Differences in Attitude of Educationally Handicapped,Mentally Retarded and Normal Students

Abstract

Three study groups were drawn from a middle-class elementary school district - 85 normal students, 47 educationally handicapped, and 16 mentally retarded students. Each group was administered the Burks School Attitude Survey and the responses to the three attitudinal dimensions of teacher, school and academics were tabulated. Chi squares were then computed. Results indicated significant differences between normal and educationally handicapped children in all three dimensions, and a significant difference between normal and mentally retarded children in the dimensions of school and academics. The educationally handicapped and the mentally retarded children expressed more negative attitudes than the normal children for all three dimensions.

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