INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AS PERCEIVED BY PROSPECTIVE SPECIAL-EDUCATION TEACHERS IN ESTONIA, FINLAND, AND THE UNITED-STATES

A survey of 125 prospective undergraduate special education teachers a ssessed perceptions and beliefs about inclusive education in Estonia, Finland, and the United States. The attitudes toward inclusion were ra ther critical. The Estonians were the most critical group; the Finns, the least critical. The findings suggest that prospective special educ ators' perceptions about inclusion are related to the prevailing imple mentation of inclusive education. The results support also the idea th at perceptions about a person with a disability are connected with pos sible actions toward this person.