Attitudes of Preservice Teachers Enrolled in an Infusion Preparation Program regarding Planning and Accommodations for Included Students with Mental Retardation
نویسندگان
چکیده
The beliefs, skills, and intended practices of general (n 34) and special education (n 23) preservice teachers regarding planning and making accommodations for included students with mental retardation were investigated. Participants were drawn from teacher preparation programs that infused content related to inclusion into pre-existing courses. Results of a repeated-measures ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of teacher type—that preservice special educators rated their beliefs, skills, and intended practices significantly higher than their general education counterparts. A significant main effect of attitudinal category showed that participants also rated their beliefs and intended practices significantly higher than their skills. A significant interaction effect was evidenced due to the varying discrepancies between general and special educators’ ratings of their beliefs, skills, and intended practices. Specifically, general educators’ ratings were further below those of special educators in skills and closest in the area of beliefs. Findings suggest that this infusion teacher preparation program was more effective at generating positive beliefs and intentions than skills, especially among general educators. Implications for teacher preparation and practice are discussed. The diversity of student characteristics in general education classrooms in the United States has consistently increased in recent years. In particular, the prevalence of inclusive placements for students with mental retardation has been on the rise. For example, the 10 year period from 1990 to 2000 represents an increase from approximately 41,000 to 86,000 children with this disability having spent greater than 79% of the school day in general education settings (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). During this same period the number of children with mental retardation who spent between 40% and 79% of the day in inclusive settings increased by nearly 43,000 students. In contrast, the number of children with mental retardation who were placed primarily in separate classrooms and facilities (greater than 60% of the day) decreased by approximately 40,000 from 1990 to 2000 (U.S. Department of Education). These data clearly demonstrate the importance of examining teachers’ preparedness for addressing the needs of children with disabilities in general
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