Abstract
This project examined teachers’ attitudes to children with special educational needs. Understanding the implicit and explicit attitudes of teachers is an important precursor to improving teaching practices for children with special needs. Participants (N=77) were pre-service teachers and experienced teachers during in-service training courses. Results showed that behavioural intentions related to explicit rather than implicit attitudes, and that feelings of guilt and anxiety were associated with intentions for negative actions. Profiles of attitudes were substantially similar in terms of personal and teaching experiences. However, attitudes were less positive about children with low social skills and more positive about children with low cognitive skills. Findings have direct application to training teachers of children with special educational needs.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
E. Avramidis P. Bayliss R. Burden (2000) ArticleTitleA survey into mainstream teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with special educational needs in the ordinary school in one local education authority Educational Psychology 20 IssueID2 111–191
E.H. Bacon J.B. Schultz (1991) ArticleTitleA survey of mainstreaming practices Teacher Education and Special Education 14 144–149
R.A. Barkley (1990) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a handbook for diagnosis and treatment The Guildford Press New York and London
Bornholt L.J. (2002). Thoughts, feelings and intentions to learn: attitudes by beginning teachers towards Aboriginal peoples. Social Psychology of Education.
B.G. Burcham S.T. Mers ParticleDe (1995) ArticleTitleComprehensive assessment of children and youth with ADHD Intervention in School and Clinic 30 211–220
P. Chow M. Winzer (1992) ArticleTitleReliability and validity of a scale measuring attitudes toward mainstreaming Educational and Psychological Measurement 52 223–228
A.H. Eagley S. Chaiken (1993) The psychology of attitudes Fort Worth Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
B. Fell K. Pierce (1995) ArticleTitleMeeting the ADD challenge: a multimodal plan for parents, students, teachers, and physicians Intervention in School and Clinic 30 IssueID4 198–202
J.P. Forgas (2000) Feeling and thinking: the role of affect in social cognition Cambridge University Press Cambridge, UK
T.M. Hepperlen D.L. Clay G.A. Henly C.R. Barke (2002) ArticleTitleMeasuring teacher attitudes and expectations toward students with AD/HD: development of the test of knowledge about AD/HD (KADD) Journal of Attention Disorders 5 IssueID3 133–142 Occurrence Handle11911006
L. Jerome M. Gordon P Hustler (1994) ArticleTitleA comparison of American and Canadian teachers’ knowledge and attitudes towards attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 39 563–566
F. Levy (2001) ArticleTitleImplications for Australia of the multimodal treatment study of children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 35 45–51 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00850.x Occurrence Handle11270455
MTA Cooperative Group (1999). The multimodal treatment study of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 1073–1086.
S. Rief (1993) How to reach and teach ADD/ADHD children The Center for Applied Research in Education New York
P. Salmelainen (2002) Trends in the prescribing of stimulant medication for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents in NSW. NSW Public health bulletin supplement Department of Health Sydney
M.J. Sciutto M.D. Terjesen A.S. Bender Frank (2000) ArticleTitleTeachers’ knowledge and misperceptions of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder Psychology in the Schools 37 IssueID2 115–122 Occurrence Handle10.1002/(SICI)1520-6807(200003)37:2<115::AID-PITS3>3.0.CO;2-5
C. Stewart (1990) ArticleTitleEffect of practica types in preservice adapted physical education curriculum on attitudes toward disabled populations Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 10 76–83
P. Ven ParticleVan de L. Bornholt M. Bailey (1996) ArticleTitleMeasuring cognitive, affective and behavioural components of homophobic reactions Archives of Sexual Behaviour 25 155–179
J.E. Whitworth T. Fossler G. Harbin (1997) ArticleTitleTeachers’ perceptions regarding educational services to students with attention deficit disorder Rural Educator 19 1–5
L.A. Worthington J.F. Wortham C.R. Blocker Smith D. Patterson (1997) ArticleTitleProject facilitate: an in-service education program for educators and parents Teacher Education and Special Education 20 IssueID2 123–132
D. Yasutake J. Lerner M.E. Ward (1994) ArticleTitleThe need for teachers to receive training for working with students with attention deficit disorder B.C. Journal of Special Education 18 IssueID1 81–84
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Levins, T., Bornholt, L. & Lennon, B. Teachers’ Experience, Attitudes, Feelings and Behavioural Intentions towards Children with Special Educational Needs. Soc Psychol Educ 8, 329–343 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-005-3020-z
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-005-3020-z