Teacher Attitudes and Preferences for Teaching Children with Various Exceptionalities

The purpose of this paper was (2) to determine if attitudes of teachers had influence on choices to teach exceptional children, and (b) to determine whether teacher attitudes are related to acceptance or rejection of exceptional children. Information was obtained through the following procedure: 1. fifty teachers were selected at random from a second class city school district in Kansas as subjects for this study. 2. Information was obtained from these teachers through the use of the standardized Minnesota Teacher Attitude Inventory, a ranking scale of exceptionalities, and a check list of preference of exceptionalities to teach. 3. Responses were tested with a chi-square statistical technique using 2 x 2 cells and the .05 level of significance. The findings indicated: 1. that teachers with low teacher attitudes are more willing to teach the exceptional. 2. That teachers with low teacher attitudes accept a greater variety of exceptionalities. As a result of this study, it can be concluded that generally teachers with low teacher attitudes are more willing to teach exceptional children; and will also choose to teach a greater variety of exceptionalities than will teachers with high teacher attitudes