Determining the Opinions of Preschool Teachers Regarding Inclusion

Abstract

The general purpose of this study was to determine the opinions of preschool teachers about inclusion. Participants were 45 preschool teachers from 8 preschools who had students with special educational needs in their classes during the study or had in the previous years and who were working in public preschools in Eskisehir, Turkey. They had 2-27 years of teaching experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers and the data were analyzed descriptively. The results of the study revealed that although the participants had positive opinions about inclusion, they still did not have enough knowledge about that. Besides, the inadequate knowledge the teachers had was related to the types and characteristics of disabilities of the children, inclusion, effective teaching methods, accommodations, and so forth. The findings of the study were discussed in terms of the present literature.