This investigation examines teachers' attitudes toward their included students with disabilities. Seventy general education teachers of inclusive elementary classrooms nominated three of their students to prompts corresponding with the attitudinal categories of attachment, concern, indifference, and rejection. Consistent with predictions based on a theory of instructional tolerance, chi-square analyses indicated that included students with disabilities were significantly underrepresented in the attachment category, and significantly overrepresented in the concern and rejection categories. Greater experience teaching in inclusive classes was also associated with higher rates of concern nominations for included students with disabilities. Results are discussed in regard to their implications for inclusive policies and practice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BakerJ. M.ZigmondN. (1995). The meaning and practice of inclusion for students with learning disabilities: Themes and implications from the five cases. The Journal of Special Education, 29, 163–180.
2.
BrophyJ. E.GoodT. L. (1974). Teacher-student relationships: Causes and consequences. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.*
3.
CookB. G.GerberM. M.SemmelM. I. (1997). Are effective educational reforms effective for all students? The implications of joint outcomes for school reform. Exceptionality, 7, 77–95.
4.
CookB. G.SemmelM. I. (1999a). Peer acceptance of included students with disabilities as a function of severity of disability and classroom composition. Journal of Special Education, 33, 50–61.
5.
CookB. G.SemmelM. I. (1999b). Inclusion of students with mental retardation: Theoretical perspectives and implications. Special Services in the Schools, 15, 47–51.
6.
CookB. G.TrevinoC.CookL.TankersleyM. (in press). Instructional Strategies. In FlexerR.SimmonsT.BaerB.LuftP. (Eds.), Transition planning for secondary students with disabilities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.*
7.
EvansI. M.SalisburyC. L.PalombaroM. M.BerrymanJ.HollowoodT. M. (1992). Peer interactions and social acceptance of elementary-age children with severe disabilities in an inclusive school. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 17, 205–212.
8.
EvertsonC.BrophyJ.GoodT. (1973). Communication of teacher expectations: Second grade. Report 92, Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, The University of Texas at Austin.
9.
FornessS. R.KavaleK. A.BlumI. M.LloydJ. W. (1997). Mega-analysis of meta-analyses: What works in special education and related services. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 29, 4–9.
10.
FuchsD.FuchsL. S. (1994). Inclusive schools movement and the radicalization of special education reform. Exceptional Children, 60, 294–309.
11.
Garvar-PinhasA.SchmelkinL. P. (1989). Administrators' and teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming. Remedial and Special Education, 10, 38–43.
12.
GerberM. M. (1988). Tolerance and technology of instruction: Implications for special education reform. Exceptional Children, 54, 309–314.
13.
GerberM. M.SemmelM. I. (1985). The microeconomics of referral and reintegration: A paradigm for evaluation of special education. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 11, 13–29.
14.
GoodT. L.BrophyJ. E. (1972). Behavioral expression of teacher attitudes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 63, 617–624.
15.
GunterP. L.DennyR. K. (1996). Research issues and needs regarding teachers' use of classroom management strategies. Behavioral Disorders, 22, 15–20.
16.
HallL. J. (1994). A descriptive assessment of social relationships in integrated classrooms. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 19, 302–313.
17.
JackS. L.ShoresR. E.DennyR. K.GunterP. L.DeBriereT.DePaepeP. (1996). An analysis of the relationship of teachers' reported use of classroom management strategies on types of interactions. Journal of Behavioral Education, 6, 67–87.
18.
KauffmanJ. M.BakerJ.LloydJ. W. (1995). Inclusion of all students with emotional or behavioral disorders? Let's think again. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 542–546.
19.
KauffmanJ. M.LloydJ. W.McGeeK. A. (1989). Adaptive and maladaptive behavior: Teachers' attitudes and their technical assistance needs. The Journal of Special Education, 23, 185–200.
20.
KauffmanJ. M.WongK. L. H. (1991). Effective teachers of students with behavior disorders: Are generic teaching skills enough?Behavioral Disorders, 16, 225–237.
21.
KerrM. M.ZigmondN. (1986). What do high school teachers want? A study of expectations and standards. Education and Treatment of Children, 9, 239–249.
22.
KlingnerJ. K.VaughnS.HughesM. T.SchummJ. S.ElbaumB. (1998). Outcomes for students with and without learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 13, 153–161.
23.
LarriveeB. (1986). Effective teaching for mainstreamed students is effective teaching for all students. Teacher Education and Special Education, 9, 173–179.
24.
LincolnY.GubaE. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.*
25.
McLeskeyJ.HenryD.HodgesD. (1998). Inclusion: Where is it happening?TEACHING Exceptional Children, 31, 4–10.
26.
MichaelM. G.ArnoldK. D.MaglioccaL. A.MillerS. (1992). Influences on teachers' attitudes of the parents' role as collaborator. Remedial and Special Education, 13, 24–30, 39.
27.
OchoaS. H.OlivarezA. (1995). A meta-analysis of peer rating sociometric studies of pupils with learning disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 29, 1–19.
28.
ScruggsT. E.MastropieriM. A. (1996). Teacher perceptions of mainstreaming/inclusion, 1958–1995: A research synthesis. Exceptional Children, 63, 59–74.
29.
SemmelM. I.AbernathyT. V.ButeraG.LesarS. (1991). Teacher perceptions of the Regular Education Initiative. Exceptional Children, 58, 9–24.
30.
SilbermanM. L. (1969). Behavioral expression of teachers' attitudes toward elementary school students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 60, 402–407.
31.
SilbermanM. L. (1971). Teachers' attitudes and actions toward their students. In SilbermanM. L. (Ed.), The experience of schooling (pp. 86–96). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.*
32.
SimpsonR. (1996). Working with parents and families of exceptional children and youth (3rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.*
33.
SmithT. E. C.PollowayE. A.PattonJ. R.DowdyC. A. (1998). Teaching students with special needs in inclusive settings (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.*
34.
StrullyJ.StrullyC. (1985). Friendship and our children. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 10, 224–227.
35.
StrullyJ. L.StrullyC. (1996). Friendship as an educational goal: What we have learned and where we are headed. In StainbackS. B.StainbackW. C. (Eds.), Inclusion: A guide for educators (pp. 141–154). Baltimore: Brookes.*
36.
VillaR. A.ThousandJ. S.MeyersH.NevinA. (1996). Teacher and administrator perceptions of heterogeneous education. Exceptional Children, 63, 29–45.
37.
WalkerH. M. (1986). The assessment for integration into mainstream settings (AIMS) assessment system: Rationale, instruments, procedures, and outcomes. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 15, 55–63.
38.
WillisS.BrophyJ. (1974). Origins of teachers' attitudes toward young children. Journal of Educational Psychology66, 520–529.
39.
YanitoT.QuinteroM. C.KilloranJ.StriefelL. (1987). Teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming: A literature review. Utah State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 290 290).
40.
ZigmondN.JenkinsJ. R.FuchsL. S.DenoS.FuchsD.BakerJ. N.JenkinsL.CouthinoM. (1995). Special education in restructured schools: Findings from three multi-year studies. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 531–540.
