Pre-service Secondary Teachers' Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education

Abstract

The attitudes held by pre-service teachers have been shown to affect their willingness and ability to implement an inclusive approach to education. A sample consisting of 193 pre-service secondary teachers enrolled in secondary education courses at an Australian university were surveyed to determine their attitudes towards inclusive education, with a particular focus on attitudinal changes across the years of study. Results indicated that pre-service secondary teachers held positive attitudes towards inclusive education; however there was a significant decline in positive attitudes through the years of study. Pre-service secondary teachers enrolled in postgraduate programs were more inclusive than those enrolled in undergraduate courses. Attitudes towards training and perceived competence were less positive than other attitude scales for all participants, suggesting a concern regarding training effectiveness. Replication of the study is recommended across additional Australian and international universities to determine differences in training content and experiences which may impact on attitudes towards training and perceived competence.