“Not an Easy Question”: Unclear Definitions and Uncertainty Overshadow Inclusive Education Initiatives

Abstract

The success of inclusive education programs rests on the support and readiness of a broad range of early childhood education practitioners, including general education teachers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. Few studies have examined practitioner definitions of inclusive education and how definitions influence perspectives on implementation. We used an exploratory qualitative analysis to examine the experiences of practitioners working in one large, diverse district on the West Coast moving toward inclusive preschool programs. Through focus groups and interviews, we sought to understand practitioners’ definitions of inclusion and identify perceived support needs around implementation. Findings revealed that inclusion is more easily described than defined, and the lack of a shared definition, combined with previous experiences with inclusion, influenced practitioners’ perceptions of implementation readiness.