THE ATTITUDES OF STUDENTS OF HUMANITIES TOWARD PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Abstract

Although the attitudes toward people with disabilities had improved, there is still evidence that they remain stigmatized. The aim of this research was to determine the differences in attitudes toward people with disabilities among participants based on their sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes toward inclusive education. The sample consisted of 261 students that were surveyed using the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale toward Persons with Disabilities, and a questioner designed by the authors regarding attitudes toward inclusion. Students who have had previous contact with people with disabilities had more positive attitudes. The majority of them had positive attitudes towards inclusive education and had the opinion that children who are enrolled in inclusive classes do not disrupt typically developing children‟s‟ educational process. It is of great importance to examine attitudes of students toward people with disabilities, because it is considered that attitudes of students represent future attitudes of the population. Key words: attitudes, students, disability, inclusion.