The purpose of this study was to determine classroom teachers' perceptions of inclusion (students with disabilities being educated in a regular classroom setting) in seven randomly selected school districts in North Carolina (p. 49). Regular education teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels were surveyed to determine characteristics that impact their perceptions of inclusion in regards to teacher gender, years of teaching experience, subjects taught (core or elective classes), past experience with inclusion, personal experience with disabilities, number of hours of coursework concerning disabilities, number of hours of professional development concerning disabilities, number of hours of training concerning inclusion, and region. This study detailed related research in the area of inclusion and the variables that are a part of teachers' perceptions. The research provided guidance for the researcher and the study. -- The Attitudes Towards Teaching All Students (ATTAS-mm) Instrument was used for this study. Permission for the use of the instrument was obtained from Jess Gregory, one of the authors of the instrument. The ATTAS-mm was developed in 2011 by Jess L. Gregory and Lori A. Noto. The ATTAS-mm is arranged to load onto three different components of attitude: cognitive, behavioral, and affective. -- One research question is identified: What are the key identifiable characteristics that impact teachers' perceptions towards inclusion? In analyzing the results of the survey, teachers' perceptions were disaggregated based on the characteristics provided. There was no significant difference in teachers' perceptions as related to current teaching assignment, gender, years of teaching experience, experience with inclusion, or the number of hours of training in inclusive practices. In regards to the subject taught, elective teachers were more accommodating for students in the inclusive setting. Teachers who had personal experience with individuals with disabilities had a more positive attitude than those who had no experience. The greater the number of hours of academic coursework teachers had concerning disabilities, the more they felt that separate classrooms should not be eliminated. As the number of hours of professional development concerning disabilities increased, so did the degree of positive attitudes. Regions were analyzed with the most positive attitude towards inclusion being represented in the sandhills/south central region, and the southeast region was the most negative.

Teachers’ Perceptions, Experience and Learning offers insightful views on the understanding of the role of teachers and the impact of their thinking and practice. The articles presented in this book illustrate the influence of teachers on student learning, school culture and their own professional identity and growth as well as highlighting challenges and constraints in preand in-service teacher education programmes that can impact teachers’ own learning. The first article examined teacher experiences in the use of “design thinking” by Retna. Next, Hong’s and Youngs’ article looks into contradictory effects of the new national curriculum in South Korea. Lu, Wang, Ma, Clarke and Collins explored Chinese teachers’ commitment to being a cooperating teacher for rural practicum placements. Kainzbauer and Hunt investigate foreign university teachers’ experiences and perceptions in teaching graduate schools in Thailand. On inclusive education in Singapore, Yeo, Chong, Neihart and Huan examined teachers’ first-hand experiences with inclusion; while Poon, Ng, Wong and Kaur study teachers’ perceptions of factors associated with inclusive education. The book ends with two articles on teacher preparation by Hardman, Stoff, Aung and Elliott who examined the pedagogical practices of mathematics teaching in primary schools in Myanmar, and Zein who focuses on teacher learning by examining the adequacy of preservice education in Indonesia for preparing primary school English teachers. The contributing authors’ rich perspectives in different educational, geographical and socio-cultural contexts would serve as a valuable resource for policy makers, educational leaders, individual researchers and practitioners who are involved in teacher education research and policy. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of Education.

The current emphasis on individualised intervention programmes for students with special needs may not only be impractical, but also undesirable. This book compares and contrasts special needs approaches with school effectiveness strategies. The author sets out theories about inclusive schooling that arise out of a detailed scrutiny of practice. The link between theory and practice will be welcomed by many practitioners. With extensive examples from the field to illustrate Ainscow's ideas, this is an eminently accessible text.

A primary goal of education is to increase student achievement. Many school districts are addressing increased student achievement by hiring and retaining effective teachers. Teacher effectiveness and student achievement are both influenced by teacher perception. Teachers with positive perceptions have been shown to contribute to increased student achievement and are perceived to be effective educators. Special education teachers hold both positive and negative perceptions about inclusion. In addition to varied perceptions of inclusion, teachers have taken different routes to obtain special education teacher certification. The purpose of this causal-comparative, quantitative study was to determine whether a statistically significant difference exists in inclusion perceptions between special education teachers who have earned their special education certification through a traditional certification program and those who have done so through an alternative certification program. A random sample of 112 special education teachers, obtained from a market research sample aggregator, participated in the study through an online anonymous survey. The Opinions Relative to the Integration of Students with Disabilities (Antonak & Larrivee, 1995) instrument measured participants' inclusion perceptions. Responses to the survey instrument were compiled and analyzed using an independent samples t-test to identify differences in inclusion perceptions between the two groups. The results of the study indicated that there is no significant difference in perceptions toward inclusion, as measured by the ORI scale, between special education teachers with traditional teacher certification and those with alternative teacher certification.

With the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, school systems must ensure students with disabilities receive instruction in general education classrooms. Implementing the inclusion model has been challenging for many school systems as the systems try to find ways to meet the needs of their diverse student populations. The purpose of this quantitative casual-comparative and correlational study is to identify high school teachers' perceptions of inclusion. One hundred seventy-three high school teachers from six school districts located in a southeastern metropolitan area completed a survey to allow the researcher to examine if a relationship existed between teachers' perceptions of inclusion in regards to certification field, degree level, years of experience, and classroom setting. The survey contained of four demographic/background and 27 Likert-type questions. Anova and Pearson-product moment tests were used to analyze data. The researcher found no statistically significant relationships between teachers' perceptions of inclusion in regards to certification field, degree level, and years of experience. However, the study did find a statistically significant relationship between teachers' perceptions of inclusion and classroom setting. The researcher concludes that teachers with experience teaching in inclusion classrooms hold more favorable attitudes toward inclusion than those teachers who do not teach in inclusion classrooms.