You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Variables affecting attitudes of regular education elementary school teachers toward selected issues on inclusion

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
1996
Summary:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether a selected number of variables can predict the attitudes of regular-education elementary school teachers toward specific issues on inclusion. Specifically, this study analyzed the relationship between the criterion variable of attitude, and the predictor variables of experience with teaching handicapped students, number of years of teaching experience, number of special education courses and inservice training hours completed, age, grade level taught, and gender. Additionally, the issue of whether teachers have a positive attitude toward inclusion was addressed. The instrument used in this study was developed by researchers at the Division of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Syracuse University (Erevelles, Black, & Meyer, 1992). It contains 22 questions and uses a 5-point Likert-type scale. However, after conducting a reliability study, only 16 of the 22 questions were used for this study. Validation of the instrument was obtained by submitting the instrument to several authorities in the area of special education. Reliability was obtained by the use of a FORTRAN program to maximize coefficient alpha (Morris, 1978a, 1978b). The entire population of 473 respondents showed a coefficient alpha of .85. The sample of 20 schools was randomly selected from the 115 elementary schools within the Broward County Public School System in Florida, during the 1994-1995 school year. Surveys were distributed to 473 regular-education teachers from the 20 elementary schools. Eight hypotheses were developed to determine if there was a significant difference between attitudes and the aforementioned variables. Multiple linear regression was the statistical tool used for data analysis. All hypotheses were tested at the.05 level of significance. Based on the findings of this study, years of teaching experience and age were the only variables that predicted the attitudes of regular-education elementary school teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in the regular classroom setting. Additionally, a significant multiple correlation of.07 (F[7,465] = 4.97, p < .0005) was evidenced in predicting the criterion variable of attitude from all predictor variables. Results also revealed teachers' negative attitudes toward the topic of inclusion.
Title: Variables affecting attitudes of regular education elementary school teachers toward selected issues on inclusion.
165 views
55 downloads
Name(s): Breslow, Ellen N., author
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Urich, Ted R., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1996
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, FL
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 152 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a selected number of variables can predict the attitudes of regular-education elementary school teachers toward specific issues on inclusion. Specifically, this study analyzed the relationship between the criterion variable of attitude, and the predictor variables of experience with teaching handicapped students, number of years of teaching experience, number of special education courses and inservice training hours completed, age, grade level taught, and gender. Additionally, the issue of whether teachers have a positive attitude toward inclusion was addressed. The instrument used in this study was developed by researchers at the Division of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Syracuse University (Erevelles, Black, & Meyer, 1992). It contains 22 questions and uses a 5-point Likert-type scale. However, after conducting a reliability study, only 16 of the 22 questions were used for this study. Validation of the instrument was obtained by submitting the instrument to several authorities in the area of special education. Reliability was obtained by the use of a FORTRAN program to maximize coefficient alpha (Morris, 1978a, 1978b). The entire population of 473 respondents showed a coefficient alpha of .85. The sample of 20 schools was randomly selected from the 115 elementary schools within the Broward County Public School System in Florida, during the 1994-1995 school year. Surveys were distributed to 473 regular-education teachers from the 20 elementary schools. Eight hypotheses were developed to determine if there was a significant difference between attitudes and the aforementioned variables. Multiple linear regression was the statistical tool used for data analysis. All hypotheses were tested at the.05 level of significance. Based on the findings of this study, years of teaching experience and age were the only variables that predicted the attitudes of regular-education elementary school teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in the regular classroom setting. Additionally, a significant multiple correlation of.07 (F[7,465] = 4.97, p < .0005) was evidenced in predicting the criterion variable of attitude from all predictor variables. Results also revealed teachers' negative attitudes toward the topic of inclusion.
Identifier: 9780591147148 (isbn), 12482 (digitool), FADT12482 (IID), fau:9375 (fedora)
Degree granted: Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1996.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): College of Education
Subject(s): Mainstreaming in education
Elementary school teachers--Attitudes
Children with disabilities--Education
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12482
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.