In 1977, Italy adopted a national policy on inclusion, whereby separate schools for students with disabilities were virtually eliminated in favor of neighborhood schools and general education classrooms. Substantial support was provided to general education teachers with respect to favorable class sizes and availability of special education teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature of Italian teachers' attitudes toward inclusion after 20 years of inclusion policies and practice. A total of 523 education teachers in Northern and Central Italy responded to a survey that was based on common core items taken from a review of previous surveys conducted in America. Overall support for the concept of inclusion was found to be very strong. However, Italian teachers responded far less positively on practical items addressing their satisfaction with time, training, personnel assistance, and resources provided for inclusion efforts. These attitudes were also compared with teacher attitudes toward inclusion reported in similar surveys in the United States. Implications for inclusion practices in the United States are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bender, W. N., Vail, C. O., & Scott, K. (1995). Teachers' attitudes to increased mainstreaming: Implementing effective instruction for students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 28, 87–94.
2.
Besio, S., & Chinato, M. G. (1996). Training of teachers of handicapped pupils included in a school for all and collaboration between scholastic and assisting partners. In R. Vianello & C. Poli (Eds.), Teacher education for inclusive schooling and collaboration with assisting partners and parents (pp. 30–33). Bergamo, Italy: Edizioni Junior.
3.
Cornoldi, C. (1991). I disturbi di apprendimento [Learning disorders]. Bologna, Italy: Il Mulino.
4.
Del Ben, P. (1996). Integration in the educational system. In R. Vianello & C. Poli (Eds.), Teacher education for inclusive schooling and collaboration with assisting partners and parents (pp. 27–29). Bergamo, Italy: Edizioni Junior.
5.
Dev, P. C., & Scruggs, T. E. (1997). Mainstreaming and inclusion of students with learning disabilities: Perspectives of general educators in elementary and secondary schools. In T. E. Scruggs & M. A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (Vol. 11, pp. 135–178). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
6.
Downing, J. E., Eichinger, J., & Williams, L. J. (1997). Inclusive education for students with severe disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 18, 133–142.
7.
Fabbro, F., & Masutto, C. (1994). An Italian perspective on learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27, 138–141.
8.
Fowler, F. J. (1993). Survey research methods (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
9.
Fulk, B. J. M., & Hirth, M. A. (1994, April). Perceptions of special education program effectiveness and attitudes toward inclusion. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans.
10.
Gemmell-Crosby, S., & Hanzlik, J. R. (1994). Preschool teachers' perceptions of including children with disabilities. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 29, 279–290.
11.
Giangreco, M. F., Dennis, R., Cloninger, C., Edleman, S., & Schattmen, R. (1993). “I've counted Jon”: Transformational experiences of teachers educating students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 59, 359–372.
12.
Gickling, E. E., & Theobald, J. T. (1975). Mainstreaming: Affect or effect. The Journal of Special Education, 9, 317–328.
13.
Hoot, J. L. (1996). Cross-national perspectives on developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood programs. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 10, 160–169.
14.
Horne, M. D. (1985). Attitudes toward handicapped students: Professional, peer, and parent reactions. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
15.
Hudson, F., Graham, S., & Warner, M. (1979). Mainstreaming: An examination of the attitudes and needs of regular classroom teachers. Learning Disability Quarterly, 2, 58–62.
16.
Larivee, B., & Cook, L. (1979). Mainstreaming: A study of the variables affecting teacher attitude. The Journal of Special Education, 13, 315–324.
17.
Marascuilo, L. A., & Levin, J. R. (1983). Multivariate statistics in the social sciences: A researcher's guide. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
18.
Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E., Mantzicopoulos, P. Y., Sturgeon, A., Goodwin, L., & Chung, S. (1998). “A place where living things affect and depend on each other”: Qualitative and quantitative outcomes associated with inclusive science teaching. Science Education, 82, 163–179.
19.
Meazzini, P. (1987). Special education in Italy. In C. R. Reynolds & L. Mann (Eds.), Encyclopedia of special education (Vol. 2, pp. 866–867). New York: Wiley.
20.
Mega, C., Castellini, K., & Vianello, R. (1998). Gli atteggiamenti degli insegnanti verso gli allievi con handicap: Dalla scuola materna a quella superiore [Attitudes of teachers toward students with disabilities: From nursery schools to senior comprehensive schools]. In R. Vianello and C. Cornoldi (Eds.), Learning, metacognition, and personality (pp. 265–279). Bergamo, Italy: Edizioni Junior.
21.
Minke, K. M., Bear, G. G., Deemer, S. A., & Griffin, S. M. (1996). Teachers' experiences with inclusive classrooms: Implications for special education reform. The Journal of Special Education, 30, 152–186.
22.
Myles, B. S., & Simpson, R. L. (1989). Regular educators' modification preferences for mainstreaming mildly handicapped children. The Journal of Special Education, 22, 479–491.
23.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1985). Educational reforms in Italy. Paris, France: Author.
24.
Rogers, B. G. (1987, March). A comparative study of the attitudes of regular education personnel toward mainstreaming handicapped students and variables affecting those attitudes. Paper presented at the Fourth Pan-American Conference on Rehabilitation and Special Education. Acapulco, Mexico. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 291196)
25.
Scruggs, T. E. (1997). Alcune considerazioni importanti sull'insegnamento a classi integrate [Some important considerations for teaching in integrated classrooms]. In D. Ianes (Ed.), La qualità dell'integrazione scolastica: Dall'integrazione dell'alunno in situazione di handicap all'individualizzazione per tutti [The quality of scholastic integration: Integration of students with disabling conditions and individualization for all] (pp. 11–15). Trento, Italy: Erickson.
26.
Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (1994). Successful mainstreaming in elementary science classes: A qualitative investigation of three reputational cases. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 785–811.
27.
Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (1996). Teacher perceptions of mainstreaming/inclusion, 1958--1995: A research synthesis. Exceptional Children, 63, 59–74.
28.
Scurati, C. (1995). Postcard from an irregular country. Educational Leadership, 53(4), 63–65.
29.
Semmel, M. I., Abernathy, T. V., Butera, G., & Lesar, S. (1991). Teacher perceptions of the Regular Education Initiative. Exceptional Children.58, 9–24.
30.
Terreni, A., Cornoldi, C., Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (1997). L'atteggiamento degli insegnanti verso l'integrazione scolastica di alunni con difficoltà di apprendimento: Un confronto tra Italia e Stati Uniti [Attitudes of teachers toward academic integration of students with learning disorders: A comparison between Italy and the United States]. Difficoltà di Apprendimento [Learning Disorders], 3, 43–52.
31.
Vianello, R. (1996). Inclusive schools for pupils with handicap and learning difficulties in Italy. In R. Vianello (Ed.), Learning difficulties in Europe: Assessment and treatment (pp. 49–56). Bergamo, Italy: Edizioni Junior.
32.
Werts, M. G., Wolery, M., Snyder, E. D., Caldwell, N. K., & Salisbury. C. L. (1996). Supports and resources associated with inclusive schooling: Perceptions of elementary school teachers about need and availability. The Journal of Special Education, 20, 187–203.
33.
Wilczenski, F. L. (1993). Changes in attitudes toward mainstreaming among undergraduate education students. Educational Research Quarterly, 17, 5–17.
