Attitudes Toward Inclusion and Utilitarian-Progressive Philosophical Orientations: A Survey Study of Maltese State Primary School Educators

Abstract

This article conceptualises Maltese educational philosophy according to a utilitarian-progressive dualism, with critical theory as the source of antagonism between the two positions. In this sense, education for work and economic development serves as a utilitarian or technocratic justification for the prevailing socioeconomic status quo. In contrast, education for personal and social development serves more progressive or humanistic goals of personal empowerment and sociopolitical emancipation. Given that inclusion is a relatively explicit feature of Maltese educational policy and practice, we asked how attitudes towards inclusion currently interact with the broader foregoing philosophical orientations among Maltese primary school educators. A survey of 62 educators in a large state primary school was carried out, consisting of an existing scale for measuring attitudes toward inclusion, as well as a locally contextualised bespoke scale designed to measure philosophical orientations. Factors such as role and experience, as well as initial and ongoing training were included as explanatory factors. The results suggest overall positive attitudes toward inclusion, combined with a juxtaposition of utilitarian and progressive views about education. Based on the findings, we argue that initial training is a particularly important opportunity for educators to engage more fully with philosophy of education and critical pedagogy since they are less likely to do so later in their careers in the Maltese primary state school sector.