TEACHERS EXPERIENCES WITH INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS - IMPLICATIONS FOR SPECIAL-EDUCATION REFORM

Teachers completed a survey of attitudes toward several basic assumpti ons regarding inclusion of children with mild disabilities; perception s of self-efficacy, competence, and teaching satisfaction; and judgmen ts of the appropriateness of classroom adaptations. Respondents includ ed 185 regular education teachers in traditional classrooms, and 71 re gular education and 64 special education teachers who co-taught childr en in inclusive classrooms. Special education teachers held the most p ositive views of inclusion, as well as the highest perceptions of self -efficacy, competency, and satisfaction. Regular education teachers in the inclusive classrooms tended to report views similar to those of t heir special education counterparts. Regular classroom teachers in tra ditional classrooms held the least positive perceptions in these areas and viewed classroom adaptations as less feasible and less frequently used than did teachers in those classrooms in which the ''protected r esource'' of two teachers was provided. Teachers, in all three groups indicated a need for additional resources in order to appropriately se rve children with disabilities.