Options
Beliefs and attitudes of pre-service teachers towards teaching children with disabilities
Author
Rao, Mannigay Shaila
Supervisor
Lim, Levan
Abstract
Over the past few years in Singapore, children with different disabilities have been integrated within regular schools. Since 1996 specific programmes have been set up which seek to integrate children with physical disabilities and autism. These programmes have received from the Government. However, a number of regular education teachers are still students with mild to moderate learning and intellectual disabilities to special schools. This segregation is an opposing trend tot he integration movement. Pre-service teachers are one of the principal stakeholders in the move towards non-segregation/integration of children with mild/moderate disabilities.
In promoting integration of children with disabilities in the regular classes much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of teachers to develop skills and attitudes conducive to integrating these children. Pre-service education can play a crucial part in success of future integration efforts. Equipping prospective teachers with skills and competencies necessary to teach children with disabilities will in fact help all children. If the needs of children are met in regular classrooms, there will be fewer or no referrals of children to special schools. This will promote future non-segregation of children with mild to moderate learning disabilities from regular education. Looking into the possible ways of making the non-segregation/integration feasible will help both regular and special educators manage their pupils in general better. Very little research has been done in the local context to assess the attributes and beliefs of pre-service teachers towards teaching children with disabilities within regular classrooms.
This study evaluated the attitudes and beliefs of pre-service teachers towards teaching children with disabilities within regular classrooms. Sixty-eight (N = 68) undergraduate pre-service teachers enrolled in the 4th year teacher training programme at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore were surveyed. The pre-service teachers completed a survey of attitudes toward different assumptions of inclusion, perceptions of self-efficacy and competence.
The pre-service teachers expressed some mixed, contradictory feelings. Gender, previous contact with children with disabilities in their classroom during teaching practicum and knowledge gained through related topics studied under Educational Studies course work did not have statistically significant effect on the pre-service teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards teaching children with disabilities. The pre-service teachers surveyed reported a moderately higher sense of Personal Teaching Efficacy than the General Teaching Efficacy. There was no statistically significant relationship between their self-efficacy and personal competence. However, the pre-service teachers perceived themselves to be significantly less competent than the special education teachers of teaching/managing behaviour of children with disabilities and working with parents of children with disabilities. The results that they saw integration of these children as 'desirable' but not 'feasible'. The pre-service teachers indicated they needed more help in behavior management, teaching strategies, classroom planning and adaptation of curriculum among other areas of teaching, if they were to teach children with disabilities in regular classrooms. Implications of the findings for teacher training are discussed.
In promoting integration of children with disabilities in the regular classes much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of teachers to develop skills and attitudes conducive to integrating these children. Pre-service education can play a crucial part in success of future integration efforts. Equipping prospective teachers with skills and competencies necessary to teach children with disabilities will in fact help all children. If the needs of children are met in regular classrooms, there will be fewer or no referrals of children to special schools. This will promote future non-segregation of children with mild to moderate learning disabilities from regular education. Looking into the possible ways of making the non-segregation/integration feasible will help both regular and special educators manage their pupils in general better. Very little research has been done in the local context to assess the attributes and beliefs of pre-service teachers towards teaching children with disabilities within regular classrooms.
This study evaluated the attitudes and beliefs of pre-service teachers towards teaching children with disabilities within regular classrooms. Sixty-eight (N = 68) undergraduate pre-service teachers enrolled in the 4th year teacher training programme at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore were surveyed. The pre-service teachers completed a survey of attitudes toward different assumptions of inclusion, perceptions of self-efficacy and competence.
The pre-service teachers expressed some mixed, contradictory feelings. Gender, previous contact with children with disabilities in their classroom during teaching practicum and knowledge gained through related topics studied under Educational Studies course work did not have statistically significant effect on the pre-service teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards teaching children with disabilities. The pre-service teachers surveyed reported a moderately higher sense of Personal Teaching Efficacy than the General Teaching Efficacy. There was no statistically significant relationship between their self-efficacy and personal competence. However, the pre-service teachers perceived themselves to be significantly less competent than the special education teachers of teaching/managing behaviour of children with disabilities and working with parents of children with disabilities. The results that they saw integration of these children as 'desirable' but not 'feasible'. The pre-service teachers indicated they needed more help in behavior management, teaching strategies, classroom planning and adaptation of curriculum among other areas of teaching, if they were to teach children with disabilities in regular classrooms. Implications of the findings for teacher training are discussed.
Date Issued
1998
Call Number
LC4704 Rao
Date Submitted
1998