Abstract:
This paper is based on the author's Master of Education thesis. The assistance of Dr. Charles Poole, Institute of Education, University of Melbourne throughout the duration of this project is gratefully acknowledged.
This paper, which deals with teachers' attitudes toward integration of disabled students, was carried out during the term of the previous Labor government at a time when the Victorian integration policy was the most radical of any Australian state. The aim of the paper is to investigate the attitudes of classroom teachers "paramount in the successful mainstreaming of children into the normal classroom" (Curtain & Phemister, 1985, p.16) toward the integration of disabled students into their classrooms through:
1.Examination of the relationship of the following selected teacher and classroom related background factors and the formation of teachers' attitudes toward integration:
Formal training in special education/integration
Inservice training in special education/integration
Experience teaching disabled students
Contact with a disabled friend or family member
Confidence teaching disabled students
Grade level taught
Class size
Support from integration teachers
Support from integration aides
Support from School Support Centres
2.Consideration of different aspects of teachers' attitudes toward the integration of disabled students into their classrooms.
These different aspects of teacher attitude will be ascertained through analysis of responses to individual statements on the survey instrument, the Educational Attitude Survey (Modified) or EAS.
This paper, which deals with teachers' attitudes toward integration of disabled students, was carried out during the term of the previous Labor government at a time when the Victorian integration policy was the most radical of any Australian state. The aim of the paper is to investigate the attitudes of classroom teachers "paramount in the successful mainstreaming of children into the normal classroom" (Curtain & Phemister, 1985, p.16) toward the integration of disabled students into their classrooms through:
1.Examination of the relationship of the following selected teacher and classroom related background factors and the formation of teachers' attitudes toward integration:
Formal training in special education/integration
Inservice training in special education/integration
Experience teaching disabled students
Contact with a disabled friend or family member
Confidence teaching disabled students
Grade level taught
Class size
Support from integration teachers
Support from integration aides
Support from School Support Centres
2.Consideration of different aspects of teachers' attitudes toward the integration of disabled students into their classrooms.
These different aspects of teacher attitude will be ascertained through analysis of responses to individual statements on the survey instrument, the Educational Attitude Survey (Modified) or EAS.