Preschool Mainstreaming: Perceptions of Barriers and Benefits by Faculty in General Early Childhood Education

Abstract

This report describes a mail survey of faculty members in general early childhood education designed to secure information about their perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to preschool mainstreaming A 22-item questionnaire was mailed to 204 general early childhood education faculty members selected randomly from all regions of the United States. A total of 114 (55.9%) questionnaires were returned in usable form. Respondents represented a full range of institutions of higher education. In all, 211 benefits in 10 categories and 202 barriers in 10 categories were listed Learning to accept differences was the mostfrequently cited benefit, and lack of trained staff and consultation was the most frequently listed barrier. Many benefits commonly ascribed to preschool mainstreaming were listed by the general early childhood education faculty. However, some (e.g., availability of peers as models, peers learning to be helpers) were cited less frequently than expected, and others (e.g., benefits to personnel preparation programs) more frequently than expected Negative attitudes were listed as a barrier by fewer than a third of the respondents. Few faculty listed skill deficits and behavior problems of children with disabilities as barriers.