Teacher Perceptions of the Regular Education Initiative

Abstract

A survey of 381 special and regular educators assessed perceptions and opinions surrounding the regular education initiative. Confirmatory factor analysis supported an a priori hypothesized structure of teachers' responses. Items factored into 14 categories. These factors describe issues related to preferred placement of students with mild disabilities, teachers' responsibility and ownership, teacher preparedness for meeting the needs of these students, achievement outcomes for all children, and the changes that would result from adopting the proposed consultant model rather than a pullout program. Results favored current special education practices (pullout programs) in elementary schools.

Equal Opportunities for all Albanian Learners

“…Studies in this area have shown that teachers at the beginning of the implementation feel that they do not have enough time to implement inclusion (Semmel et al, 1991). They are often anxious in terms of pace, learning styles, adaptation of the environment and the amount of time they have to dedicate to children with disabilities.…”

Support teachers' beliefs about the academic achievement of students with special educational needs

“…• teachers' reluctance to change their culture and teaching practices (Fullan & Miles, 1992), including fears and anxieties associated with change, the practicality of change, perceived school support and personal costs and efforts (Welch, 1989); • the availability of technical assistance (Kauffman, Lloyd & McGee, 1989); • t e a ch e rs' know l e d ge about students' traits, ch a ra c t e ri s t i c s and educational needs (Semmel et al, 1991) Literature on factors that contribute to school quality also suggests that changes in student performance and school quality are related to a set of proximal variables, such as educational strategies and practices, as well as to distal va ri ables, when school re o rga n i s ation and educat i o n a l polices play an important role (Wang, Haertl & Walberg, 1993). According to results that are highlighted in the Wang et al study, the quality of the diagnosis of learn i n g problems could improve if attention were paid to a set of variables that include information about students' capacities and aptitudes; contextual fa c t o rs such as fa m i ly invo l ve m e n t in activities undert a ken at school; and the quality of teacher-student interactions, among others.…”

“…• teachers' reluctance to change their culture and teaching practices (Fullan & Miles, 1992), including fears and anxieties associated with change, the practicality of change, perceived school support and personal costs and efforts (Welch, 1989); • the availability of technical assistance (Kauffman, Lloyd & McGee, 1989); • t e a ch e rs' know l e d ge about students' traits, ch a ra c t e ri s t i c s and educational needs (Semmel et al, 1991); • the use of co-operative learning structures ); • the development of working relationships between teachers (Pugach & Johnson, 1994); • c u rricular innovations and new instructional ap p ro a ch e s (Nevin, 1993;Udvari-Solner & Thousand, 1995).…”

“…Despite the ge n e ral acceptance of the principle of integration, some studies reveal that teachers do not seem ready for it (Semmel et al, 1991). This scenario is also supported in Scruggs and Mastropieri's (1996) review of studies conducted between 1956 and 1995, wh i ch concluded that about 70% of teachers support the concept of mainstreaming, but that only a third feel that they have sufficient time, skills, training or resources to support the practice of integration.…”

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The determinants and consequences of teachers' beliefsResearchers in the social cognition field have suggested that t e a ch e rs' beliefs about, and attitudes towa rd, student diversity and heterogeneity play a central role in students' i n t egration into standard settings (Semmel, Abern at hy, Butera & Lesar, 1991). In part i c u l a r, empirical data show that teach e rs possess low academic expectations in relation to children with special educational needs.

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