Position Paper on

Teachers Attitudes Towards Inclusive Practices

and How to Improve them.

by

Marsha Larson

Student ID 30011945

EDUC 201

August 5, 2015
 For many years segregation of Learning Disabled (LD) students from their peers and the

experience of a heterogeneous classroom was normal practice in schools. Students were

clustered into separate schools or separate classrooms to minimize the impact on typical students

and a teacher trained in special education was on hand to facilitate their day. Most educators

agree that this model has not brought much success to the lives of the students, although some

still believe it provided an adequate education for those it was intended for. Frattera and Capper

(2006) claim that “these special programs have failed to result in high student achievement, as

measured by postschool out-comes or standardized scores” and that after as many as 21 years

“these school and postschool outcomes are indeed dismal” (p. 356) The more common and

current practice is to provide an inclusive classroom for all students, regardless of ability. This is

a philosophy that promotes the acceptance of all students, regardless of their learning capacity. It

fosters the ideals that all students should be able to learn in the “least restrictive, least intrusive,

least disruptive, least expensive and least enabling” (Frattera & Capper, 2006, p.362) way

available. In Alberta it is not the ideals of inclusion that are in question, but the situation is

complex and insufficient support has been offered to teachers (State of Inclusion in Alberta

Schools, 2015, p.33). This position paper will argue that while inclusion can be ideal for most

students, most teachers need more training and support to improve their attitude towards it and

make it successful for all involved.

Teachers are under pressure to find ways to help all students reach their full potential.

Some teachers believe that segregation into a cluster of students with similar abilities and

limitations with a specialized teacher is for the best. There may seem to be many benefits of

having LD students educated this way, include, a disruptive LD student could ruin a positive

class experience, mainstream teachers do not feel like they have adequate training to teach such
complex students, and there could be a worry that a student who is different could be bullied.

Although some may feel this way, research indicated that these special programs have not

succeeded in helping students reach goals that are needed for successful transition into adulthood

(Frattera and Capper, 2006). For example a review of high school completion in the United

States showed that in 2000, 22% of students with disability labels did not finish high school,

compared to 9% for students without labels (National Organization on Disabilities, 2000). Also

those who graduated from a these programs had trouble in finding employment. According to a

study by Blackorby and Wagner only 20% of students with disabilities were employed when

they had been out of school for 3 to 5 years (as cited in Frattura and Capper, 2006, p. 356). It is

clear that an educational model that segregates disabled students has not provided the best future

for students.

The inclusive classroom, with the proper structure and support in place, can provide the

best opportunity for each child to succeed and reach their full potential once teachers overcome

three hurdles that will be discussed in this paper. First, some teachers lack the skills to teach to a

wide range of differently-abled students, and therefore need to seek out more professional

development in this area. Secondly, the possibility of a student with challenging and disruptive

behaviours can be intimidating and a teacher may need to be flexible and develop some new

classroom management techniques. Finally, collaboration with the support team is important and

an Educational Assistant (EA) can be an important resource for the teacher.

The first significant hurdle faced by teachers in an inclusive classroom is that they do not

have the proper training and do not know where to get the material they need to train themselves

and therefore lack confidence to use inclusive practices (Monsen, Ewing & Kwoka, 2013).

According to a U.S. Department of Education report, only 21% of teachers feel prepared to
address the needs of students with labels (as cited in Frattura and Capper, 2006, p. 361). Some

educators still believe that there needs to be an expert in the field of special needs in order for a

LD student to be successful in a classroom and that a teacher without this skill set will not know

how to teach to a wide variety of learners. There has been a “persistent assumption that

certification in a specialty area means that an educator possesses highly specialized, “magical,”

esoteric skills that no one else can ever learn” (Frattura & Capper, 2006, p.361). This attitude is

holding teachers back from embracing the advantages of an inclusive classroom. As long as a

teacher feels inadequate in their teaching skill they will struggle to see the benefits for all

students in the inclusive model. Addressing these attitudes will help teachers become confident

in their ability to teach for all learners.

To overcome the challenge teachers feel about being unprepared to teach all students,

they should seek to develop their skills so that they feel confident teaching in a classroom of

diverse learners. In order to reach this goal, educators should participate in continuing

professional development programs designed to build these skills. “If we acknowledge that

inclusive education is a desirable aim for 21st century schooling, then the focus of staff

development should be on how to develop appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes” (Grieves,

2009 p.178). This should start with ongoing collaboration during the school day that allows

teachers to share successful strategies and continue with more effective and productive in-service

training to be given to teachers so they will begin to find a way to make inclusion work for all

students.

