Teachers' perceptions of their experiences with including students with special needs in the general education classroom setting throughout public and private schools in Texas

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify teacher perceptions about educating students with special needs in the general education setting, to examine relationships between teacher perceptions and years of teaching experience, grade level, and type of institution in which the teachers were employed, and to identify beliefs about the critical issues involved in implementing inclusion. A total of 1341 general and career and technology educators in grade levels PreKindergarten through grade 12 were surveyed regarding (a) the extent of previous training received in working with students with disabilities and perceived needs for additional training, (b) the frequency of communication between special and general education teachers, (c) the perceived helpfulness of suggestions given to general educators by special educators, (d) teacher participation in IEP team meetings and parent involvement in such meetings, (e) the provision of related services, and (f) teacher perceptions of their personal experiences with including students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Semistructured interviews were conducted with an additional 25 teachers selected from the entire sample as well. Results indicated that teachers in Texas public schools generally favor traditional special education service delivery models over full inclusive practices. However, results also indicated that teachers perceive additional training, support from special education personnel and administrators, teacher communication and collaboration, and access to related services are necessary in order to meet the needs of their students with disabilities in the general education setting.