Educators’ attitudes concerning teaching of students with special educational needs in the mainstream Greek school

Abstract

Nowadays, teaching in a diverse students’ needs environment is a common situation emerged in the school community. In order for all the students to access the good of education and become a part of the school society, it is needed to be acceptable by teachers in the general school, who have to implement an appropriate instruction procedure to meet pupils’ needs successfully. Suitable teaching depends on teachers’ attitudes toward the inclusion of all the students independently and especially for those who show special educational needs. In the current study, participated 373 preschool, primary and secondary educators who teach in the Greek mainstream school. The participants completed the “Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education Scale” [1] [2]. The findings showed that teachers hold reserved attitudes toward the inclusion of students with physical disabilities and academic difficulties, but they hold favorable attitudes for behavior problem and social difficulties students. Comparisons were conducted using other variables, which exert influence on teachers’ attitudes. The results observed show the necessity of establishing supporting services in the school and organizing appropriate training programs in order for the teachers to acquire the theoretical background and skills to implement inclusive practices effectively.

Attitudes of Greek General Education Teachers Concerning Inclusion Policy

“…Attending seminars on special education affected teachers' attitudes, with the result that teachers who participated in training on special education developed better attitudes on an emotional and behavioral level, a result that is in line with another research (Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2014;Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2019a).…”

“…This variable is an important parameter that should be considered (Ahmmed, Sharma, & Deppeler, 2012). In previous research, the same finding was identified (Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2019a) and specifically it was related to a favorable attitude towards the inclusion of students with physical difficulties and behavioral problems. In corresponding research, with the participation of teachers without teaching experience, it was found that men and women maintain an attitude that does not seem to be favorable to inclusive education (Lao et al, 2022).…”

“…This finding also emerged in another study (Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2014). Specifically, primary school teachers in the general education expressed a more favorable attitude towards teaching students with disruptive behavior or social interaction difficulties compared to secondary school teachers (Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2019a). This difference may be due to the fact that the primary teacher remains as the dominant teacher in the classroom for the whole school year, interacts with the same students in the classroom for a school year and can become capable of being oriented to the personality of each student.…”

“…The knowledge of the legal framework of special education affects the attitudes of teachers towards the policy of inclusion and this effect is expressed in all dimensions: cognitive, emotional, behavioral, as in previous research (Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2014;Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2019a).…”

“…The second section includes questions related to the demographic data of the sample (teaching school, teaching class, subject of teaching, years of experience in private and public education, existence of a person with a disability in the family or friendly environment, attendance at seminars on the subject of special education (special education and differentiated teaching, intercultural education, learning difficulties, teaching approaches), previous teaching experience with children with special educational needs, type of disability and/or special educational needs of the students teachers taught (motor difficulties, behavioral problems, cognitive difficulties , emotional difficulties, social difficulties), knowledge of the legal framework of special education, knowledge of the purpose and operation of Greek Public Differential Diagnosis, Counseling and Support Center, gender, age, educational level), which were formed based on previous research (Vilchinsky, & Werner, 2007;Findler, Forlin, et al, 2009;Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2014;Tsakiridou & Polyzopoulou, 2019a).…”