Leatherman, J. M., and Niemeyer, J. A. (2005). Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion: Factors influencing classroom practice. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26, (1), 23-36.
This article looks at early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ training about including children with disabilities in preschool classrooms. The ECE teachers’ preparation and implementation of appropriate practices in inclusive classrooms seemed to be influenced by the type of pre-service and in-service training they received and the support offered from administration and peers during the school year.
This study found that pre-service teachers benefit from hands-on experience with young children prior to teaching, and that teacher training should include specific strategies for working with young children with disabilities. The pre-service teachers reported that field experience gave them the opportunity to take the principles and standards from their coursework and apply them to real interactions with children.
Teachers who had previous experience with inclusive classrooms received in-service training of a similar nature to the pre-service teachers, including the strategies for working with a mixed, inclusive classroom. These ECE teachers reported enhanced understanding of the children in their classrooms and renewed enthusiasm for their work after the training. Of particular interest in the training was the idea of developing individualized education plans (IEP) for all the children in a classroom. While this is mandatory for children with disabilities, most ECE teachers do not have to complete IEPs for typically developing children.
