Attitudes and intentions of Greek teachers towards teaching pupils with dyslexia: An application of the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

The present study aims to examine Greek public primary school teachers' attitudes and intention towards teaching pupils with dyslexia using a model of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Toward that aim, 304 teachers aged between 22 and 59 years old, with an average overall work experience of 16.6 years completed a TPB questionnaire which assessed their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, their intention, as well as other exogenous factors. The validity and the reliability of the questionnaire were found to be adequate. Overall, the participating teachers report a wide range of educational interventions for pupils with dyslexia emphasizing the psychological aspects of support. They also face a number of barriers, but in general they express neutral to positive attitudes to dyslexia. Results show that attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control significantly predicted the teachers' intention towards teaching dyslexic pupils, thus confirming the applicability of the selected TPB model. Recommendations for teachers' training and limitations of the study are discussed.

Öğretmenlerin Disleksili Öğrencilere Yönelik Öğretim Tutumları Ölçeği’nin Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması

“…DYTÖ'nün güvenirliği Cronbach alfa iç tutarlık katsayısı ile incelendiğinde hesaplanan iç tutarlık katsayılarının .84 ile .93 arasında değiştiği görülmüştür. Güvenirlik katsayısı için esas alınması önerilen ölçüt .70 ve yukarısı olduğundan, elde edilen katsayılar güvenirlik için yeterli kabul edilmektedir (Sipahi, Yurtkoru ve Çinko, 2010). Buna göre, DYTÖ'nün güvenilir ölçümler üreten bir ölçme aracı olduğu ifade edilebilir.…”

Teachers’ experiences with dyslexic learners in mainstream classrooms: Implications for teacher education

“…The researchers used this theory to explore the teachers' experiences with dyslexic learners in mainstream classrooms. Stampoltzis et al (2018) used the theory and found that the teachers' intention towards teaching dyslexic pupils is predicted by the three determinants of behavioural intention.…”

“…Knight (2018) revealed that teachers lacked the knowledge of the biological and cognitive aspects of learners with dyslexia and further demonstrated the relevance of good quality teacher training in increasing teachers' confidence working with such category of learners. Stampoltzis et al (2018) observed that teachers faced several barriers and express neutral to positive attitudes to dyslexia. Leseyane et al (2018) revealed that teachers in public schools used negative comments that embarrassed dyslexic learners and offered no extra attention to them.…”

“…Nijakowska et al (2018) highlighted the need for professional training of teachers of learners with dyslexia to enable them to get used to the demands of inclusive classrooms. Stampoltzis et al (2018) recommended that more positive teachers' attitudes and intentions will lead to more fruitful teacher-student interactions while barriers that stand between teachers and learners with dyslexia will be reduced. Teacher training programmes on pedagogical competence is needed for the successful implementation of inclusive practice (Pit-ten Cate et al, 2018).…”

Cross-country comparison of EFL teacher preparedness to include dyslexic learners: Validation of a questionnaire

“…Inclusive educational settings should satisfy the diverse needs of all learners in terms of offering an individualized approach and differentiated instructional practices to support learning (Forlin, 2013;Frederickson & Cline, 2002;Košak-Babuder, Kormos, Ratajczak, & Pižorn, 2019;Loreman, Deppeler, & Harvey, 2011). Securing full participation in mainstream schooling for every student requires knowledgeable, well-trained and responsive teachers (Bae, Yin, & Joshi, 2019;Fuchs, Kahn-Horwitz, & Katzir, 2019;Kwok-Shing Wong & Russak, 2020) who can accommodate the needs of all learners (Stampoltzis, Tsitsou, & Papachristopoulos, 2018). This, in turn, cannot be achieved without appropriate inclusive teacher training and teacher preparedness for inclusion (Coady, Harper, & de Jong, 2016;European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, 2012;Forlin, 2010Forlin, , 2012Hettiarachchi & Das, 2014;Robinson, 2017;Sharma, Forlin, Deppeler, & Guang-xue, 2013;Woodcock, 2020).…”