Student teachers' attitudes towards disability and inclusion

Abstract

Disability issues towards inclusive education have been subject to debate for quite a number of years, both locally as well as internationally. This study's focus is student teachers' attitudes towards children with disability and their inclusion in mainstream primary classrooms in Malta. This research investigation aims at reviewing the effect of teaching experience of the inclusive course module at University on student teachers' attitudes towards inclusion, and exploring the factors that impinge on and affect student teachers' attitudes towards including pupils with disability. A group of Bachelor of Primary Education student teachers following, their second year of studies at the University of Malta, were the main participants in this study. In order to investigate the same student teachers' attitudes, both prior as well as after completing a six-week teaching period, questionnaires were distributed before and after completing this experience. The data obtained from the questionnaires, supported by face-to-face interviews with six of the same participants after their teaching experience in a mainstream classroom, reveals that a number of factors do affect student teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of disabled children in class.