Teacher attitudes towards inclusive education in Finland and Brandenburg, Germany and the issue of extra work

Abstract

Positive teacher attitudes are considered an important prerequisite for the successful inclusion of students with special educational needs in the mainstream classrooms. This study surveyed teacher opinions about inclusion in Finland (N = 298) and Brandenburg, Germany (N = 163), two educational systems in which the number of students transferred to segregated special education is exceptionally high in international comparison. For the measurement of attitudes a ten-item scale, Teachers' Attitudes towards Inclusive Education (TAIS) was used. The results showed that Finnish teachers were more positive towards inclusion than Brandenburg teachers (d = 0.46). The Brandenburg teachers were especially worried about the extra work caused by inclusion. This concern was possibly related to the different structures of educational organisation. Additional support services were more easily available for the Finnish teachers than for their Brandenburg colleagues. It is argued that teachers' concerns should be addressed to promote inclusion in schools.

Special education teachers’ experienced burnout and perceived fit with the professional community: A 5‐year follow‐up study

“…The Basic Education Act (Act on Basic Education, ) guarantees every pupil the opportunity to receive guidance, counselling and sufficient support in learning and schooling on school days, directly as the need arises. This development is in line with inclusive policy, however, it undoubtedly has some economic considerations; the law transferred the costs of special education from the state to the local municipalities responsible for basic education, and local communities being unwilling to pay the extra costs segregated special education (Act on the Funding of Education and Culture, ; Saloviita & Schaffus, ).…”

Teachers’ Attitudes towards Including Students with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Mainstream School: A Systematic Research Synthesis

“…Some teachers resist accepting students with EBD because such students are a burden in their workloads (Dupoux et al, 2005;Saloviita & Schaffus, 2016). Gaad & Khan, (2007) reported that even teachers who had positive attitudes towards inclusion expressed concern about workloads.…”

“…Both reducing the number of students in each classroom and adapting classroom spaces for inclusion were found to be necessary step in creating successful inclusion (Dupoux et al, 2005;Gaad & Khan, 2007;Rakap & Kaczmarek, 2010;Saloviita & Schaffus, 2016). Some teachers also complained about schools offering limited opportunities for collaboration (Avramidis & Kalyva, 2007;Chepel et al, 2016).…”

“…The teachers also expressed a need for more resources, particularly human support services (Gaad & Khan, 2007;Saloviita & Schaffus, 2016;Shevlin et al, 2013). They claimed that the inclusion of children with EBD requires full-time support from a SEN team (Grieve, 2009;Monsen et al, 2014).…”

“…It is also stressful for teachers to consider each other's relative competence. Saloviita & Schaffus (2016) noted that, if one teacher does well and another does not, those teachers feel that their competence is being questioned.…”