The Effectiveness of a Two-day Inclusion Workshop on Teachers’Attitudes, Understanding, and Competence in Inclusive Education

Abstract

The previously UNESCO initiated policy of inclusive education has been adopted by the Indonesian governmentsince 2003. As a new policy, inclusion will require many changes in the existing system of education which tends tobe segregative. This research investigated the effects of a two-day workshop on parents attitudes, teachers’competence and knowledge related to inclusive education..The subjects of the study were 50 parents and 50 teachers of 25 primary schools from 25 subdistricts in the district ofWonogiri, Indonesia. They took part in a two-day workshop in inclusive education using active learning modes ofpresentation. Teachers’ knowledge was measured using a written test, while parents’ attitudes and teachers’competence were measured using likert type scales.The results showed that:1. The two-day workshop in inclusive education significantly improved parents’ attitudes toward inclusiveeducation. The mean score of parents’ attitudes before workshop was 137,26 (SD=17.383), and the mean score afterworkshop was 148,46 with a standard deviation of 15,439. A t-test for correlated means resulted in a p=0.000.2. The two-day workshop significantly improved teachers’ knowledge about inclusive education. The mean scoreof teachers’knowledge before workshop was 57.60and the mean score after workshop was 67.36, both were belowthe mastery criteris of 70. A T-test for correlated means resulted a p value of 0,00,indicating a signicant improvementof knowledge.3. The two-day workshop also significantly improved teachers’ feeling of competence working in inclusiveclassrooms. The mean score of teachers’ competence before workshop was 334,82 (SD= 69,857) and the mean scoreafter workshop was372,56 (SD=72,505). A t-test for correlated means resulted a p value of =0.000.