Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes of general education teachers toward educating special needs students in inclusive classrooms in Egyptian private schools. It seeks to investigate the factors that might affect their views and attitudes towards inclusive education. In addition, it suggests some recommendations for having a successful inclusive system in Egypt. The study was conducted in three private schools in Cairo. The participants were ten general education teachers who were chosen based on their involvement in inclusive practices or teaching special needs students in their classrooms. The methodology utilized was the qualitative approach through conducting one to one semi structured interviews with the teachers. The findings of this study showed that most of the teachers demonstrated positive attitudes toward including special needs students in their classrooms. While two teachers out of ten held negative attitudes toward inclusion. Furthermore, teachers were found to hold more positive attitudes when there are a small number of students with special needs in each class and when their cases are not severe. In addition, the results indicated that school administration support, professional development and knowledge, severity of the disabilities, and teacher parent collaboration were common themes developed among the teachers to indicate the factors that affected their attitudes toward inclusion. This study is guided by the theory of "Planned Behavior" which suggests that an individual's behavior is both predicted and influenced by intentions driven from three basic components; attitudes towards the behavior, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 2005). The results of this study could raise awareness among policymakers of the importance of implementing inclusive education that suits all students in Egypt.

Department

International & Comparative Education Department

Degree Name

MA in International & Comparative Education

Graduation Date

6-1-2018

Submission Date

May 2018

First Advisor

El-Deghaidy, Heba

Committee Member 1

Megahed, Nagwa

Committee Member 2

Hozayin, Russanne

Extent

79 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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