Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31299/hrri.53.1.7
Relationship of demographic and professional characteristics of vocational school teachers to their attitudes towards educational inclusion
Nataša Vlah
orcid.org/0000-0003-3965-0927
; Učiteljski fakultet, Sveučilište u Rijeci
Petra Međimorec Grgurić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5493-0244
; Srednja škola - Centar za odgoj i obrazovanje Zagreb
Đana Baftiri
; Srednja škola - Centar za odgoj i obrazovanje Zagreb
Abstract
Teachers are key actors in promoting inclusion primarily because of their readiness to accept students with disabilities, and the resulting engagement between student and teacher can strongly influence whether inclusion is successful. The present study explored whether demographic and professional characteristics of vocational school teachers influence their attitudes towards inclusion of students with intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, behavioral problems and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The following data were collected on 568 teachers (33% male, M = 45 yr) from 25 vocational schools in Zagreb, Croatia: gender, age, qualifications, subject area, overall work experience, work experience with students with disabilities, and self-reported difficulties working with students with disabilities. The occurrence of these factors was analyzed relative to the following four outcomes: teacher’s need for professional assistance in achieving inclusion, pessimistic attitude of the teacher about likelihood of successful inclusion, self-perceived competence in achieving educational inclusion, and problems in collaborating with parents. The results suggest that certain demographic and professional factors in teachers are associated with their attitudes towards inclusion of students with disability. Further research is needed on this issue, which should ultimately lead to the design of lifelong-learning interventions that nurture in teachers greater eagerness to work with students with disability.
Keywords
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; behavioral problems; high school; teacher attitudes; learning difficulties
Hrčak ID:
183842
URI
Publication date:
6.7.2017.
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