Attitudes towards inclusion: The case of Israeli and Palestinian regular and special education teachers

The goals of the present study were to examine the effects of an intervention programme on sense of efficacy and attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with six types of disability, among Israeli (N = 66) and Palestinian (N = 192) teachers. We also studied how these attitudes were related to their general attitudes towards education; whether regular (N = 125) and inclusive teachers (N = 103) would differ; and how attitudes towards inclusion and sense of efficacy were correlated. The intervention, which was adapted to the needs of inclusive teachers, was comprised of the three components of attitudes, cognitive, emotional and behavioural. Results showed, as hypothesized, that in all types of disability the Israeli, compared to Palestinian teachers, showed significantly higher willingness to include pupils with special needs. The clash between the individualistic nature of special education and the national orientation of the Palestinian teachers, coupled with the 'stigmatizing effect', may explain their being high in conservatism and progressiveness, and their negative attitudes towards inclusion of pupils with sensory impairment and mental retardation before the intervention. The intervention programme was more beneficial to the regular teachers, compared to the special education teachers. The correlations between the attitudes and sense of efficacy were increased following the intervention; the negative attitudes towards inclusion of moderate/severe learning disabilities/emotional disturbances and mild mental retardation can be explained by the tolerance and expectation theories.