The second issue facing teachers regarding inclusion is disruptive behaviour from LD

students. Some quite fairly anticipate that there will likely be more than normal disruption in the

class by these students (Monsen, et al., 2013, p.125). When a LD child in the classroom struggles
with frustration or anger it could present as loud or angry outbursts. If this happens the teacher

may feel embarrassed or unsure of how to respond and could worry about what the other students

and staff are thinking. Some teachers feel that it is not their job to support troublesome students

and that any frustrated or angry outburst from LD students is unfair to the rest of the class

(McCurdy and Cole, 2014). Without some training for new classroom management a teacher

may feel tired and frustrated about their responsibilities to provide a successful inclusive

classroom.

According to McCurdy and Cole (2014) one successful intervention being used to

address disruptive behaviour and outbursts by students with autism is to allow peers, instead of

adults, to take a primary role in modeling classroom behaviour and reminding a partner students

to stay on task. This model of peer-mediation has several advantages: 1) peers are usually

available in all settings, 2) peers have a natural ability to affect the behaviour of each other, 3)

teacher time is freed up when a peer can meet another student’s needs, 4) autistic students are

engaged for longer periods of time when they follow the modeling of a peer, and 5) all students

of all learning levels show an improvement in academic, social and cognitive understanding (p.

884). This method of classroom management for disruptive behaviour is a great example of a

successful inclusive classroom because LD students are mentored, socialized and encouraged

alongside and by their peers.

The final key to having a successful inclusive classroom is for the teacher to use all the

resources available to develop successful strategies and modifications for LD students (Abbott,

McConkey & Dobbins, 2011). There are many resources and agencies that might be involved in

the successful education of a student with LD. Some examples are speech and language support,

occupational therapist, case workers, and classroom support such as an educational assistant
(EA). Often an EA is assigned to work 1 on 1 with an individual learner. Involving all these

supports can have a very positive effect on a mainstream teacher’s feelings towards inclusion. In

a case study conducted by Monsen et al. (2013) it is clear that teachers are less likely to have a

positive attitude towards inclusion if they do not feel properly supported (p.126). It is vital to

collaborate with all involved support staff and create a unique and successful learning

opportunity for each child based on their own level of ability. The collaboration of a large team

like this can support the teacher in finding the best way to affectively teach a common

curriculum to individual students with specific needs. “Successful inclusive practice requires

collaboration between the class teacher and the wider school community” (Monsen, et al.,2011,

p. 115). This helps the teacher develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required to work

in the inclusive classroom.

A key resource, from the many supports a teacher can draw on, is the EA. Often an EA

has more experience and exposure to inclusive practices, like managing disruptive behaviour and

modifying curriculum, than the classroom teacher. Since their role is usually to aid a LD student

in a 1 to 1 setting, they have likely developed many skills important to an inclusive classroom

such as flexibility and extreme patience. A teacher may even decide that “delegating the

‘neediest’ pupils to learning support staff allows them to focus more attention on the rest of the

class, thereby satisfying the ideal of meeting the needs of all pupils, and providing for all

differences” (Abbott, McConkey & Dobbins, 2011, p. 228). When the teacher and the EA work

well together it can be a great support while the teacher develops their own skills. Although the

EA and the teacher have very different rolls, an EA can play a vital part in a teacher being able to

have a positive attitude towards an inclusive classroom.

 In conclusion, the inclusion of students into a mainstream classroom setting is a vast

improvement over the practice of segregating LD students into special education classes where

they were not reaching academic and social goals. The inclusive classroom has the potential to

provide LD students with success both academically and socially and best prepare them for the

world. In order for a teacher to feel confident about this approach, they need to challenge

themselves to improve their attitude and abilities towards inclusion. They can do this by

participating in professional training to improve their ability to teach to a wide variety of

learners, developing techniques to manage potential disruptive behaviours and collaborating with

the learning team to receive support. When a teacher can see success in each of these three areas

there can be an improved attitude toward inclusion and they will realize the real and far reaching

impact they will have on all their students.

 References

Abbott, L., McConkey, R., & Dobbins, M. (2011). Key players in inclusion: are we

meeting the professional needs of learning support assistants for pupils with complex

needs? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26(2), 215-231.

Frattura, E., & Capper, C. A. (2006). Segregated programs versus integrated

comprehensive service delivery for all learners: Assessing the differences. Remedial and Special

Education, 27(6), 355-364.

Grieve, A. M. (2009). Teachers' beliefs about inappropriate behaviour: Challenging

attitudes. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 9(3), 173-179.

McCurdy, E. E., & Cole, C. L. (2014). Use of a peer support intervention for promoting

academic engagement of students with autism in general education settings. Journal of autism

and developmental disorders, 44(4), 883-893.

Monsen, J. J., Ewing, D. L., & Kwoka, M. (2014). Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion,

perceived adequacy of support and classroom learning environment. Learning Environments

Research, 17(1), 113-126.

National Organization on Disabilities. (2000).

State of inclusion in Alberta Schools. (2005).