Inclusive Teachers' Attitudinal Ratings of Their Students With Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was twofold: (a) to explore the use of a new rating scale that measures teachers' attitudes toward their students and (b) to investigate the attitudes of inclusive teachers toward their students with disabilities using the rating scale. Fifty inclusive elementary teachers in 12 north-east Ohio schools rated all of their students with disabilities ( N = 156) and 4 students without disabilities in each of their classrooms in the attitudinal categories of attachment, concern, indifference, and rejection. Results indicated that (a) the rating procedure exhibited modest test—retest reliability and moderate concurrent validity with a previously validated nomination procedure; (b) in comparison to students without disabilities, included students with disabilities received significantly higher ratings of teacher concern, indifference, and rejection, and significantly lower attachment ratings; and (c) average teacher indifference ratings toward their included students related positively and significantly to presence of paraprofessionals, and average teacher rejection ratings of included students were inversely and significantly related to school district socioeconomic status. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.