The importance of prior experience and education of teachers for their attitudes, the quality of interaction with persons with disability, for concerns and self evaluation of efficacy regarding inclusive education

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore the differences among teachers in their attitudes toward inclusion, in quality of their interaction with people with disability, in their concerns about inclusive education and in self-perception of their efficacy in inclusive education due to prior contact with persons with disability, their education and experience in supplying support to persons with disability. The sample included 420 teachers (F=345, M=75), from five Serbian towns. All participants were above 20 years old and were divided in five age groups. Instrument applied were: ATIES - Attitudes toward Inclusive Education Scale (Willzenski, 1952), IPD - Interaction with People with Disability Scale ( Forlin, Jobbling, Carroll,2001), CIES - Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale (Sharman, Desai, 2002), Self-efficacy in Implementing Inclusive Practices Scale (Gibson, Dembo, 1984) and Questionnaire about demographic data. The results point to conclusion that contact with persons with special educational needs is related to more positive attitudes toward inclusion. Teachers who had no these contacts showed greater degree of uneasiness in interaction, in comparison to teachers who had experience in supplying support to these persons. Teachers who had additional education showed lesser degree of uneasiness than teachers without the education. Teachers who had experience in supplying support to persons with disability showed lesser degree of embarrassment in interaction and higher evaluation of self-efficacy in comparison to teachers without this experience.

Cilj ovog rada je da se ispitaju razlike u stavovima, interakciji, zabrinutosti i samoefikasnosti nastavnika u pogledu inkluzivnog obrazovanja u odnosu na kontakt s osobama s ometenošću, obučenost nastavnika i iskustvo u poslovima pružanja podrške osobama s ometenošću. Uzorak je činilo 420 nastavnika, uzrasta od 20 godina starosti raspoređenih u pet uzrasnih kategorija, iz pet gradova u Srbiji. U istraživanju smo koristili Upitnik o demografskim podacima, Skalu o stavovima prema inkluziji, Skalu zabrinutosti za sprovođenje inkluzivne prakse i Skalu samoefikasnosti u sprovođenju inkluzivne prakse. Rezultati pokazuju da kontakt sa osobama sa posebnim obrazovnim potrebama (POP) ima pozitivan uticaj na stavove prema inkluziji. Nastavnici koji nisu imali kontakt pokazuju viši stepen uznemirenosti u interakciji sa POP, od nastavnika koji su imali to iskustvo. Nastavnici kojima je pružena dodatna edukacija imaju manji stepen neprijatnosti prilikom interakcije sa osobama sa POP, od nastavnika koji nisu imali edukaciju u ovoj oblasti. Nastavnici koji nisu radili na poslovima pružanja podrške iskazuju viši stepen neprijatnosti u interakciji sa osobama s POP u odnosu na nastavnike koji su radili na poslovima pružanja podrške. Nastavnici koji su radili na poslovima pružanja podrške procenjuju veći stepen samoefikasnosti u primeni inkluzivne prakse u odnosu na one nastavnike koji nemaju ovo iskustvo.