| A major challenge facing general education teachers is instructing students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Many studies have shown the importance of teacher perceptions in determining the effectiveness of inclusion practices, for teachers are primarily responsible for implementing curriculum instructions. Nonetheless, little is known about the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of general education teachers towards inclusion. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and identify teacher perceptions about educating students with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms. Bandura's self-efficacy theory, which posits that self-efficacy is an important component of a teacher's belief systems, guided the study. The research questions examined the teachers' attitudes regarding inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms. Structured interview questions elicited data from 10 general education elementary teachers from a local public school district. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological method, and a coding system was used to identify common themes. The following 4 themes emerged from the interview analysis: feelings of being inadequately trained and qualified, time constraints, paperwork overload, and inadequate support and resources. The results indicated that most teachers felt challenged by inclusion in general education classrooms; nevertheless, all teachers supported inclusive education. Increasing the level of support from administrators and special education staff and providing teachers with appropriate professional in-service training may lead to improved attitudes toward inclusion and increased teacher self-efficacy, in turn creating a positive teaching and learning environment for students with disabilities. |
