Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusive Education in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Introduction. The inclusion of students with special educational needs in regular schools is currently one of the most important issues on the agenda of national and international education communities. A positive attitude of teachers to inclusive education is a factor of its effective implementation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers to inclusive education in the Republic of Kazakhstan and to determine the factors influencing their positive attitude to wards inclusion. Materials and Methods. The sample consisted of 416 teachers of general secondary schools in the Pavlodar region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale feedback form was used. For the processing of the results of the survey, nonparametric statistics (Spearman’s correlation coefficient) and multiple regression analysis were used. Results. A general neutral attitude of teachers towards inclusion was revealed. The experience of interaction between teachers and people with special educational needs does not contribute to the formation of their positive attitude towards inclusion. Educators – people who work in rural schools and are confident in teaching children with special education needs – have the most positive attitude toward inclusion. Discussion and Conclusion. A more detailed analysis of the respondents’ answers indicates the disinclination of teachers to implement inclusive education and the need for special training of teachers to work with children with special education needs that will increase their confidence in teaching children with special educational needs and create a positive attitude towards inclusion. Prospects for the study are to further explore attitudes of subject teachers, special education teachers, and providers of psychological and pedagogical support to inclusion in Kazakhstan and the impact of special training on the attitude of teachers to inclusion. The materials of the article will be useful to researchers interested in the problem of inclusive education, especially its condition in the Republic of Kazakhstan.