effect of teacher-aide support in an inclusive classroom on teachers' attitudes toward inclusion

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20271144

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate to what extent teacher aide support in the inclusive classroom can impact teachers' attitudes toward educational inclusion. Positivism, critical disability theory and situated learning inform the theoretical framework for the literature review and help to further evaluate the following research questions: 1) What are the attitudes of elementary general education teachers toward inclusive students in an elementary general education setting? 2) To what extent are there differences in attitudes towards inclusion between elementary general education teachers in inclusive classrooms with and without teacher aide support? A survey design was used to determine teachers' attitudes toward inclusive classrooms and to discern whether the presence of teacher aide support influences attitudes. The results of the Scale of Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms (STATIC) were compared to determine if there was a difference between the two groups. In addition, the method of interviewing using a focus group mode to collect data from inclusive teachers to understand their opinions, insight, and feelings toward educational inclusion was utilized. The acknowledgement of shaping factors on inclusive attitudes may promote positive social change by serving as a rationale for the provision of adequate support in inclusive classrooms. From this, teachers may receive the classroom assistance they need to build and implement successful and effective classrooms.