Attitudes of future teachers towards inclusion: Implications for initial professional education

Cilj istraživanja čije rezultate u ovom radu predstavljamo bio je da se ispitaju stavovi studenta budućih učitelja prema inkluziji/segregaciji različitih grupa osetljivih učenika, odgovornosti za školski uspeh ovih učenika, i efikasnim strategijama individualizacije u inkluzivnim odeljenjima. Anketiranjem je obuhvaćeno 205 studenata prve godine Učiteljskog fakulteta u Beogradu i Pedagoškog fakulteta u Jagodini. Analiza rezultata istraživanja pokazala je da, sa jedne strane, studenti podržavaju inkluzivnu praksu - imaju pozitivne stavove prema različitim strategijama individualizacije u nastavi i smatraju da je za školski uspeh učenika kojima je potrebna posebna podrška za učenje i socijalnu participaciju najodgovorniji učitelj. S druge strane, većina studenta ima negativne stavove prema inkluziji učenika sa smetnjama vida, sluha i intelektualnim smetnjama i ima laička uverenja da pojedini nedelotvorni postupci učitelja predstavljaju strategije koje podržavaju inkluziju. Stavovi budućih učitelja delom se mogu interpretirati kao posledica prethodnog iskustva školovanja studenata u neinkluzivnim odeljenjima, odnosno postojanja sistema specijalnog obrazovanja.The aim of the research which results we present in this paper were to study attitudes of students' future teachers towards inclusion/segregation of different groups of sensitive students, responsibility towards the school achievement of these students, efficient strategies of individualization in inclusive classes. The questionnaire included 205 first year students of the Faculties of Education in Belgrade and Jagodina. Analysis of the results has shown that on one hand, students support inclusive praxis - have positive attitudes towards different strategies of individualization in teaching and think that for the school achievement of students that need special support for learning and social participation the most important person is a teacher. On the other hand, most students have negative attitudes towards inclusion of students with sight and hearing impairment, as well as intellectual disabilities and have some beliefs that some insufficient deeds of teachers represent strategies which support inclusion. Attitudes of future teachers can be partially interpreted as consequence of the previous experience of education students in non-inclusive classes, i.e. the existence of the system of special education