"Schools and teachers are increasingly faced with meeting the needs of a diverse student population that can be successful with the general curriculum and prepared for the 21st century. As such, teacher educators assist in meeting this challenge by continuous improvement to teacher education programs preparing teachers to meet the educational needs of all students. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of beginning elementary education teachers concerning teaching students with disabilities in general education classrooms. A mixed method study was conducted using a three part survey that solicited participant information related to personal demographics, 32 Likert-type scale questions with a certain level of agreement to attitudes, beliefs, preparation, and knowledge of inclusion. In addition, open-ended questions allowed participants to include more in-depth responses to thoughts about their overall experiences, beliefs, and support. The participants were graduates of a southeastern regional university teacher preparation program in elementary education. Demographics of participants indicated that the majority were Caucasian females, worked in general education classes, and were not required to take any special education coursework in their teacher education program. The findings suggested that although a high percentage of beginning elementary education teachers' believe in teaching and including students with disabilities in general education classrooms, many lack the necessary knowledge and skills needed to successfully engage students with disabilities in their classrooms. Findings of this study continue to emphasize the need for beginning general education teachers to receive not only more in-depth preparation at the preservice level, which supports successful transition from preparation to practice, but also increased opportunities for professional development and in-service training on meeting the needs of students with with disabilities. This study may provide a platform supporting positive attitudes towards professional teacher preparation and experiences in teaching students with disabilities in general education classrooms. By helping bridge the gap between preparation and the implementation of effective instructional practices to meet the needs of diverse learners, beginning teachers can be supported by pedagogy and evidence based educational practices learned through teacher education programs."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.

The Disabilities Education Act was introduced in June, 1997 in the Turkish Education System. The Act states that schools have a duty to educate children with disabilities in general education classrooms. All children with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled children at their own age and have access to the general education curriculum. The philosophy of inclusive education aims at helping all children learn in regular classrooms. Children learn at their own pace and style within a nurturing learning environment because schools are important places for children to develop friendships and learn social skills. Children with and without disabilities learn together and from each other in inclusive classes. On the other hand, when children attend classes that reflect the similarities and differences of people in the real world, they learn to appreciate diversity. The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of teachers about implementation of inclusive education in elementary schools. In order to collect data for this study, a questionnaire which consisted of eight open-ended questions was developed and administered to 66 elementary school teachers. The teachers worked at primary schools and taught 1-5 grades. They were asked to write their opinions and experiences about the implementation of inclusive education in the elementary schools. Primary school teachers generally have a positive attitude about inclusive education and its philosophical and psychological foundation. However, they express that they encounter some difficulties in implementing inclusive classrooms. A crowded classroom is a main obstacle to obtain desired objectives in educational activities. The levels of students' disability are related to effectiveness of classroom management. The effectiveness of inclusive education depends on not only the teachers' quality but also the school administrators'. Some superintendents assess the effectiveness of teachers in inclusive and regular classrooms in the same way. [This study was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK).] (Contains 8 tables.).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate elementary general education teachers' perceptions of inclusive practices in two suburban school districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The researcher analyzed responses from 36 elementary general education teachers in two suburban school districts. The participants completed a researcher designed survey constructed of both Likert-style statements and open ended responses. Individual interviews with five participants provided insight into interviewees' perspectives on inclusive practices. Findings affirmed that general education teachers perceived themselves as responsible for the instruction of special education students when included in classrooms, as well as implementing accommodations and modifications of instructional content and the SDI in each student's IEP.Data demonstrated that special education teachers are responsible for the IEP development, however, there was data to suggest that general education teachers want more involvement in developing the IEP. Fidings identified that participants perceived a need for professional development, shared planning time, collaborative partnerships, additional staffing, and administrative support in order to successfully implement inclusion. Data supported that teachers are confident when instructing students with needs related to a specific learning disability, an intellectual disability, or high functioning autism. However, teachers did not perceive themselves as confident when instructing students with special education needs related to attention, focus, or behavior issues. The findings could potentially aid school administrators in identifying professional development initiatives and additional support structures to further enhance collaborative partnerships to best scaffold teams when including special education students in the general education classroom.

The author provides educators with sixty-six keys to help middle and secondary school students with disabilities succeed.

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to explore teachers' knowledge and beliefs about inquiry within an inclusive classroom, (b) to determine teachers' perceptions of the influence of inquiry within their practice, (c) to examine teachers' challenges and barriers to implementing inquiry within an inclusive classroom. This in-depth case study employed interviews, observations, and focus group discussions to gather qualitative data concerning this phenomenon. The participants included three science teachers (two elementary, one middle school) and one middle school Social Studies and English Language Arts (ELA) teacher. This study took place at a private school in a suburban area in a Midwestern city in the United States. The study findings showed the complexity of understanding teachers' perceptions and how teachers' beliefs conflicted with their practice. Teachers held different views about the meaning of inquiry and most lacked a solid understanding of the process of inquiry; this could be attributed to a lack of relevant professional development during their preparation program or education. Some teachers believed that having students with different abilities and skill levels was more challenging than implementing inquiry. However, most of the teachers were unsure about what inquiry was. The science teachers expressed more substantive challenges with implementing inquiry, standards, and literacy. The results of this study suggest that educators clarify the meaning of inquiry and simplify the process of implementing it with the assistance of definitive professional development. Teacher educators need to provide a course for teaching methods that implement inquiry in conjunction with inclusive education to especially improve science education. When implementing inquiry, teachers need to recognize the importance of challenging students to think by providing critical-thinking questions in a non-threatening way.

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.