacking and limited time was the contributing factor. Concerns were voiced by candidates who experienced challenges that pertained to the act or perceived value of collaboration in practice when they were mentored particularly by the assigned general education mentor teachers

Collaborative Experiences of Teacher Candidates in a Dual, Mild/Moderate and General Education Program

Before they enter the classroom, teacher candidates must acquire the knowledge, dispositions, and instructional strategies necessary to succeed in educating students with a variety of learning abilities before they enter the classroom. The educational roles and responsibilities required of teacher candidates have changed from a general education classroom without students with disabilities to an inclusive setting for all learners. Now students with disabilities spend more time in the general education classroom to be educated at least 80% of their time with their same-aged peers. Therefore, this qualitative study, through the use of one-on-one interviews, sought to expand the existing research by identifying and analyzing the experiences of nine teacher candidates who were enrolled in a teacher preparation program for dual certification in general and mild/moderate disabilities. Candidates responded to interview questions about their preparation programs regarding coursework, practicum, and student teaching/internship requirements. While virtually all teacher candidates described their experiences as positive, candidates were prepared to collaborate (work together toward a common goal) with university faculty, special and general education mentors, principals, other educators in the schools. The pairing of teacher candidates with their peers, practicum mentors, and mentors during student teaching/internships, has been shown to provide a more supportive and collaborative environment than the traditional model of teachers who typically worked in silos or autonomously. In these instances, it appeared that not all mentors promoted collaboration, were familiar with co-teaching models or were not able to spend a sufficient amount of time to implement these models, and co-teaching models were lacking and limited time was the contributing factor. Concerns were voiced by candidates who experienced challenges that pertained to the act or perceived value of collaboration in practice when they were mentored particularly by the assigned general education mentor teachers

THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS WITH DISABILITIES

This meta-synthesis of the literature on K-8 teachers with disabilities examines the profound influence that teachers with disabilities can have in our classrooms. Teachers with disabilities act as valuable and realistic role models for all students and bring unique qualities to the classroom, including a passion for inclusive education and creative methods of instruction. However, prejudicial barriers to success often restrict these exceptional teachers from access to our classrooms, undermining the inclusion movement present in most special education programs and schools today. When these teachers are denied employment, students with disabilities suffer in and out of the classroom from a lack of identity construction, reduced self-esteem, and nonexistent advocacy skills

Changing Student Teachers' Attitudes Towards Disability and Inclusion

A total of 274 preservice teacher education students were surveyed at the beginning and end of a one-semester unit on Human Development and Education which combined formal instruction with structured fieldwork experiences. The latter included interviewing community members regarding their knowledge of Down syndrome and opinions on inclusive education, and writing an associated report. At the end of semester, not only had student teachers acquired more accurate knowledge of Down syndrome, together with more positive attitudes towards the inclusive education of children with Down syndrome, but their attitudes towards disability in general had also changed, and they reported greater ease when interacting with people with disabilities. The study illustrated the value of combining information-based instruction with structured fieldwork experiences in changing attitudes towards disability and inclusion. It also demonstrated that raising awareness of one disability may lead to changes in attitudes towards disability in general

Contours of Inclusion: Inclusive Arts Teaching and Learning

The purpose of this publication is to share models and case examples of the process of inclusive arts curriculum design and evaluation. The first section explains the conceptual and curriculum frameworks that were used in the analysis and generation of the featured case studies (i.e. Understanding by Design, Differentiated Instruction, and Universal Design for Learning). Data for the cases studies was collected from three urban sites (i.e. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston) and included participant observations, student and teacher interviews, curriculum documentation, digital documentation of student learning, and transcripts from discussion forum and teleconference discussions from a professional learning community.The initial case studies by Glass and Barnum use the curricular frameworks to analyze and understand what inclusive practices look like in two case studies of arts-in-education programs that included students with disabilities. The second set of precedent case studies by Kronenberg and Blair, and Jenkins and Agois Hurel uses the frameworks to explain their process of including students by providing flexible arts learning options to support student learning of content standards. Both sets of case studies illuminate curricular design decisions and instructional strategies that supported the active engagement and learning of students with disabilities in educational settings shared with their peers. The second set of cases also illustrate the reflective process of using frameworks like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to guide curricular design, responsive instructional differentiation, and the use of the arts as a rich, meaningful, and engaging option to support learning. Appended are curriculum design and evaluation tools. (Individual chapters contain references.

Transforming Teaching in Inclusive Settings: An Educator Looks at VIM

Inclusive classrooms are those in which students with special needs are educated alongside their non-disabled peers. This article examines the attitudes that teachers in inclusive settings may hold that are believed to be barriers to successful inclusion. Given that historically, students with special needs in inclusive classrooms have made limited academic progress through traditional whole-class instruction, it is suggested that a transformation in inclusive teaching take place. This article suggests that educators apply Dallas Willard’s (2002) concept of VIM, outlined in his book, Renovation of the Heart. Christian teachers may find the vision, intention, and means Willard advocates to be useful in bringing about the desired transformation

Preparing teachers to support inclusion: The benefits of interaction between a group of pre-service teachers and a teaching assistant who is disabled.

This qualitative study investigates the development of preservice teachers' attitudes toward people with disabilities during a semester-long unit. Ten students enrolled in a special education teaching elective were interviewed before and after they were engaged in a teaching program designed to expose them to direct, structured interactions with a teaching assistant who was physically disabled. The teaching assistant interacted with students in both small and large group tutorial discussions throughout the semester. Also, students kept a reflective journal on their experiences with people with disabilities throughout the teaching program. Data were collected through the use of semi-structured interviews and journals, and analysis indicated that: (i) students developed a more positive attitude and became more comfortable in interacting with the teaching assistant during the semester, and (ii) learning experience improved their knowledge about disability issues

Integrating Essential Elements of Person-Centered Transition Planning Practices Into the Development of the Individualized Education Program With All Students with Disabilities

This is the second of two white papers that were developed to look at the potential for integrating a person-centered approach into the design and implementation of transition planning with individuals with disabilities in high school across nine demonstration sites in New York State. While the first paper, Infusing a Person-Centered Approach into Transition Planning for Students with Developmental Disabilities, 2001, looked at the barriers present within and between systems of support, this paper provides a deeper view of the strategies, methods and approaches that proved to be effective in supporting and/or sustaining person-centered practices within the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. Through an emphasis on the need to utilize post-school outcomes as a basis for transition planning, a real example is provided to highlight the contrast between the use of person-centered practices in the development of an IEP and the use of typical special education programming. A model that overlays person-centered practices into the existing IEP process is suggested along with several suggestions proven effective in leading to seamless transition across the school experience. The paper concludes with a review of the data across the project life (1998-2000) identifying the accomplishments and challenges experienced by project participants, as well as overall recommendations to the field