TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD MAINSTREAMING IN RELATION TO SELECTED VARIABLES

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the attitudes of teachers toward mainstreaming and (1) self concept, (2) pupil control ideologies, (3) exposure to inservice special education programs, and (4) sex. One hundred and forty-two regular classroom teachers from two suburban New York high schools participated in this study.;This study attempted to answer the following questions as they relate to high school teachers: (1) Will there be a significant relationship between the self-concept of teachers and their attitudes toward mainstreaming? (2) Will there be a significant relationship between the pupil control ideology of teachers and their attitudes toward mainstreaming? (3) Will there be a significant relationship between teachers' exposure to inservice special education training and their attitudes toward mainstreaming? (4) Will there be a significant relationship between teachers' sex and their attitudes toward mainstreaming?;Data analysis using the Mann-Whitney U statistic indicated that there were no significant differences in teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming when the independent variables of self-concept, pupil control ideology, and exposure to inservice special education programs were dichotomized. There were also no differences in mainstreaming attitudes according to sex.;Supplementary analysis with respect to the median scores of the Mainstreaming Inventory reveal that with the exception of Mathematics, teachers of English, Social Studies, and Science expressed unusually positive attitudes toward mainstreaming.;Recommendations were made for the inclusion of the following variables in future studies: (1) labels of specific handicaps; (2) quality-intensity of exposure to inservice special education programs; (3) subject matter taught by high school teachers; (4) classroom behavior of students; (5) junior high school teachers; (6) socio-economic background of students and teachers; (7) time (beginning, middle, end of school year, and year to year) in relationship to teacher attitude toward mainstreaming.;Educators should continue to identify the teacher variables and other educational components which will ultimately deliver the best quality education to handicapped students mainstreamed into the regular classroom.