Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education and the level of self-efficiency

Abstract

At the primary school age, the education of children with disabilities largely depends on the teachers who are often mentioned as one of the key factors. The sense of inadequacy and negative attitudes are present in many cases, and they are often disruptive factors in the success of these children?s education. This research aims to determine the attitudes of teachers towards inclusive education and to determine if there is a connection between attitudes and teachers? self-efficacy level. The research involved 70 teachers who filled out the Questionnaire of educators? attitudes about inclusion - SINKL 2.0 and Teachers? Sense of Efficacy Scale. The average value of the results was 3.59 out of a maximum of 5, and it is concluded that teachers? attitudes are slightly positive. Teachers express the most positive attitudes on the Partial Inclusion subscale (M = 4.18), and when it comes to self-efficacy assessment, they are most satisfied with their efficacy in teaching strategies (M = 4.00). Teachers rated their self-efficacy as relatively high, but there was no correlation between teachers? attitudes and their self-efficacy level. The results of this research have contributed to understanding the concept of education for children with disabilities in Serbia.