Attitudes to inclusion: a case study of selected schools in the Northern Territory

Master of EducationInclusion is a practice explored by all Northern Territory Schools. The focus of this research project was to investigate attitudes to inclusion in Northern Territory Schools. There have been many significant changes in the Northern Territory Department of Education during 1999 and 2000. These changes have directly affected all schools and thus all teachers and students. In order to explore the focus the methodology of qualitative research has been selected, specifically the case study. Permission was granted by the Northern Territory Department of Education for the researcher to undertake this study. For the purpose of this study three schools were selected and three separate case studies undertaken. Permission was gained from the three principals. Face-to-face interviewing was selected as the most appropriate method of gaining an in-depth insight into the interviewee's attitudes to inclusion. Three staff members from each school were interviewed, and tape recordings made of each interview. This was followed by transcription. The transcripts were sent to the interviewees for verification. Analysis of the transcripts revealed numerous themes which provided an insight into the teachers' and administrators' attitudes to inclusion. The results consisted of an array of information showing similarities and contrasting views of teachers and administrators on the practice of inclusion. The current Special Education Policy focuses more on Curriculum than giving guidelines for including special needs children into mainstream schools. The Northern Territory Department of Education does not have an Inclusion Policy. Many of the interviewees felt such a policy was necessary to give clear direction and guidelines in explaining how a school could secure funding for a special needs child and thus successfully cater for the student. Funding and resourcing were the most significant factors to come out of the case studies. Participants were not confident in the Northern Territory Department of Education's procedure for providing funding for special needs children. Several of the Interviewees expressed concern with the lack of direction from the Department of Education and felt that if things did not improve they saw no alternative than for special needs children to attend Special Schools rather than mainstream schools. There was also much confusion about which children came under the Special Needs umbrella. Definitions for inclusion and special needs children varied greatly from person to person. Those interviewed suggested that the Department of Education should provide a definition for inclusion and develop an identification process to allow schools to consistently recognise and support special needs children