Opening doors? Professional self-concept of pre-service teachers in relation to the inclusion of students with disabilities

Current research indicates that a key to successful inclusive practices lies in teacher attitudes and preparation. It is proposed that effectively including students with disabilities in mainstream classrooms will be dependent on the focus and content of the mandatory special education units of study and the way in which this impacts on preservice teacher self-concept. Pre-service teachers in NSW teacher education programs are mandated to undertake studies in inclusive education practices in order to qualify for employment in NSW Department of Education and Training schools. This study examines their self concept as developing professionals in relation to several aspects of inclusive practice including: their interpersonal relationships with and responses to students with disabilities; their beliefs about their level of influence in making decisions regarding inclusive placements and resourcing; the relevance and efficacy of their general teaching skills and knowledge for inclusive practice and their responsibility for inclusion. The study involves initially measuring the beliefs and attitudes of 70 pre-service teachers at the beginning of their mandatory unit of study in special education following one or two years of general teaching preparation, using a 20-item Likert scale across the 4 key factors mentioned above. It seeks to discover their self- concept in relation to the application of the skills and knowledge acquired to the processes of including students with disabilities. Pre-service teachers who have undertaken 2 full years of teacher preparation are differentiated from and compared to those who have undertaken only twelve months teacher preparation, to determine if there are differences in their responses and professional self-concept . This study will be followed by a further study to determine whether there have been changes in self concept by the end of the mandatory unit.