Teachers' Assumptions and Beliefs About the Delivery of Services to Exceptional Children

Abstract

Teachers and principals from three school districts were interviewed concerning their assumptions and beliefs about the basis for pupils' underachievement and about their own roles in delivering special education to pupils. Interviews covered the topics of identification, prereferral and assessment procedures, programming both prior to and following placement of pupils in special education programs, ongoing evaluation and review procedures, and communication among staff and with parents Responses were coded on a 7-point scale to reflect a "restorative" (i.e., deficit-centered) vs. a "preventive" (i.e., program-centered) viewpoint, on each of the topics. Results indicated that belief systems were consistent within individuals, and varied widely within and across teaching roles. A significantly higher proportion of principals than of regular classroom and subject teachers were rated as holding preventive beliefs, while the proportions of resource teachers and segregated class special education teachers rated as preventive were ranked between those of principals and regular teachers. Correlations between members of a school staff were for the most part significant, suggesting a peer influence on stated beliefs and assumptions. The operational definition of belief systems presented here offers a tool for examining teachers' beliefs about their responsibilities toward exceptional children and the factors that influence these beliefs.