A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ACCORDING TO GENDER, NATIONALITY AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE AT THREE SCHOOLS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out about the attitude of teachers towards inclusion of children with special educational needs according to demographics at three schools in Bangkok. The objectives of this research are (a) To identify the level of teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of children with special educational needs according to gender, nationality and teaching experience at three schools in Bangkok, Thailand (b) To compare the significant difference of teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of children with special educational needs according to demographics at three schools in Bangkok, Thailand. The study was conducted using a survey at three schools in Bangkok. The researcher studied teachers attitude towards the topic at hand under five subscales, teachers’ understanding of general philosophy of IE; classroom behaviour of students with disabilities; classroom management; impact of inclusion on academic and social growth of students with disabilities; and teachers’ perceived ability to teach students with disabilities, according to demographics. Analysis of the data showed that the teachers attitude towards the five subscales, were positive with the highest positive attitude towards impact of inclusion on academic and social growth of students with disabilities and the lowest positive attitude towards and teachers’ perceived ability to teach students with disabilities. The analysis of the t-test showed the p value to be more than 0.05 for the effects of gender and teaching experience, which led to the conclusion of no significant difference in the teachers’ attitude towards the five subscales according to gender and teaching experience. The analysis of from the t-test that compared the nationality’s influence on teachers’ attitude towards IE program, showed a p value of less than 0.05 for the attitude towards teachers’ understanding of general philosophy of IE and classroom behaviour of students with disabilities, which led to the conclusion of a significant difference in the teachers’ attitude towards the 1st and 2nd variable with teachers of Asian descent had a more positive attitude towards the understanding of general philosophy of IE and while the results showed that teachers of non- Asian descent had a more favourable attitude towards classroom behaviour of students with disabilities. The P value of the t test of the other variables mentioned above was more than 0.05 which led to a conclusion of no significant difference in teachers’ attitude towards the variables according to teaching experience. Further research can be done on the influence of nationality on the teachers’ attitude towards the IE program.