ATTITUDES ABOUT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN HIGH SCHOOLS: DIFFERENCES IN STUDENT, PARENT AND TEACHER OPINIONS

In recent years, the Croatian government has put a major effort into integration of children with developmental disabilities in regular schools. However, this has mainly been done for primary school students, and little is known about what happens with those children in high schools. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes about persons with physical disabilities and to compare them between high school students, their parents and their teachers. In addition, teachers' attitudes toward integration of children with developmental disabilities in high schools were investigated. The participants were 740 high school students, 192 parents and 196 teachers. All participants gave some general data and filled out the Attitudes towards People with Physical Disabilities Scale. Teachers also filled out the Teachers’ Attitudes toward Integration of Children with Disabilities Scale. The results have shown that all participants had only mildly positive attitudes toward persons with physical disabilities, but teachers and parents, in comparison with students, showed more positive cognitive and affective aspects of attitudes. Furthermore, teachers showed mildly positive attitudes towards the integration of all students into regular high schools (regardless of their developmental disabilities), although they had the most positive attitudes toward regular school integration of students with physical disabilities, followed by those with learning disabilities. The results are discussed in connection to a new educational program, which the Faculty of Education can offer to teachers and experts working in high schools with children with disabilities