Attitudes of Mathematics Teachers in Turkish Lower Secondary Schools Towards the Inclusion of Children with Special Educational Needs in Those Schools

Inclusive education is an educational practice based on the premise of equality that advocates for equal access to educational opportunities for all children, regardless of their special educational needs and disabilities. Teachers have a major responsibility in terms of inclusive education practices, and their attitudes and knowledge are key factors in the successful practice of inclusive education. The current study investigated the attitudes of mathematics teachers in Turkish lower secondary schools towards the inclusion of children with special educational needs in those schools. A mixed-methods approach was adopted in the current study. Eighteen interviews and 262 questionnaires were conducted with mathematics teachers working in Turkish lower secondary schools. The findings of the current study showed that mathematics teachers have a negative attitudes towards inclusion of students with special educational needs. To provide a deeper investigation of this negative attitude, factors affecting teacher attitudes were also investigated. Training and experience, age, years of teaching experience, educational environment-related and child-related factors all had an effect on mathematics teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion, while gender and having a friend with SEN had no influence on their attitudes. For example, younger mathematics teachers had more positive attitudes towards inclusion of children with special educational needs than older and more experienced teachers. Teachers working in rural areas showed more positive attitudes than other teachers in semi-urban and rural areas. Moreover, any type of training has a positive effect on mathematics teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of children with special educational needs. It was also revealed that most mathematics teachers did not make and implement individualised education programmes for each student with SEN. Finally, recommendations were offered, including fostering a more positive attitude towards inclusion among mathematics teachers, and enhancing pre-service and in-service training and assistance