Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Integration in Hong Kong

Eighty-three regular class teachers drawn from five primary schools in Hong Kong responded to a survey measuring how they felt about integrating students with disabilities into their regular classes. At the time of the study, two of the schools were implementing a policy of integration set out by the Hong Kong Education Department. Results indicated that preparation for integration was significantly related to willingness to accept students with disabilities into regular classes. Age of teacher, experience teaching students with disabilities and teaching in an integrated school were not significantly related to willingness to integrate. Students with physical problems were favored for integration over all other categories of exceptionality, the least acceptable students being those with emotional/behavioral problems. While 64% of the teachers indicated a willingness to integrate students with disabilities if support services were available, many teachers expressed ambivalent feelings toward the policy of integration. Teachers placed great emphasis on the need for resources and training in order to implement integration successfully in the schools of Hong Kong.