Teachers’ attitudes towards policy and practice of inclusion and inclusive education in Russia

Abstract

The vision of inclusion and inclusive education has been a guiding principle in many countries since the Salamanca Statement was adopted in 1994. This chapter aims to investigate teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion policy, as well as their attitudes towards understanding and readiness to implement inclusive educational practices. It focuses on contextual conditions, and gives insight into the Russian school contexts on legislative frames and on guiding principles for providing special needs education. Demographic and personality factors can also influence teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and inclusive education. Nevertheless, several studies have revealed that teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion can be influenced by their educational and practical experiences. Russia is a large country, and there are multiple approaches towards inclusive education on the different levels of the educational system. However, the research-based knowledge that specifically investigates teachers’ attitudes towards the policy and practice of inclusion and inclusive education in Russia is still sparse.