Equivalent forms of a questionnaire were administered to elementary classroom and resource room teachers. The questionnaires were designed to elicit teachers' attitudes and perceptions as to the effectiveness and appropriateness of mainstreaming, regular classroom teachers' level of skill competency, assistance from the resource room, and communication between the resource room and regular classroom teachers. Results indicated that resource and regular teachers evidenced differential perceptions as to all factors investigated. Educational implications of the findings were discussed and specific recommendations were proposed.Recent litigation and legislation at the state and national level require that handicapped students receive a free education commensurate with their needs, and, where appropriate, be educated with their nonhandicapped peers. Such goals necessitate that the majority of students presently labeled handicapped receive their education within the mainstream of the regular school program. Because these children exhibit a diverse and unique range of problems, their education and remediation require the combined resources and energies of both special and regular educators. Consequently, if the mainstreaming effort is to be facilitated, educational personnel must work together harmoniously.Although few have questioned the philosophical and humanitarian goals underlying integration, empirical evidence directly supporting the mainstreaming rationale is not substantial (Keogh & Levitt, 1976). Despite this fact, and because of the legislative pressure of PL 94-142 and recent court decisions, mainstreaming programs have mushroomed in schools across the nation. Unfortunately, the quality of many of these programs is unknown. It would be naive to assume that legislative action and legal decisions will insure the development and implementation of appropriate mainstreaming programs.The success of integration is, in part, contingent upon the attitudes of the individuals directly or indirectly involved. Of primary importance is the willingness of regular and special educators to accomodate the mainstreaming principle. In a recent study, Hudson, Graham, and Warner (1979) found that regular classroom teachers were not supportive of the mainstreaming concept. Teachers believed that they did not have the time, support services, or necessary training to effectively teach handicapped learners in their classroom. Class size, inaccessibility of materials, time restraints, and the unavailability of immediate and long-term support services were related to unfavorable attitudes.One aspect of the Hudson, et al. (1979) study that bears further investigation involves the unavailability of immediate and long-term support services. If adequate support services are insufficient or not available, the likelihood of providing a mainstreamed handicapped learner with an appropriate education is greatly diminished. Furthermore, Based in part on a Master's Thesis completed at the University of Kansas by Judy Lockwood.
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